There’s a pivotal moment in The Odyssey when Ulysses, knowing he won’t resist the sirens’ deadly call, takes a radical step.
He doesn’t trust willpower. Instead, he binds himself to the mast and orders his crew to plug their ears and keep rowing no matter how much he begs.
It works. He thrashes, he pleads, but the ropes hold. The ship sails past danger, and Ulysses lives to tell the tale.
We may not battle mythical temptations, but modern distractions are just as cunning.
You tell yourself this is the week things will change. No more endless scrolling before bed. No more skipping workouts. No more postponing that side project.
And yet—just like last time—you cave. Not because you’re lazy. Not because you lack discipline. But because, like Ulysses, you leave yourself an escape route.
In The Happiness Hypothesis, Jonathan Haidt argues that willpower alone won’t win this fight. But there is a strategy that does—one that Ulysses mastered thousands of years ago.
It’s called The Ulysses Pact. And it might be the most potent way to finally follow through.
Why We Keep Breaking Promises to Ourselves
Ulysses understood a truth most of us ignore: he couldn’t trust himself. We, on the other hand, believe that next time will be different.
We tell ourselves we’ll wake up early and hit the gym. We swear we won’t check our phones during deep work. We promise to start that book, that course, that project.
Then, the moment arrives. And Present Us—who loves comfort, distraction, and instant gratification—takes over.
The problem isn’t willpower. It’s that quitting is too easy.
Most people try to fix this with more motivation, better reminders, or a new morning routine. But real change happens when you remove the option to fail.
Haidt calls the Ulysses Pact a *commitment device—a way to lock in your future actions by preemptively cutting off the path to self-sabotage.
Unlike simple reminders or weak deterrents, these commitments impose real constraints, where backing out comes with tangible consequences.
The Locked-In Commitment Strategy
There’s a reason trying harder doesn’t work.
When the moment of choice arrives—wake up early or hit snooze, open your laptop or your favorite distraction—your brain doesn’t consult the long-term plan. Instead, it defaults to the easiest path.
That’s why the best Ulysses Pacts don’t rely on willpower. They often eliminate the escape route by putting something meaningful at stake.
A prime example? Financial commitment contracts. Studies show people are far more likely to follow through when they put money on the line, a concept tested by behavioral economist Dean Karlan.
In his study on smokers trying to quit, those who deposited money they’d forfeit if they relapsed were 33% more likely to succeed. (Source.) The stakes were real because their future self couldn’t back out.
This principle works for any habit.
- Want to exercise consistently? Don’t just say you’ll go to the gym. Prepay for a non-refundable class or hire a trainer.
- Want to finish writing a book? Pay for the cover design before you’ve written the first draft.
- Want to run a marathon? Register six months in advance and then tell everyone you know.
- Want to read more? Preorder a year’s worth of audiobooks and install an app blocker that fines you for social media use.
When failure is costly and inconvenient, discipline becomes irrelevant.
How to Make Your Ulysses Pact Today
Ulysses didn’t just promise to resist temptation. He made failure impossible.
That’s the difference between wishful thinking and true commitment. It’s easy to say you’ll wake up early, exercise more, or start that big project. It’s just as easy to break that promise when the moment comes.
But when you lock yourself in—when failure comes with real consequences—you no longer rely on willpower. The decision is already made.
Progress isn’t about trusting that “next time will be different.” It’s about knowing it won’t and planning accordingly.
So, think about one goal you keep putting off. What’s stopping you? Now, turn it into a Ulysses Pact. Pay for the personal training session in advance. Register for the marathon before you start training. Sign a commitment contract with real stakes.
You don’t need more discipline. You need fewer escape routes.
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