To reach your goals, Burn Your Ships

I recently attended a workshop given by Patti Dobrowolski on using her Three Bold Steps visual template to help make your vision a reality. (Two thumbs up, WAY up, for her workshop… by the way!) During the initial introductions, Patti asked us to share the usual stuff about ourselves… along with our usual approach to goal setting.
 
“Hm,” I said. “I think my goal setting process takes a page from Mark Twain’s smoking cessation program:”
 

Setting goals is easy. I’ve done it thousands of times!

 
… of course, actually ACCOMPLISHING those goals is a whole other story!

 
We all had a nice laugh, and several other folks related to the Mark Twain approach in their own introductions.
 
Until Brian introduced himself.
 

“Hm. I guess you could say I use more of the Cortez approach to goal setting than the Mark Twain approach.”

The Cortez approach? I was intrigued, and Brian continued:
 

At a certain point in his journey the Spanish conquistador Cortez found his crew wanting to go back home. Cortez was committed, however, and burned his ships so that he and his crew could not return home.

 
Now, any commentary about Cortez aside, this approach to goal setting really spoke to me:
 

Burn the ships. No going back.

 
You see, I can’t say I’ve been a ship burner in my goal setting. There’s always been some sort of a “ship” standing by just in case something didn’t work out with my goal.
 

Burn your ship. No going back.

And this stuck in my head even as I completed the Three Bold Steps template for myself. Sure, there were things that I wanted to accomplish… but was I ready to make a total commitment to them? Not a 99% commitment, but a 100% commitment?
 

Burn that ship. No going back.

I looked at the three bold steps I had identified. Were they really “bold” if I didn’t go all in? What could be possible if I truly went BOLD in my action steps moving forward?
 

Burn the ship. No going back.

But wasn’t it crazy to burn your ship? How do you know what’s going to be there waiting for you? And how do you get out if it was the wrong decision, the wrong action to take??? What if my goals are the wrong goals?
 
What if I’m making a mistake?
 

Burn the ship. No going back.

And then I got it. When I fully commit to a goal, I don’t need an “out.” I stop operating from the assumption that it’s just one more goal I’ll set and not obtain. I stop assuming failure or let down, and assume success.
 
I assume success. And as lame as it may sound, that’s an entirely new concept for me and goal-setting:
 
I assume success.
 

I burn the ship, because it’s no longer necessary for my journey.

On my vision-to-action visual template were three bold steps , sitting there… waiting for me to take the next step.
 
So I did.
 
I burned the ships. I burned those ships to the ground.
 
And instead of the fear and anxiety I expected to be flooded by, I was overcome with an entirely different, surprising emotion: relief.
 
Relief that I didn’t have to keep one foot back on that ship as I tried to progress on my path.
 
Relief that I could let go of the expectation of “trying” to succeed… and ultimately failing at my goal.
 
Relief that I no longer had the ship as an excuse.
 
I could actually move forward.
 
So, having struck my first match and set my first ships on fire… I take my hat off to those of you who have been burning ships as you progress forward in your goals and dreams. It’s a brave new world for me, and I’m glad to know you’re there to inspire along the way.
 
Are you a ship burner when it comes to goal setting? What advice would you share? Post your comments below!

I cannot wait to see what you draw forth,