A life hack to avoid bad habits

After reading this post, we’ll see:

• Why willpower fails.

• What to do instead, to avoid bad habits.

TL; DR;

Willpower will fail. To ensure you don’t stray into bad habits, hand over control to someone you trust.

You KNOW what you should do. But don’t have the willpower.

You’ve tried everything, but cannot stop your bad habits.

Sounds familiar?

The world is full of distractions. They derail your goals.

But we can look to a timeless lesson from Greek mythology for help.

The legend

In Homer’s Odyssey, King Odysseus had to sail past an island.

Beautiful , half - woman, half - bird figures lived there. Their enchanting songs were famous for luring sailors to death on the island’s coastline.

The King knew - willpower isn’t enough to avoid them.

The King’s strategy

The King hatched a clever plan. He asked his sailors to:

• Tie him to the mast.

• Block his ears with beeswax

• Disregard any pleas he may make later.

Surely enough, the ship sailed past the island -Unharmed.

He became the only person to hear the siren’s songs and live.

When wisdom isn’t enough

This story offers an elegant solution for modern life.

There are situations when wisdom falls short. The only solution = remove the temptation.

Don’t hesitate.

Give others control.

Your “ sailors ”

Giving others control ≠ weakness. It’s wisdom.

Because your “sirens” are strong:

• Porn.

• Alcohol.

• Doomscrolling.

Harsh truth = willpower does not work. These sirens override everything.

Find your “ sailors” - trusted friends and family.

Ask them to “ tie you to the mast” .

Tying you to the mast

Porn?

Ask your friends to permanently block you from mature websites.

Alcohol?

Ask your partner to not buy / have alcohol.

Doomscrolling?

Ask your partner to set usage limits for social media (and hide the password).

I learnt this from The School of life. I love them.

What do you think of idea?

How will you start using it from today?

That’s it!!

I hope this concept helps you avoid bad habits . If you found this helpful, share with someone who will benefit.

Further reading:

• Ulysses pact

P.S: Did you like this idea? Let me know. I personally respond to each mail.