Burn the Boats

Picture yourself standing at the edge of your comfort zone, knowing deep down that something extraordinary awaits on the other side, yet feeling paralyzed by the safety of familiar ground. This internal struggle isn't unique to you—it's the defining challenge of our time. Research shows that most people live with profound regret about dreams they never pursued, opportunities they let slip away, and the person they never became because they kept one foot planted firmly in their backup plan.

The most successful individuals throughout history share a counterintuitive secret: they achieved greatness not by carefully managing risk, but by eliminating their escape routes entirely. When Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés landed on foreign shores, he ordered his men to burn their ships, ensuring that retreat was impossible and victory became the only option. This powerful metaphor reveals a fundamental truth about human potential—we perform at our highest level when we have no choice but to succeed, when we commit so completely to our vision that turning back becomes unthinkable.

Your instincts are your most reliable compass, yet society has conditioned you to dismiss them in favor of conventional wisdom and external validation. The path to extraordinary achievement begins with recognizing that you are the world's foremost expert on your own life, possessing insights and perspectives that no advisor, mentor, or institution can replicate.

Consider the remarkable journey of a young man who dropped out of high school at sixteen—not because he was failing, but because he had a crystal-clear vision of a different path. Living in poverty with his sick mother, scraping by on government assistance, he recognized that the traditional educational timeline wouldn't serve his urgent need for financial independence. While guidance counselors and teachers warned him about throwing his life away, he trusted his instinct that earning a GED and jumping straight to college would accelerate his timeline by years. This unconventional choice led him from cleaning tables at McDonald's to becoming the youngest press secretary in New York City history.

To harness the power of your instincts, start by asking yourself what you're uniquely positioned to see that others are missing. Create space for quiet reflection, away from the noise of other people's opinions and expectations. When an idea or opportunity sparks something deep within you, resist the urge to immediately seek validation from others—instead, sit with that feeling and explore what it's telling you about your authentic desires and capabilities.

Trust yourself enough to act on your insights, even when—especially when—the path isn't clear to everyone else. Your instincts aren't random impulses; they're the result of your unique combination of experiences, values, and aspirations pointing you toward your highest potential.

Crisis has a remarkable ability to strip away everything nonessential and reveal what truly matters. While most people view difficult times as obstacles to overcome, extraordinary achievers see them as catalysts for breakthrough innovation and growth. Crisis forces decisive action, eliminates the paralysis of infinite choices, and creates the urgency needed to make bold moves that seemed impossible during comfortable times.

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of retail locations worldwide, Christina Tosi of Milk Bar faced what could have been the end of her business. Instead of focusing on survival mode, she asked herself a transformative question: "If I were starting from scratch today, what would I do?" Within days, she launched a daily Instagram Live baking show, reached millions of people stuck at home, and pivoted her entire operation to direct-to-consumer delivery. Rather than waiting for the crisis to pass, she used it to accelerate plans that had been years in development, ultimately emerging with a stronger, more scalable business model than ever before.

The key to crisis transformation lies in shifting your perspective from "how do I get back to where I was?" to "what new possibilities does this situation create?" Start by accepting the reality of your current circumstances without wasting energy on what should have been. Then, examine your situation with fresh eyes and ask what opportunities are now available that weren't visible during stable times.

Remember that the same pressures that crush some people create diamonds in others. Your response to crisis will define not just your immediate survival, but your long-term trajectory toward extraordinary achievement.

No one achieves extraordinary success in isolation. The most impactful leaders understand that their role isn't to be the smartest person in the room, but to identify and unleash the brilliance of others. True leverage comes from surrounding yourself with people whose strengths complement your vision and whose commitment matches your own intensity.

Gary Vaynerchuk exemplifies this principle perfectly. Starting as a wine critic with a growing YouTube following, he could have remained a successful niche content creator. Instead, he recognized patterns in social media that others were missing and built VaynerMedia by attracting top talent who shared his vision of how digital marketing would evolve. Rather than trying to execute every aspect of the business himself, he focused on being the visionary while empowering others to excel in their areas of expertise. Today, VaynerMedia generates hundreds of millions in annual revenue, serving Fortune 100 clients worldwide.

Building strategic partnerships requires brutal honesty about your own limitations and genuine appreciation for others' gifts. Start by clearly defining your unique value—what you bring to the table that no one else can. Then, identify the specific skills and perspectives you need to achieve your vision but don't currently possess.

Look for partners who demonstrate not just competence, but hunger. The best partnerships are built on shared values and aligned ambitions rather than simply complementary skills. When you find people who are as committed to excellence as you are, give them the autonomy to shine in their domains while maintaining clear communication about the overall mission.

The goal isn't to delegate tasks you don't want to do, but to multiply your impact by enabling others to contribute their highest talents toward a shared extraordinary outcome.

Achieving initial success is only the beginning of your journey toward extraordinary impact. The most successful individuals and organizations understand that what got them to their current level won't necessarily take them to the next one. Continuous innovation requires the courage to reinvent yourself and your methods while building on the foundation of your previous achievements.

Marc Lore demonstrates this principle through his serial entrepreneurship journey. After successfully building and selling Diapers.com to Amazon, he could have retired comfortably. Instead, he used the lessons and resources from that success to launch Jet.com, which he later sold to Walmart for $3.3 billion. Rather than stopping there, he's now building Wonder, a company that brings restaurant-quality meals directly to customers' homes, while simultaneously working on Telosa, an ambitious project to create an entirely new city designed around equity and sustainability.

The key to continuous innovation lies in regularly questioning your assumptions and asking what's possible that wasn't possible before. As you achieve each milestone, take inventory of your expanded capabilities, resources, and network. What doors are now open that were previously closed? What insights have you gained that could be applied in entirely new contexts?

Don't allow yourself to become trapped by your past success. The skills and strategies that brought you to prominence may become limitations if you cling to them too rigidly. Instead, view each achievement as a launching pad for the next level of impact.

Stay curious about emerging trends and technologies, but more importantly, stay curious about how your unique combination of experiences and capabilities can create value in ways that haven't been explored yet. Extraordinary success comes from the willingness to repeatedly reinvent yourself while staying true to your core purpose.

The ultimate expression of extraordinary success isn't personal wealth or recognition—it's the positive impact you create in the lives of others and the legacy you leave for future generations. When you shift your focus from what you can achieve for yourself to what you can enable for others, you unlock levels of motivation and fulfillment that pure self-interest cannot provide.

Curtis Martin, Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, understood this principle deeply. Despite growing up in circumstances marked by violence and tragedy—including witnessing his best friend's murder—he used his platform as an NFL player not just for personal success, but to create meaningful change. Every Tuesday during his career, he would spend time with homeless individuals in New York City, seeing them as human beings deserving of dignity and connection. He also created safe spaces for celebrities and public figures to share their struggles and receive support away from public scrutiny.

Creating lasting impact begins with identifying the unique intersection of your capabilities, experiences, and the world's needs. What problems do you see that others are overlooking? What suffering could be alleviated by your specific combination of skills and resources? The most fulfilling achievements come from addressing challenges that resonate deeply with your own life story.

Start by taking action at whatever scale is available to you right now. You don't need to wait until you have more resources or reach a higher level of success. Often, the most meaningful impact comes from direct, personal engagement with the people you're trying to help. As your capabilities grow, you can expand your reach, but the foundation of authentic impact is always rooted in genuine care for others' wellbeing.

Remember that creating lasting impact isn't about perfection—it's about persistence. Every person whose life you touch, every problem you help solve, and every barrier you help others overcome contributes to a legacy that extends far beyond your individual achievements.

The path to extraordinary achievement isn't about managing risk—it's about eliminating the possibility of retreat and committing so completely to your vision that success becomes inevitable. When you trust your instincts over conventional wisdom, transform crisis into opportunity, build strategic partnerships, continuously innovate, and focus on creating lasting impact, you tap into levels of potential that most people never explore.

As this journey makes clear, "You are your own platform. Your brilliance is the platform. Own what you are great at and never look back." The time for hesitation and backup plans is over. Your dreams are not too big, your background is not too humble, and your current circumstances are not too limiting. What matters is your willingness to burn the boats and commit fully to becoming the person you're meant to be.

Today, identify one area where you've been holding back because you're afraid to fully commit. Choose one dream you've been protecting with safety nets and backup plans. Take the first step toward eliminating those escape routes and watch as your focus, energy, and results transform dramatically.