Whenever the agenda approaches the last pages, that certainty arises in me: «that's it next year!».
Why I didn't take control and enjoy the three hundred and sixty-five days counting down as I would have liked is something I don't understand. If you followed Ludmila Ulitskaya's advice, «Write diaries so you don't forget your life.», you would have a better perception of how the days and months passed were, and this chronicle would head in another direction.
I now share with you what could be, in addition to writing a diary, my solution and, who knows, maybe also yours, so that 2024 can be “that year”.
After the Trojan War, on his way back to Ithaca, Odysseus knew that the boat would pass by the Sirenum Scopuli, the islands of the sirens who seduced sailors with their irresistible song, diverting them from the route towards deadly rocks and certain drowning.
Ulysses then defined a strategy to literally resist the siren's song. He knew that his ears would not resist the temptation and devised a plan for his “future self” to overcome that ordeal. He ordered the crew to tie him up and securely fasten him to the ship's mast and not to remove him, no matter how much he screamed or begged for freedom.
Then, he asked the sailors to cover their ears with beeswax, so as not to be seduced by the mermaids' charm, not to hear their cries and to only untie him when the boat was far from danger. Ulysses knew that, at that future moment, he would not be in a position to make the best decisions and that, therefore, with this plan, he would guarantee safe passage through the temptation of the sirens.
Decisions made freely at a given moment and that condition us in the future are known as the “Ulysses contract” and are based on the recognition of the functioning of our brain.
The brain desires immediate reward and, as in Fernando Pessoa's poem, “Innumerable people live in us”, not always in agreement regarding what is best for our future. Therefore, applying the Ulysses contract and, preferably, with witnesses, is a good way to get the new year closer to what you want to achieve.
Let's look at some practical examples. For those who want to lose weight, the solution is to avoid buying cookies, chocolates and the like when going to the supermarket. This way, when you're at home and feel the sugar rush, you won't be tempted to contribute to the weight gain on the scale.
The same applies to smoking. When you finish the last pack of cigarettes, don't buy another one. Decide that you want to be a non-smoker and give your body the addictive nicotine in the form of chewing gum, patches or hard candy. Time will do the rest.
If you want to start going to a gym, hire the services of a personal trainer or arrange to go with a friend. The commitment of having someone waiting for you, in addition to the financial investment, will be a good companion in achieving good physical shape. For me, it worked.
But be aware that we are made of antagonistic short- and long-term desires, of reason and emotion. Human desires and passions are difficult to ignore, and our ability to negotiate with different versions of ourselves is impressive.
So, look for the pact that best suits your needs and share it with a strong friend or family member. Winning neural battles is not easy. Even the great warrior Ulysses knew it.
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If you want to know more about how the human brain works, I suggest you read «Incognito, How the unconscious controls our lives», by David Eagleman, published by Lua de Papel, the source that inspired the writing of this chronicle.
Author: Analita Alves dos Santos is an author and literary mentor
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