Will You Make a “Burn the Ships” Commitment?

What price are you willing to pay to achieve your dreams?  Imagine yourself trying to capture some of the world’s greatest treasures: gold, silver, and precious jewels. The year is 1519. You and 600 other Spaniards land on the vast inland plateau of the Yucatán Peninsula. Others have come before you, but none survived to tell the tale.

Your captain, Hernán Cortés, knows the risks. Instead of leading you directly into battle, he gathers the troops on the beach and stirs your hearts with rousing speeches. His words ignite your spirit, filling you with a sense of adventure and a burning hunger for victory.

Then, at the height of your resolve, Cortés gives the unthinkable command: “Burn the ships!”

No retreat. No second-guessing. No exit strategy. The only way forward is through. Conquer—or perish.

History tells the rest: Cortés and his small band became the first to successfully conquer the mighty Aztec Empire, overcoming impossible odds and inspiring generations to come.

But this principle isn’t new.
Long before Cortés, God’s people faced a similar moment at the edge of the Red Sea.

Pharaoh’s army thundered behind them; a seemingly impassable sea stretched before them. Fear gripped their hearts. Some even cried out, longing to return to the bondage of Egypt rather than face the unknown. But there was no going back. No ships to retreat to. No safe passage in reverse.

God gave Moses one command: “Tell the people to go forward.” (Exodus 14:15)

And as they stepped out in obedience, God parted the sea, making a way where there was no way. Their deliverance wasn’t in turning back—it was in trusting God enough to move forward.

Burn the ships. Step into the sea. Move forward by faith.

While I’ve never faced a literal life-or-death situation, there have been moments in my life when I made serious decisions to move forward, no turning back. When I first launched into entrepreneurship, I was a man on a mission. But nothing could have prepared me for the road ahead. It was a wild ride—full of ups and downs, lessons and triumphs. Every milestone, every hardship, became part of the process that shaped me and my success.

Was it worth it? Absolutely.  But here’s the truth:  Dreams don’t come cheap.  We must ask ourselves:  Am I willing to take the daily steps, gain the knowledge, and put in the work to achieve my dream? Is my dream worth the price?

John Maxwell, in Put Your Dream to the Test, offers 10 crucial questions to evaluate whether you are truly ready to pursue your dream:

1. Is my dream my dream?

2. Do I see my dream?

3. Am I depending on factors within my control to achieve my dream?

4. Does my dream compel me to follow it?

5. Do I have a strategy to reach my dream?

6. Have I included the people I need to realize my dream?

7. Am I willing to pay the price for my dream?

8. Am I moving closer to my dream?

9. Does working toward my dream bring satisfaction?

10. Does my dream benefit others?

Burn the ships. Step into the sea. Trust the God who parts the waters.

Sometimes, to reach the prize, we must eliminate every form of retreat.
Sometimes the door forward won’t open until we abandon the desire to go back.
Like Cortés, like the Israelites, we must charge ahead with no plan B—only forward, only faith.

Because the greatest victories belong to those who dare to believe that the way through is the way forward.