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Burn the Ships and Play to Win

Burn the Ships and Play to Win

Ed Clementi
February 24, 2025

There comes a moment in every career, every business, and every life when you stand at a crossroads. One path is safe, familiar—lined with exit strategies and fallback plans. The other? It’s unknown, but it holds the potential for something greater.

Most people hesitate. They keep a foot in both worlds, half-committed to their vision while clinging to the comfort of what they know. And that hesitation is what kills success.

Because when you give yourself an easy way out, you will always—at some point—take it.

The greatest breakthroughs in history didn’t come from playing it safe. They came when leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries made the bold decision to go all in.

And there’s no story that embodies this more than Hernán Cortés and the destruction of his ships.

Hernán Cortés and the Point of No Return

In 1519, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés arrived on the shores of Mexico with 600 men, facing an empire that had ruled for centuries. His mission? Conquer the Aztecs and claim new territory for Spain.

But his men were nervous. They had traveled across the ocean into the unknown. The enemy was strong. Whispers of doubt spread—should they turn back? Could they even win this fight? They knew that if things went wrong, they still had their ships, their escape plan.

Cortés sensed their fear. He knew that as long as the ships remained, their focus would be divided—partly on the mission, partly on retreat. So he made an irreversible decision.

He ordered his men to destroy the ships.

Some were dismantled. Others were scuttled—sunk beneath the waves. There would be no retreat, no safe passage home. The message was clear: Survival and victory were now the only options.

The reaction? Shock. Some begged him to reconsider. Others thought he had lost his mind. But as they stood on the shore, watching the last remnants of their old world disappear, something shifted. With no retreat, no second guessing, no alternative, the soldiers had only one option: do whatever it took to survive and succeed.

And they did. Against the odds, they achieved what had seemed impossible. Not because they were the strongest—but because they had no choice but to keep moving forward.

The lesson? When failure isn’t an option, you’ll discover strength you never knew you had.

Where are You Still Holding Onto a Ship?

The ships in our lives take many forms:

The comfort zone that keeps you from taking the next big step.
The excuses that prevent you from investing in yourself.
The backup plans that keep you from fully committing to what you say you want.

These are the silent anchors that keep us from leveling up. And as long as they exist, we remain stuck.

The harsh truth? You can’t move forward while keeping one foot in the past.

How to Go All in and Burn the Ships

Make a Decision That Forces You to Move Forward
Stop waiting for the perfect moment. It doesn’t exist. Decide. Commit. Step forward.

Set a concrete deadline for your next big move.
Publicly announce your commitment so there’s no turning back.
Put real investment—time, effort, or money—into your vision.

Remove the Safety Net That’s Holding You Back
What would happen if failure were not an option? How would you show up differently? The people who rise to greatness do so because they make success non-negotiable.

Instead of hoping, engineer an environment where you have to succeed.
Cut ties with habits, routines, and even relationships that keep you stuck.
Shift your mindset: Stop playing to avoid losing and Start playing to win!

Step Into the Mindset of a Leader
Once those ships are gone, you will see things differently.

No more half-measures, no more hesitation.
You will tap into a level of resilience and problem-solving you never knew you had.
You will push harder, think smarter, and act with the urgency of someone who has already decided they are going to win.

This is what separates those who talk about success from those who create it.

Final Thought: Are You Ready to Go All In?

The difference between those who break through and those who stay stuck isn’t talent. It isn’t intelligence. It isn’t luck.

It’s the willingness to go all in.

So, where in your life are you still holding onto a ship? What’s the one move you know you need to make—but haven’t?

Until you burn the ships, you’ll always wonder what could have been.

But once you do? Everything changes.

The decision is yours. No way back. Only forward.

Ready to go all in?

Let’s set that “Inspired” Fire! (see what I did there?) 😊