The sea air stung their faces. The sun sank into the sky, bathing the new world in the dazzling glow of flames. It appeared as if everything ahead was burning at the exact moment. They had heard tales about this area and about their leader’s mission, and some started to become tired of the mission.
When they disembarked, they headed toward shore, then turned to look at the massive frames that were the wood sailing boats that had crossed an ocean. Their feelings drove them back to the ship, board again, and seek refuge on the ocean floor instead of the mountains that spanned the entire distance, all of it ablaze in the sun.
Once they were on the land and set up camp, they were instructed on their task. What they encountered was something that had never been previously seen. There were indigenous people, Aztecs they were known as, and they were strong. The Spaniards’ contributions could not match the intensity of their familiarity with the area.
A few of the soldiers in this legion had planned to disappear in the night, return to their vessel, and set sail towards Spain. Their leader, who would later be known to be one of the greatest brutal conquerors of all time, chose a different route. The ships were burned at sea.
The men stared in awe as the only way out of the unknown was burning in front of their faces. At this point, Cortes received their complete focus. They were forced to continue ahead.
The only escape was the wall. There was no escape.
This might be a fascinating tale for certain people, but that’s what it really is. It’s just a story, a historical fact that doesn’t have any real impact on the people of today and here. It’s not likely to be able to make any significant effect on the working-class people of today.
Is it?
The Entrepreneurial Retreat
I would like you to consider one thing for a second. Imagine you’re one of the Spanish soldiers, conquistadors in the case of soldiers, on the shore and you were convinced that your evil leader was and that it would be impossible to be wiser for you to flee because you thought he’d likely find the wrong end of a sword What would you think when you had the option of slipping away and return on the boat?
You could have been able to convince 10 men to go on this adventure with you. Ten men could cross the ocean if they wanted to.
It’s kind of a relief; I’m sure it would be, but wouldn’t it? It certainly would be for me, and I don’t sail.
Imagine you’re standing there, with your plan in front of you, either with the unpredictability and the certainty of death (failure) or falling back to safety at the ocean (much better chance of survival). There’s no other option to make, in reality. There’s a good chance they’ll be snatched or be executed; however, they can also get lost, disappear into the world, and become lost forever.
If you were to suddenly see the safety net or that other choice begin to melt and fire in front of your eyes and then slowly sink off the shore, you’d realize that you had no other choice to choose.
What is the reason I am telling you this?
Let’s look at the significance of history in Cortes burning these ships. He knew his crew. He was aware of their fears. It was a whole new world, with new savages they’d never encountered before. They’d been defeated repeatedly, and the new reinforcements were not bringing confidence to the man.
He was aware that as long they had a place to retreat or had a way to escape route, they would hold to it. They would hold onto it. They would go into battle or, at a minimum, the top of the forest with the idea that if the situation turned dire (and they could happen), they could return to the ships to get out of the way.
No. Cortes would not have the courage. Cortes needed his soldiers fighting as if there was nothing else to do other than to win. For them, this was the truth.
What’s the feeling when an entrepreneur has an escape plan? She starts to establish her company, perhaps cautiously may be; however, it’s progressing with ease. She’s constantly thinking about all the “what scenario’ scenarios that run in her mind in the night while trying to locate those difficult “Zs.’
What happens if nobody likes my ideas?
What happens if I don’t have any sales in the first year?
What if I’m not able to obtain the financing?
Do I have enough?
It’s possible to go on about what could happen are, but if you’re blessed with the entrepreneurial spirit, you’ve probably had already seen them.
Every what-if could be an additional way to get out.
There are two reasons why people create ‘what-if scenarios. The first reason is that they do not want to fail. They are constantly thinking about what could go wrong, and it can be a reason to just go back to the water in the dark.
What happens if I’m unable to start this project? OK, I’ll keep working at the job I’m currently working on. At least for now.
If the demand that I believe exists for it doesn’t exist? Perhaps I’ll keep looking into this subject for a bit longer.
What happens if someone else is thinking the same thing? I would rather not go up against someone who might know more about this than I. Okay, I’ll keep looking for ways to make it more effective.
Do you notice the consequences when you have an escape route? It is easy to take this route. It is much easier to turn around and not bother to try.
If the Spanish had gone off at night instead of burning their ships, Latin America would look very different from the way it does today. Perhaps that would have been better, but it could also be worse. It’s impossible to rewrite the past; however, what we can do is that if those men had not abandoned their plan of escape probably never would have been able to push forward, particularly not as hard as they did when the battle for them began.
The New World is Coming! New World
Your life is about to alter. There’s no doubt about it. When you’re an entrepreneur, even a small-business owner who’s taken the very first step towards success, the way you live your life is about to be transformed. You might be struggling financially at the moment. You may feel that you’re losing ground.
The same events occur. They happen to everyone.
What do you think the future of personal computers, phones, tablets, and smartphones could look like in the present if Steve Jobs had taken the decision to put it on the shelf after the initial failings? We could still have to wait until the next tablet, smartphone, or mp3 player. It is likely that somebody else would have created it, but not as good as Apple.
Steve Jobs had an escape way, but he never decided to take it seriously. Many of us aspiring and budding entrepreneurs do; it’s a very risky thing. When you start focusing your focus (and energy) to escape methods, you’re providing yourself with a reason to fall short.
Stop doing it!
Your ships will be burned. Get them out of the picture. Set yourself a single way to travel From Point A to Point B, and that’s the current location and the ultimate goal.
Imagine what thoughts you’d have thought of in the examples above in the event that you didn’t have any other option but to continue pushing forward.
What if I’m not able to start the process? Relax and study. Talk to other entrepreneurs. Find out how to help you get your idea off the starting point!
What if the market that I believe exists for it really isn’t there? Do your research. Check the market. Create the market if you have to (do you believe there was an industry for personal computers at the time Steve Jobs was first introduced? Oh, no, it didn’t. He created it).
What if somebody else has this idea? I would rather not go up against someone who might know more about this than I. This is called competition. Even if your concept is so unique that no person else has ever considered it before, somebody else will attempt to ride on your coattails. Don’t let it hinder your progress.
Get tough
As I said, things will be difficult at times for entrepreneurs. When this happens, the most successful entrepreneurs are the ones who get down and focus on the strategy. They don’t think about the point from which they started.
Are you going to be successful? I’m not sure. I’m not sure. What I can tell you is that if you get tough and torch your ships, you offer you no choice but to be successful.
It’s a scary thing to do for certain people, but you’ll be creating the foundation of your life during the process. And this, my dear, is the most durable material that you’ll ever find anywhere in the world.