221 - Burn Your Ships

Episode: 221

Episode Title: Burn Your Ships

What does it mean to burn your ships—and why should you? Stay tuned to find out what ships I recently burned, coming up next on The Perna Syndicate.

 

Ep 221 show:

Hello and welcome to a new week on The Perna Syndicate! I’m your host, Mark Perna, and since November last year, I’ve been on a journey toward health and wellness. Today I am at my lowest weight since middle school, I have amazing energy, and I never want to go back to my old habits and lifestyle. 

 

A few weeks ago, I donated my entire wardrobe of clothing that is now too large for me. Now, I can never allow myself to go back to my old size. I burned my ships.

 

The phrase “burning your ships” dates from 1519, when a Spanish expedition led by Hernán Cortés landed in Mexico. Cortés knew his crew was already exhausted after the long sea journey, but he had to motivate them to succeed in the new land. So he ordered the scuttling of the ships they arrived in. The ships burned. No turning back now. 

 

If the ships had been in sight, available for a hasty retreat, they would be the easy choice once the going got tough. Cortés destroyed the safety net and secured his crew’s motivation, dedication, and teamwork. Because they each had a vested interest in succeeding, they ultimately achieved their mission. 

 

Sometimes when we make changes in our lives, we leave the safety net up…just in case. We give ourselves the option to go backward, to lose the ground we’ve made. I’d encourage you to consider if there are any ships you need to burn. 

 

Success is not something we achieve once; it must be chosen every day. And moving forward, not backward, is a lot easier when it’s the only choice we give ourselves. 

 

And there you have it: today’s insight from The Perna Syndicate. For more free resources, connect with me at MarkCPerna.com. We’ll see you back here tomorrow on the Syndicate.




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