As we mature, we become more capable of achieving certain goals based on the experience we accumulate. However, there are certain things that elude us and take longer to achieve, or that we are still unable to master. In moments of reflection, I realize that not having achieved such things is not a matter of lack of intelligence or aptitude; it's a matter of willpower.
El mástil de Ulises y la fuerza de voluntad — La inteligencia no es suficiente
A medida que maduramos nos hacemos mas capaces de lograr ciertos objetivos de acuerdo a la experiencia que acumulamos, sin embargo hay ciertas cosas que nos son esquivas y demoramos mas en lograr o que aun no somos capaces de dominar. En momentos de reflexión, me doy cuenta que no haber logrado tales cosas no se trata de la falta de inteligencia o aptitudes, es un asunto de fuerza de voluntad.
I have always considered myself an intelligent person, but not being able to overcome some things that affect my life frustrated me and made me question my intelligence. To make what I'm trying to explain clearer, I'll tell you about a classmate from university. I considered him one of the most brilliant people I had ever met. He, like most of my classmates, were mature men with experience, all trying to earn a university degree studying at night.
Siempre me he considerado una persona inteligente, pero al no lograr superar algunas cosas que afectan mi vida, me frustraba y cuestionaba mi inteligencia. Para hacer más gráfico lo que intento explicar, les cuento sobre un compañero de clases de la universidad, lo consideraba una de las personas mas brillantes que había conocido, el al igual que la mayoría de mis compañeros eran hombres maduros con experiencia, todos tratado de sacar un título universitario estudiando de noche.
This classmate had already earned a technical degree in electronics, had worked in several companies, and made math seem like a hobby. As the semesters progressed and I got to know him better, I witnessed many of his academic achievements, but I also learned about his private life. He was going through a second marriage that was about to fall apart. His problem: alcohol.
Este compañero ya había logrado un título tecnico en electronica, ya había trabajado en varias empresas y hacía ver las matemáticas como un hobbie. Ha medida que avanzaban los semestres y le conocía mejor, pude presenciar muchos de sus logros académicos pero también conocí parte de su vida privada, estaba pasando por un segundo matrimonio que estaba a punto de quebrarse, su problema: el alcohol.
How could such an intelligent man not be able to stop drinking to avoid losing his family? Obviously, there are many points to consider, but one of them was his willpower, which had been shattered. Being a brilliant man made him capable of having wonderful ideas to solve everything. He surely came up with more than one to save his marriage, but the implementation of these ideas was stalled by the lack of willpower to carry them out.
¿Como un hombre tan inteligente no era capaz de dejar de beber para no perder a su familia? Es obvio que hay muchos puntos a considerar, pero uno de ellos era la fuerza de voluntad que se había resquebrajado. Ser un hombre brillante le hacía capaz de tener ideas maravillosas para solucionar de todo, seguro se le ocurrió más de una para salvar su matrimonio, pero la implementación de estas ideas se vio pausada por la falta de fuerza de voluntad para llevarlas a cabo.
Pride often takes hold of us when we know we possess knowledge, that we have brilliant ideas that we know can work, but over time we fail to implement them. That's why, thinking about how to strengthen willpower using intelligence, I began to research and found several methods. I found three that suit me, which I'll share, but you should search for yourself to see which one can help you and fits your reality.
El orgullo suele apoderarse de nosotros cuando sabemos que poseemos conocimiento, que tenemos ideas brillantes que sabemos pueden funcionar, pero con el tiempo no podemos implementar. Por eso pensando en cómo fortalecer la fuerza de voluntad usando la inteligencia, me puse a investigar y encontré varios métodos, y encontré tres que se ajusta a mi, los comparto pero debes buscar por ti mismo cual te puede ayudar y se ajuste a tu realidad.
The first thing to clarify is that none of this works if you don't first recognize that you must work on your willpower. A very common symptom in proud people is their lack of ability to recognize that they have something to improve. They know everything, but it means a lot to accept that their intelligence is not enough for them to solve their problems on their own. It takes time to abandon those ideas, but it is possible.
Lo primero que hay que aclarar que nada de esto funciona si primero no reconoces que debes trabajar en tu fuerza de voluntad. Un sintoma muy comun en las personas orgullosas, es su falta de capacidad para reconocer que tiene algo que mejorar. Todo lo saben, pero cuenta mucho aceptar que su inteligencia no les es suficiente para solucionar por ellos mismos sus problemas. Toma tiempo abandonar esas ideas pero es posible.
Returning to the methods, I was saying that I found three that suit me. I will only mention two of them and expand a bit on the one I liked the most and how I implement it.
- The Pomodoro Technique focuses on how we can better manage our time and achieve greater concentration. I teach this to my eldest son to use in his studies, as it is what I used while studying and working. It is especially useful for improving concentration and avoiding procrastination, and combined with other methods, it helps strengthen willpower.
- The second is the Spartan and the Iron Ball. I don't know if it's a legend, but it is said that the Spartans trained by tying an iron ball to their foot. This gave them resistance. This practice can be used as a symbol in setting personal challenges that force us to be more disciplined. For example, last year I took six months of studies that challenged myself and were part of a personal plan. This method is difficult because no one likes to leave their comfort zone, but the results in the end are super gratifying.
- Ulysses' Rule. The first time I read about this character was in high school when reading The Iliad. After the Trojan War, Ulysses and his crew set out on a journey to Ithaca, their home. During the trip, they must pass through an area of sirens, famous for seducing sailors with their songs, attracting them towards them, and eating them. Ulysses puts plugs in the ears of his crew, and he ties himself to the mast so he can hear the sirens but not succumb to their song.
Volviendo a los métodos, les decía que encontré tres que se ajustan a mi, solo mencionaré dos de ellos y ampliaré un poco el que mas me gusto y como lo implemento.
- La regla de Pomodoro tiene un enfoque en cómo podemos gestionar mejor nuestro tiempo y lograr mas concentración. Esta se le enseñe a mi hijo mayor para que la use en sus estudios ya que es la que utilice mientras estudiaba y trabajaba. Es especial para mejorar la concentración y evitar la procrastinación y combinada con otros métodos ayuda a fortalecer la fuerza de voluntad.
- La segunda es el Espartano y la bola de hierro. No se si es una leyenda pero se dice que los espartanos entrenaban atándose una bola de hierro al pie, esto les daba resistencia. Esta práctica se puede usar como símbolo en la colocación de desafíos personales que nos obliguen a ser más disciplinados. Por ejemplo en mi caso el año pasado curse durante seis meses estudios que me desafiaban a mi mismo y fueron parte de un plan personal. Este método es difícil porque a nadie le gusta salir de su zona de confort, pero los resultados al final son super gratificantes.
- La regla de Ulises. La primera vez que leí sobre este personaje fue en el liceo al leer la Ilíada. Tras la guerra de Troya Ulises y su tripulación emprenden el viaje Ítaca su hogar. Durante el viaje deben pasar por una zona de sirenas, famosa por qué con sus cánticos seducen a los marinos, los atraen hacia ellos y los comen. Ulises pone tapones en lo pides de su tripulación y él se ata al mástil para oír a las sirenas pero no sucumbir ante su canto.
Although I have my objections to Ulysses' actions in this situation, the analogy that can be drawn from this story is fascinating. Tying oneself to the mast to not give in to temptation before it appears is a smart measure in a way. Ulysses needed to know why the siren's song was so dangerous, so he had to hear it to know what he was facing.
Aunque tengo mis objeciones con el accionar de Ulises ante esta situación, la analogía que se puede rescatar de esta historia es fascinante. Atarse al mástil para no ceder a la tentación, antes de que aparezca, es una medida inteligente en cierta forma. Ulises necesitaba conocer la razón de porque eran tan peligroso el canto de la sirena, por eso debía escucharlo para saber a qué se enfrentaba.
We, like Ulysses, must very well recognize our weaknesses and the causes of what makes us fall and fail, what weakens our willpower, but first we must tie ourselves to the mast, devise some method that forces us to remain firm and fulfill what is established, to move forward despite being severely tempted.
Nosotros al igual que Ulises debemos reconocer muy bien nuestras debilidades y las causas de lo que no es motivo de caer y nos hace fallar, lo que debilita la fuerza de voluntad, pero antes debemos atarnos al mástil, idear algún método que nos obligue a permanecer firmes y cumplir con lo establecido, a seguir adelante a pesar de vernos severamente tentados.
For example, I applied this rule when I eliminated all social media notifications from my phone several years ago. My networks are there, and I can see them when I want, but I am not tempted to check them every time there is a notification. Doing that greatly improved my productivity. I used my intelligence to apply a method that stops me from being distracted.
Por ejemplo, yo aplique esta regla cuando eliminé de mi teléfono todas las notificaciones de las redes sociales hace ya varios años, mis redes están ahí y puedo verlas cuando quiero, pero no me veo tentado a revisarlas cada vez que haya una notificación. Hacer eso mejoró mi productividad grandemente, utilice mi inteligencia para aplicar un método que me ataje ante la distracción.
The important thing about this method is to know how to recognize what your sirens are first, and use your intelligence to determine what the mast you will tie yourself to will be. This method has been talked about a lot, and there are very interesting suggestions on how to apply it to our lives. I invite you to research more about it to know how it can help you.
Lo importante de este método es saber reconocer cuales son tus sirenas primero, y utilizar tu inteligencia para determinar cual será el mástil al que te ataras. Sobre este método se ha hablado mucho y hay sugerencias muy interesantes de como aplicarlo a nuestras vidas, te invito a que puedas investigar más al respecto para saber cómo te puede ayudar a ti.
Images made with ImageFX
Prompts
"Close-up on Ulysses, his muscles taut and his eyes wide with a mix of fascination and agony, as he strains against the ropes binding him to the mast of his ship. The rough hemp chafes against his skin. His weathered face, etched with the lines of past adventures, is illuminated by the harsh light of the setting sun. The ship, a sturdy vessel with a single mast and a tattered sail, is tossed about by a stormy sea. His crew, focused and determined, row with all their might, oblivious to the seductive song that fills the air. On the rocky cliffs nearby, the Sirens, depicted as [elige una representación: mujeres hermosas con alas de ave / criaturas marinas con colas de pez / espíritus etéreos], their forms partially shrouded in mist, sing their captivating melody, their voices echoing across the turbulent waves. Dark, ominous clouds gather in the sky, adding to the sense of danger and foreboding."
“A middle-aged man, with an intelligent but haggard face, sitting at a cluttered desk with math notes and an open book on electronics. Beside him, a half-empty glass of hard liquor. Outside the window, nighttime city lights. Solitary studio environment, contrasting lighting, chiaroscuro.”
A student surrounded by books and notes, a Pomodoro timer showing 5 minutes remaining in a break. They are stretching and looking out a window, with a thoughtful expression. Sunlight streaming through the window, creating a sense of rest and rejuvenation.
A photorealistic image of a young Spartan warrior training in a rocky terrain. He is wearing a simple tunic and has an iron ball chained to his right ankle. He is focused and determined, pulling the ball up a steep incline. Harsh sunlight, dusty environment, ancient Greek setting. Style: realistic, gritty.
A hand reaching out and turning off a stream of glowing notification icons emanating from a smartphone. The background is blurred and chaotic, representing distractions, while the foreground is clear and focused.
A split image. On one side, a smartphone screen covered in notification icons, with a stressed person looking at it. On the other side, the same smartphone with a clean screen, and the same person looking relaxed and focused while working on a laptop.
Guau que Buenos metodos, intentare usarlos para mejorar algunas areas.
Por cierto mi meta es hacer El blog a veces Cuesta pero tu y yo sabemos que vale la pena cierto.
Amigo son muy buenos métodos y vale la pena probarlos, te deseo éxito al hacerlo. En estos momentos vale mucho la pena hacerlo, aunque tú y yo sabemos cómo fue mantenerse aún en los tiempos de las vacas flacas