​Don’t tempt yourself

Greek mythology has an ample supply of images portraying the Sirens. No one quite knows who they are. They were, supposedly, daughters of the river god Achelous, but no legends can identify their mother. They were associated strongly with the sea, but are not sea deities. Some texts say there were only two or three of the singers, some say more, and their names alter and shift like the changing tides. Only one thing remains constant: their purpose. The Sirens are temptresses whose beautiful songs tempt sailors to cruise towards them, luring their ships to their fate, crushed against cruel rocks.

Like the elusive Sirens, we’ll never know how or where our next temptation will come. I’m not speaking of temptations in terms of sins and acts of virtue, rather of distractions that will inhibit our ability to be productive and succeed. Temptations may seem harmless, a friend inviting you out for a cup of coffee when you really should be getting back and finishing that ten-page paper, or they may be more evident. While most of us know what we should be doing, the problem is that when the time comes for us to act temptations overwhelm our willpower and make it difficult to proceed.

Odysseus, the hero of Homer’s epic poem, was forced to sail by the Sirens on his way home from war. In the tale, he had his men plug their ears with wax, this ploy allowing them to sail past without hearing the beautiful sounds of the temptress’ call and being swayed from their course. Still, while I recommend such “earplugs” as a helpful productivity tool (I actually use them while I’m writing articles, in fact), we can’t all walk around with our ears full of wax. Even if it helps us avoid the allure of the distractions which wreck our productivity on the rocks of procrastination.

So what do we do to fend off the Sirens in our own lives? Well, one of the first things is to ignore Odysseus’ example. In Homer’s epic, the hero, a particularly courageous and willful man if truth be told, wants to learn what it is about the Sirens’ song that is so wondrous to cause men to sail to their deaths. He decides that as the ship sails past, he will have his men bind him tightly to the mast so that he cannot escape and then plug up their own ears while leaving his unobstructed. Odysseus listened to the Sirens’ song and lived to tell the tale, more than most others could say, but provided a terrible example to any acolyte of productivity.

Willpower, the strength we tax when we must keep on task and ignore enticing distractions, is a limited resource. Studies have shown that willpower is, at its heart, like a muscle. The more exercise, the more tired it becomes, until it is easier to give up and give in to procrastination than it is to keep at your task. Putting yourself recklessly in the way of temptations as Odysseus did is like leaving your phone on all night, unplugged, while streaming Netflix and leaving Facebook updating regularly in the background. Your willpower battery will die.

Even distractions that seem harmless and easy to resist can wear away at you over time. In one study, students were asked to ignore a bowl of freshly-baked cookies for fifteen minutes before doing a logic puzzle. Those who had been forced to resist the delicious treats gave up almost twice as quickly as students who had not taxed their willpower before they began. The tiniest chink in your armor will be exploited as your strength slowly drains away into nothing.

This limitation on our ability to persevere against obstacles to our efficiency is why it is imperative that we don’t put ourselves in situations where we know we will be tempted. If you know that working with a friend will lead to more chit-chat than productivity, then find somewhere you can focus and get some alone time. Don’t multitask—odds are you’re not part of the gifted 2 percent of “super” multitaskers and in reality you’re only damaging your effectiveness and output as a result. If you think something could be a distraction or temptation, then go out of your way to avoid or remove it.

None of us is Odysseus, nor are we Atlas, the ancient Greek titan who can hold up the weight of the world for all eternity. Little distractions can easily become big problems for achievement. The world is going to throw all sorts of curveballs your way and you’re going to have to deal with them, but if you don’t get your game together then you will be your number one adversary.

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