Ulysses (or Oddyseus) is the famed hero of Homer's Oddysey, and the Ulysses Pact gains it's name from a particular story in the greater epic poem. Upon approaching the sirens, known to have the most beautiful voices with disastrous consequences, Ulysses desires to experience their singing and still avoid the fate of all who hear it. According to Greek lore, the siren songs were so enchanting that any sailor who passed by and heard their voice was driven so mad by the beauty of it that they would promptly jump overboard attempting to reach the new object of their affection and drown in pursuit. Listening to this tempting tune meant sure death for all who encountered it. So, the prevailling wisdom of sailors was to plug their ears with wax as they approached the sirens in order to safely pass. The downside, of course, was never getting to experience the beauty of their voice. Ulysses determined to find another way. He charged his crew to plug their ears with wax so that they could safely navigate the boat through the treacherous waters. He, on the other hand, had his crew tie him securely to the mast. Furthermore, they were instructed to keep swords drawn on him in the event that he broke free. Ulysses literally had his own hands tied before the event so that he could not fail during the event. Ulysses made a pact with his future self, knowing his future self would fail, in order to succeed later. I'm convinced the concept of the Ulysses Pact has value for [[Spiritual Formation]] in a number of ways. Making plans now to "tie the hands" of your future self is an important aspect of developing healthy habits and [[Spiritual Disciplines]]. Doing so is a form of accountability. In moments of determination to adopt godly habits and practices, we commit to better disciplines and restrain against any number of temptations. Yet, with no advanced preparation, our future self will rationalize breaking our previous commitment. Planning ahead to stop your future self from rationalizing away your commitment to biblical practices and habits sounds like a play out of Proverbs to me. A Ulyssess Pact aids [[Deliberate Practice]]. It's likely also key to [[Develop Healthy Boundaries in Ministry Schedule]]. Since [[Transformational Discipleship has Much in Common with Habit Formation]], using accountabtility tactics such as a Ulysses Pact seems wise. ### Further reading on the Ulysses Pact: - "[Ulysses Pact](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_pact)", *Wikipedia*. - Wingall, Nick, "[The Ulysses Pact: An Ancient Technique for Building Better Habits](https://nickwignall.com/ulysses-pact/)." - Grierson, Bruce, "[Writing Your Own 'Ulysses Contract'](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-carpe-diem-project/201709/writing-your-own-ulysses-contract)," *Psychology Today*, 2017.