Commitment Device

To abstain from the enjoyment, which is in our power, or to seek distant rather than immediate results, are among the most painful exertions of the human will. N. W. Senior

It's physically possible to not take muts.

Yes it is, yet I take them. Not today, calm down.

So I think the idea of a commitment device is a good idea. We need the help, we need the commitment device. First I had the business and trading plan, and still do of course. But that didn't seem to stop the muts.

Maybe I need to re read Mark Douglas, be the casino not the drunk tourist from Hoboken I said.

I read it, I said it, I understood it, but still I take muts.

I tried the Pavlov method, follow the plan get some ice cream.

Still I take muts.

Maybe I don't believe in the plan, that's why I deviate from it?

Except I have stats, the stats don't lie.

I read the stats, still I take muts.

Now we have the very exciting (tongue in cheek) "Days Without a MUT Counter". This is public, public accountability, any failure here will bring public humiliation.

How long did the first string of days last?

Five.

Solfest hangs his head in shame.

Maybe I'm just stupid.

THAT'S IT!

I'm a human. (I forget this sometimes)

Humans are stupid.

Now what?

Goldstein talks about getting rid of commitment devices and being disciplined in what ever area we need to be. Learn the better behaviour.
That all sounds good but I think the commitment device is the way to learn the behaviour, change the habit, and if you need (ok make that if I need) any goofy kind of gimmick to do that, so be it.

Of course I could just lie and not change the counter back to zero if I take another mut.

Not sure how to get around that other than to say, who would that benefit.

I guess the answer is it would benefit my present self. However I think I have done enough work in the financial industry to understand that ignoring future self leads to ruin.

I have learned a few things over the years.

Plus if I do take a mut and tell everyone present self gets to write a blog making fun of himself.

Which is always fun.

There I think I'm set.