BURN THE BOATS

March 16th, 2020

If you know there’s something you have to do, pull out the stops, dive in without teetering and make sure you dive deep.

There have been many instances when generals and leaders have made the call to seal off the way back; to ensure that the only way available is forward and thereby towards victory.

There’s nothing quite like no choice to make you certain about the choice you have.

That’s the whole point.  It’s a measure of commitment, one that forces you into it.  We’re generally very uncomfortable about this in the modern world.  Our universe is all about infinite customization, in order to fit out unique preferences.  But this backfires is many instances by creating an environment ripe for ambivalence.

Such ambivalence often comes from decision-fatigue.  This is the downfall of a marketplace like Etsy.  So many options, so many artists and crafters, what to choose?  The experience becomes one of browsing as oppose to one of purchasing. 

This is the whole point of ‘burning the boats’.  If there’s an option to go back home, then our commitment to the next step is always potentially lukewarm.  And what good is that?

Are we more likely to succeed with a lukewarm step forward, or a determined charge to succeed?

The answer is obvious.  Which calls into question our culture of infinite choice.

The real task may not be the choice but the elimination.

What can I eliminate from my life in order to streamline my efforts toward the long term goals that I’m really seeking to accomplish?

Better yet, what decisions can I make that force me forward with no hope of returning to the safe cocoon that I’m now in?

This is the essence of burning the boats.  Sometimes we have to truncate the use of our tools, disavowing ourselves of such tools to make sure we take the next hard step forward.