Burn Your Ships

Sometimes the only way to succeed is to give yourself no other option. Let’s talk about intentionally giving yourself no way out, about forcing yourself to succeed.

When You Feel Stuck

It can be easy to feel like you’ve “tried everything” and are still stuck when you’re in safe and comfortable position. You have your safety net, so you are able to take minor risks that have no real impact. You’re not being forced to swing for the fences, because there are no real consequences for failure. As a result, you’re not truly trying EVERYTHING, and can easily fall short of the bigger decisions and risks that could have led you to success.

Because you have something to fall back on, someplace to turn if things don’t work out, you’re not forced to pull out all the stops and succeed at any cost. You ARE stuck, but because you’ve tried everything and it isn’t working. You’re stuck because you’re not forcing yourself to actually try everything.

No Going Back

Centuries ago, explorers and military leaders knew the answer to this: They burned and sank the ships they brought their expeditions on. They gave their armies no place to retreat to. They put themselves on “Death Ground,” as Sun Tzu called it.

With no way back home, with nowhere to retreat to, their troops had no choice but to put every bit of their being into surviving and winning. More often than not, they succeeded where they otherwise would have failed.

You’re probably not in a battle of life and death or death today, but you can still put yourself on Death Ground. You can get rid of your safety net. You can refuse to get bailed out by that wealthy friend or relative, you can quit that job that is killing you inside and have no choice but to find a new and better one. When you have no choice but to succeed, you will be surprised at how far you will go to do so.

What is Your Death Ground?

As always, I want to hear from all of you. Tell us about your safety net or Death Ground. If you’ve used this strategy, tell us how it went. If you haven’t but want to, tell us your situation. Everyone one of us that speaks up encourages the rest, and we grow stronger together.