It’s Time to Burn the Boats
It’s time to burn the boats!
Have you heard this phrase? It’s been a powerful metaphor for me in my life both before and after my transformation.
The origins of the phrase have been debated but what’s agreed upon is that various conquerors in history have “burned the boats” they came in when looking to conquer new lands.
When there’s no turning back, victory is the only way forward.
Although I don’t love everything about the potential origins, the idea of removing that safety net very much appeals to me and always has.
Because when you have nothing to fall back on, you simply MAKE IT WORK and are much more likely to be successful
Your goal then becomes a MUST
When I was in my twenties, I left a good paying job that made me miserable to take a chance on a 100% commissioned sales job. I had rent / bills / car payments and no way to pay them if I didn’t make money. I knew I HAD to make the sales job successful…and I did.
I burned the boats.
When I achieved my goal of a 50lb weight loss 4.5 years ago, I got rid of every single item of clothing I owned that was too big for me. EVERYTHING. 30 bags donated, including some items that were decades old.
I burned the boats.
This sent a powerful message to my subconscious mind that I was not going back.
In transformation, burning the boats is POWERFUL
Because it removes the starts and the stops. The “I’ll start over again on Monday’s”. When you remove all other paths except for the path forward, you are much more likely to succeed and reach your goal.
How can you burn the boats on your journey?
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Declare it! Sharing your commitment to achieving your goals with others can be a great way to raise the stakes and make it a “must”
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Invest in a Coach or a Program. When there’s money on the line, we are often more committed to achieving our outcomes.
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Start planning! Treat your transformation like it’s a priority. Plan your weight training in your calendar and your meals in your app ahead of time. Make meal prep time on Sundays a must.
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Find your Community! Your midlife sisters on the same journey are invaluable in encouraging your path forward.
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And perhaps the biggest one of all…ditch the perfection mentality and embrace imperfect consistency. If you fall off the path, get right back on. Don’t use an imperfect day or week as an excuse to quit.
Remember my Midlife Sisters, you deserve the gift of knowing your full potential.
Making a DECISIVE AND COMMITTED SHIFT where going back to old patterns is no longer an option is what it takes.
You can do this!
Always in your corner,
Denise