The Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés led a naval fleet to Mexico to attack the Aztecs and take control of the land. In order to make sure his men were fully committed to the task in front of them, when they landed on the shores of Veracruz he ordered the ships they sailed in on to be burned or dismantled completely. He wanted his men to understand that the battle ahead of them was inevitable, and there was no way out of it. He put himself and his men on death ground, where plan A has to work, because plan B was burning in the harbor.
This “burning the boats” approach leaves no room for other options. It is willingly backing yourself into a corner to make sure you give everything you have to accomplish the goal.
The larger the end goal, the more important this framework is. If the goal is already nearly impossible to accomplish, having an escape route or secondary options will make sure it becomes completely impossible. The human default is to gravitate towards the path of least resistance. If you know there’s always a way out, when things get hard you will feel yourself pulled towards it, rather than in the direction your heart really wants to go.
Big goals require every ounce of yourself. 99% in is 100% out. Find death ground, and burn the boats.
Braden Bristo’s - The Journeyman’s Path 