There comes a point in everyone’s life when they realize that they just have to stand up and fight. To throw away their preconceived notions that faith has already predetermined their destiny. To come to the realization that life is not going to just give you what you want unless you know exactly what it is you want and are determined to get it.

What happens to most people after they make this realization? Just like the New Year’s resolution, many people will get excited about a new beginning and with this excitement they set forth creating a plan. Everything is great, things are coming together, the details of the plan gets work out. They’re all ready to go…

At first things are full steam ahead. They’re working their plan on a daily basis, checking off items, feeling great. As time goes on, distractions start to creep into the mix and you start putting off things to do until later. Maybe the car needs an oil change, or maybe the lawn needs to be mowed. One by one these daily life distractions start to take over your plan and the next thing you know you’re back to your old routine and accomplishing nothing.

This is the pitfall of many New Year’s resolutions and unfortunely the pitfall of many people who get excited about the possibility of taking control of their life and making something out of it.

So what do you have to do to ensure you will stick to your plan and see it to fulfillment? You have to burn your bridges. You have to give yourself no other option.

Napoleon Hill gives a great example of burning one’s bridges in order to improve one’s changes of success. Here’s a small passage from his book “Think and Grow Rich”.

“A long while ago, a great warrior faced a situation in which he had to make a decision that ensured his success on the battlefield. He was about to send his armies against a powerful foe whose men outnumbered his. He loaded his soldiers into boats, sailed to the enemy’s country, and unloaded the soldiers and equipment. Then he gave the order to burn the ships that had carried them. Addressing his men before the first battle, he said, ‘You see the boats going up in smoke. That means we cannot leave these shores alive unless we win! We now have no choice – we win or we perish!’ They won.”

What would you do if you were one of the soldiers under this warrior’s command? The warrior gave his soldiers only two options… to win or perish. You need to do the same. Give yourself no other option but to finish your plan, no matter what it takes.

Takeo Fukui, President and CEO, of Honda Motor Co., LTD understands this philosophy and it shows in every level of Honda. Takeo forces his staff to push past the impossible. Check out this amazing video by Honda they call “Kick out the ladder”.



Click to Watch!

What Honda calls “Kicking out the ladder” is the same as what the warrior did in Napoleon’s example. If you want to succeed, you have to give yourself no other way out. You either succeed or your fail.