Burn the Ships

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I was having a conversation with a broker recently and we were discussing a challenge she had been facing for most of her adult life. It has been and continues to impact her mindset and ability to operate her business at an elite level. In these scenarios, I have one play in my playbook and it is to go radical by putting immense focus, leverage and energy directly on the issue to resolve it, break through the wall and move on with your life, sporting a new mindset, business and lifestyle.

I said, "For you to finally solve this issue you have to "Burn the Ships."

Feeling that maybe she didn't fully understand what I meant by this phrase and the origin of it, I asked gently, "Do you know what I mean by Burn the Ships?" She said she didn't.

At its essence, "burn the ships" represents a point of no return, a psychological commitment where you recognize that you have crossed a line never to cross back. There is no hedging. Everything now—all thoughts and efforts—must be focused on succeeding in this new reality.

There are times in our life when we need to make decisions even when we are unclear which path to travel. We gather as many facts as we can, measure the risks and then use our best judgment and the insights of others to guide us forward. Once we make our decision, we have to be willing to stick with it and not allow fear and second-guessing to derail us. Instead of focusing on the what-ifs, concentrate on the task at hand and the steps needed to be successful.

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