In case anyone is unaware, a Ulysses pact is a pact made with others, meant to restrain your actions in the future when you know which at that time you will want to go back on your original commitment.
It comes from an old Greek story about a ship captain named Ulysses, who wanted to hear the song of the legendary Sirens, said to be amazing, but which invariably led to everyone who heard to jump off the ship to their death so they could be with said Sirens. So he commanded his crew who had wax in their ears, to tie him to the mast, and not untie him, regardless of his pleas.
Has anyone ever used this sort of idea to better themselves?
If you read any of the early retirement or money threads here, you'll know I have a bit of proclivity for finance, thrift etc. It's fair to say that for better or worse being financially free and being a money slave to no bank or man is possibly one of the highest priorities in my life.
I got to thinking that about 10 years ago I worked for a company who would give you a free gym membership, but only if you went 3+ times/week and they had a sign in book. And you know what? Faced with worse health, and the prospect of having to throw money away, I went to the gym regularly for almost 2 years until I was transferred. In this case the carrot of a good body and health wasn't enough, but add in a stick of financial waste, and it worked.
Since then, I've had at least two dozen 2-12 week stints where I'll eat well, exercise regularly, but then find an excuse not to, and everything falls off the rails and there are even longer periods of sloth and hedonism.
I'm confident if I did something like give a friend $2k, and tell him not to return it unless I did 200 days of exercise in the upcoming year, that I would do 200 days of exercise. Has anyone else every done something similar to give you that final kick in the ass?
It comes from an old Greek story about a ship captain named Ulysses, who wanted to hear the song of the legendary Sirens, said to be amazing, but which invariably led to everyone who heard to jump off the ship to their death so they could be with said Sirens. So he commanded his crew who had wax in their ears, to tie him to the mast, and not untie him, regardless of his pleas.
Has anyone ever used this sort of idea to better themselves?
If you read any of the early retirement or money threads here, you'll know I have a bit of proclivity for finance, thrift etc. It's fair to say that for better or worse being financially free and being a money slave to no bank or man is possibly one of the highest priorities in my life.
I got to thinking that about 10 years ago I worked for a company who would give you a free gym membership, but only if you went 3+ times/week and they had a sign in book. And you know what? Faced with worse health, and the prospect of having to throw money away, I went to the gym regularly for almost 2 years until I was transferred. In this case the carrot of a good body and health wasn't enough, but add in a stick of financial waste, and it worked.
Since then, I've had at least two dozen 2-12 week stints where I'll eat well, exercise regularly, but then find an excuse not to, and everything falls off the rails and there are even longer periods of sloth and hedonism.
I'm confident if I did something like give a friend $2k, and tell him not to return it unless I did 200 days of exercise in the upcoming year, that I would do 200 days of exercise. Has anyone else every done something similar to give you that final kick in the ass?
