December 28, 2025 • 9 mins
Discover how an ancient Greek story can help you stick to your New Year’s resolutions. You'll come away with a powerful mental image to help you ward off cravings, distractions, and self-doubt, and achieve New Year's resolution success.
The information shared in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. I am not a medical professional. If you’re experiencing health or mental health issues, please seek advice from a qualified healthcare provider.
CREDITS: Theme Music: "Strive to Be Better" by Craig Riley (licensed), "Finally See the Light" by Bryan Teoh (FreePD Music)
#NewYearsResolutions #KeepYourResolution #Odysseus #TheOdyssey #Sirens #HabitChange #MindsetShift #InnerStrength #30DayChallenge #StepIntoMe
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to Step Into Me.
(00:04):
This podcast is all about taking small steps to help you live a simpler life.
I'm Belinda Lee.
I'm a journalist and broadcaster with a key interest in personal development.
I've been a student of philosophy, psychology, spirituality and metaphysics for over three
decades now.
And what I've learned is that it's often the small shifts that lead to lasting change.
(00:29):
So today, with New Year's fast approaching, I thought I'd share some ideas to help keep
you on track.
Not the generic tips we hear each year, but rather looking at what it really takes to overcome
obstacles and not lose sight of achieving whatever it is that you set out to do.
By the end of this episode, you'll discover how one simple shift in mindset, borrowed from
(00:54):
an ancient Greek story, can help you go the distance.
You'll also have a powerful mental image that you can use any time cravings or distractions
or self-doubt try to pull you off course.
So if your New Year's resolution means a lot to you and achieving it would be the highlight
of your year,
(01:15):
stick around.
This just might be the tip you've been looking for.
Well, at the end of every year, we look back at what we've been doing,
and what we've achieved and sometimes find ourselves in exactly the same place we were in 12 months
earlier.
(01:35):
Still wishing we'd taken better care of our health.
Wishing we'd been able to save for that house deposit or that holiday or still wishing
we could conquer that addiction.
Sadly, the second Friday of January is now known as Quitters Day.
Fitness centres put on extra staff not only at the start of the month, but also around
(01:57):
the 14th because they know that that is when most people cancel their memberships.
The problem with most New Year's resolutions is that they almost always involve a sacrifice
of some nature.
The person who wants to get in shape is told to give up some foods that bring them comfort
or they need to give up the time spent scrolling their apps to go for a walk.
(02:20):
The person who wants to save money may need to give up eating out in restaurants or their
magazine subscriptions.
We hear the word willpower a lot, but willpower only acts as a temporary shield against immediate
temptation.
No athlete ever won Olympic gold using willpower.
If you want to achieve your long-term goals, you need something more.
(02:43):
You need the help of a Greek hero.
And the Greek hero I'd like to introduce you to is Odysseus.
If you've read Homer's "The Odyssey", you'll know that on his journey home from the Trojan
War, Odysseus was warned by the sorceress Circe that his ship would have to pass the island
of the sirens.
(03:05):
The sirens had a song so beautiful that sailors would lose all control.
They'd steer towards the sound and their ships would be destroyed on the rocks.
Circe told Odysseus that no one who had ever heard the song of the sirens had ever made it
home.
Now this only made Odysseus even more curious.
(03:26):
He desperately wanted to hear the sirens song, but he also knew that he wasn't strong enough
to resist.
So he designed a safeguard.
He ordered his crew to plug their ears with softened beeswax so that they couldn't hear
the song of the sirens at all.
And then he told his crew to tie him tightly to the mast of the ship and to ignore any orders
(03:48):
that he gave them while passing the sirens.
As Odysseus sailed past the island, the sirens began to sing.
And they promised Odysseus all sorts of things, special knowledge, secrets about his past
and the future.
Everything his ego and curiosity would crave.
And Odysseus was overwhelmed and chanted by the song as many others had been before him,
(04:12):
and he began shouting and begging his men to steer him towards the shore.
But his crew unable to hear the sirens and bound by their orders, they only rowed harder
and tied him even more tightly to the mast.
And eventually the ship moved out of range and the song faded.
The sirens failed to claim their victim, and Odysseus returned to his senses.
(04:36):
It wasn't willpower that got Odysseus past the sirens.
It was determination.
Whatever your New Year's resolution, you're going to face some modern-day sirens.
They might be old habits, cravings, Netflix binges, Amazon sales, or wine or beer o'clock.
And like Odysseus, you'll have to come up with a strategy for getting past them.
(05:00):
Mentally tie yourself to a mast.
What the story of Odysseus teaches us so beautifully is that once he'd passed the sirens, their
song faded.
He didn't die.
And that's one of the fascinating reasons why we give into our sirens because deep down
we fear that we're going to die.
(05:21):
When we feel we must have something, the brain's survival circuitry is actually hijacked and
it treats that craving like a life or death situation.
Neuroscientists call what Odysseus went through the "urge surfing" technique because if you
acknowledge the urge, ride out the sound of the sirens, then soon it will pass.
(05:45):
And like Odysseus, it's not about fighting the noise, but rather withstanding it, going
through it, riding the wave until it fades because it will actually fade.
So when the sirens sound, you can not only imagine yourself tied to a mast, but you can
also use it as an opportunity to reframe what you think you're giving up.
(06:08):
So I'm not giving up cakes and biscuits.
I'm giving myself the chance to feel good about myself.
I'm not giving up shopping.
I'm giving myself the chance to own my own home.
It's important to remind yourself what you're sailing towards and not what you're sailing
past.
Willpower is finite.
It burns out pretty fast.
(06:29):
It's a bit like a phone battery that runs down with every choice you make.
So you may find it easy to stick to your plan on days one and two, but come day three
things start to fall apart a little.
Determination on the other hand, that's about identity.
It's how you see yourself.
Are you the person who quits on day 14?
(06:50):
Or are you the person who ties themselves to a mast before the sirens sound and keeps
sailing no matter what?
Even the most intense cravings only last around five to seven minutes.
So if you can stay tied to your mast and sail past those sirens, the noise of that craving
will eventually pass.
(07:12):
You may even like to tie something to your wrist or put a picture of a ship's mast or something
in a frame just to remind you of your determination to sail through no matter what.
So here's your challenge.
Instead of a year long promise, I suggest you commit to 30 days only.
Think of it as a try before you buy kind of a deal.
(07:33):
You can commit to tie yourself to a mast, figuratively speaking of course, tie yourself to a mast
for 30 days.
And every single time you hear the sirens, the voice that whispers "just one won't hurt"
or "you deserve it", picture yourself at the helm of a ship, ropes taut, you can hear
(07:54):
the sound, but you're not obeying it.
And if you can ride that wave for 30 days, your brain will realise that you're not going
to die and that you were never in any real danger.
You're just chasing comfort when what you really needed was courage.
If you can do it for 30 days, you can do it for 365 days and beyond.
(08:14):
Remember, whatever you may be saying "no" to is in fact a big fat "yes" to something even greater
for yourself.
So as you set sail this new year, remember Odysseus, tie yourself to that mast and make "determination"
your word for the year ahead.
Be that kind of person and have a great New Year's.
(08:37):
If you enjoyed this episode please like and subscribe and you can send your questions or comments to info@stepintome.com
I’m Belinda Lee - I’ll catch you next time for another edition of Step Into Me – helping to make life a little easier – one step at a time.
(upbeat music)
(09:07):
[BLANK_AUDIO]
Welcome to Step Into Me.
(00:04):
This podcast is all about taking small steps to help you live a simpler life.
I'm Belinda Lee.
I'm a journalist and broadcaster with a key interest in personal development.
I've been a student of philosophy, psychology, spirituality and metaphysics for over three
decades now.
And what I've learned is that it's often the small shifts that lead to lasting change.
(00:29):
So today, with New Year's fast approaching, I thought I'd share some ideas to help keep
you on track.
Not the generic tips we hear each year, but rather looking at what it really takes to overcome
obstacles and not lose sight of achieving whatever it is that you set out to do.
By the end of this episode, you'll discover how one simple shift in mindset, borrowed from
(00:54):
an ancient Greek story, can help you go the distance.
You'll also have a powerful mental image that you can use any time cravings or distractions
or self-doubt try to pull you off course.
So if your New Year's resolution means a lot to you and achieving it would be the highlight
of your year,
(01:15):
stick around.
This just might be the tip you've been looking for.
Well, at the end of every year, we look back at what we've been doing,
and what we've achieved and sometimes find ourselves in exactly the same place we were in 12 months
earlier.
(01:35):
Still wishing we'd taken better care of our health.
Wishing we'd been able to save for that house deposit or that holiday or still wishing
we could conquer that addiction.
Sadly, the second Friday of January is now known as Quitters Day.
Fitness centres put on extra staff not only at the start of the month, but also around
(01:57):
the 14th because they know that that is when most people cancel their memberships.
The problem with most New Year's resolutions is that they almost always involve a sacrifice
of some nature.
The person who wants to get in shape is told to give up some foods that bring them comfort
or they need to give up the time spent scrolling their apps to go for a walk.
(02:20):
The person who wants to save money may need to give up eating out in restaurants or their
magazine subscriptions.
We hear the word willpower a lot, but willpower only acts as a temporary shield against immediate
temptation.
No athlete ever won Olympic gold using willpower.
If you want to achieve your long-term goals, you need something more.
(02:43):
You need the help of a Greek hero.
And the Greek hero I'd like to introduce you to is Odysseus.
If you've read Homer's "The Odyssey", you'll know that on his journey home from the Trojan
War, Odysseus was warned by the sorceress Circe that his ship would have to pass the island
of the sirens.
(03:05):
The sirens had a song so beautiful that sailors would lose all control.
They'd steer towards the sound and their ships would be destroyed on the rocks.
Circe told Odysseus that no one who had ever heard the song of the sirens had ever made it
home.
Now this only made Odysseus even more curious.
(03:26):
He desperately wanted to hear the sirens song, but he also knew that he wasn't strong enough
to resist.
So he designed a safeguard.
He ordered his crew to plug their ears with softened beeswax so that they couldn't hear
the song of the sirens at all.
And then he told his crew to tie him tightly to the mast of the ship and to ignore any orders
(03:48):
that he gave them while passing the sirens.
As Odysseus sailed past the island, the sirens began to sing.
And they promised Odysseus all sorts of things, special knowledge, secrets about his past
and the future.
Everything his ego and curiosity would crave.
And Odysseus was overwhelmed and chanted by the song as many others had been before him,
(04:12):
and he began shouting and begging his men to steer him towards the shore.
But his crew unable to hear the sirens and bound by their orders, they only rowed harder
and tied him even more tightly to the mast.
And eventually the ship moved out of range and the song faded.
The sirens failed to claim their victim, and Odysseus returned to his senses.
(04:36):
It wasn't willpower that got Odysseus past the sirens.
It was determination.
Whatever your New Year's resolution, you're going to face some modern-day sirens.
They might be old habits, cravings, Netflix binges, Amazon sales, or wine or beer o'clock.
And like Odysseus, you'll have to come up with a strategy for getting past them.
(05:00):
Mentally tie yourself to a mast.
What the story of Odysseus teaches us so beautifully is that once he'd passed the sirens, their
song faded.
He didn't die.
And that's one of the fascinating reasons why we give into our sirens because deep down
we fear that we're going to die.
(05:21):
When we feel we must have something, the brain's survival circuitry is actually hijacked and
it treats that craving like a life or death situation.
Neuroscientists call what Odysseus went through the "urge surfing" technique because if you
acknowledge the urge, ride out the sound of the sirens, then soon it will pass.
(05:45):
And like Odysseus, it's not about fighting the noise, but rather withstanding it, going
through it, riding the wave until it fades because it will actually fade.
So when the sirens sound, you can not only imagine yourself tied to a mast, but you can
also use it as an opportunity to reframe what you think you're giving up.
(06:08):
So I'm not giving up cakes and biscuits.
I'm giving myself the chance to feel good about myself.
I'm not giving up shopping.
I'm giving myself the chance to own my own home.
It's important to remind yourself what you're sailing towards and not what you're sailing
past.
Willpower is finite.
It burns out pretty fast.
(06:29):
It's a bit like a phone battery that runs down with every choice you make.
So you may find it easy to stick to your plan on days one and two, but come day three
things start to fall apart a little.
Determination on the other hand, that's about identity.
It's how you see yourself.
Are you the person who quits on day 14?
(06:50):
Or are you the person who ties themselves to a mast before the sirens sound and keeps
sailing no matter what?
Even the most intense cravings only last around five to seven minutes.
So if you can stay tied to your mast and sail past those sirens, the noise of that craving
will eventually pass.
(07:12):
You may even like to tie something to your wrist or put a picture of a ship's mast or something
in a frame just to remind you of your determination to sail through no matter what.
So here's your challenge.
Instead of a year long promise, I suggest you commit to 30 days only.
Think of it as a try before you buy kind of a deal.
(07:33):
You can commit to tie yourself to a mast, figuratively speaking of course, tie yourself to a mast
for 30 days.
And every single time you hear the sirens, the voice that whispers "just one won't hurt"
or "you deserve it", picture yourself at the helm of a ship, ropes taut, you can hear
(07:54):
the sound, but you're not obeying it.
And if you can ride that wave for 30 days, your brain will realise that you're not going
to die and that you were never in any real danger.
You're just chasing comfort when what you really needed was courage.
If you can do it for 30 days, you can do it for 365 days and beyond.
(08:14):
Remember, whatever you may be saying "no" to is in fact a big fat "yes" to something even greater
for yourself.
So as you set sail this new year, remember Odysseus, tie yourself to that mast and make "determination"
your word for the year ahead.
Be that kind of person and have a great New Year's.
(08:37):
If you enjoyed this episode please like and subscribe and you can send your questions or comments to info@stepintome.com
I’m Belinda Lee - I’ll catch you next time for another edition of Step Into Me – helping to make life a little easier – one step at a time.
(upbeat music)
(09:07):
[BLANK_AUDIO]
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