Sometimes, we get stuck in a rut and carry on with our lives when we are unhappy. The goals and dreams of childhood have been set aside. They do get worn down with the daily grind. Everyday falls into a routine and we do not even have time to sit and think, let alone plan or remember anything that we were supposed to be doing. This happens especially when you have a family. The everyday tasks of looking after their needs take over – and probably rightly, take priority in your life while your own hopes and ambitions lie forgotten.

But what if you yearn to break free? It may be that when you first started your job you had a very different role or different surroundings and now you have become bogged down with administrative tasks and the job is nothing like it was when you started. Or it could be that you have just lost interest in what was once a fascinating subject and now you have extreme problems dragging yourself out of bed in the morning to go and face the awfulness of the day ahead. Or, it could be that you want to break free and work for yourself. Maybe you have had an idea, or your skills have now developed enough and you think you can face it alone. You can no longer get yourself satisfied and don’t need to keep others happy all the time.

Whatever the cause, one very good way to accomplish this – let’s face it – terrifying decision is to cut off your means of retreat. There is a famous historical precedent in that Cortez, the famous conquistador, burned his ships upon landing in Mexico to make sure that his men fought as hard as they could and had no way of returning to Spain until they had either won or died trying. In the same way, once you have made that decision, if there is absolutely no way of going back then you will not have any choice but to keep moving forward.

This, by its very nature, can not be a spur of the moment impulsive decision. It must be done with careful planning and lots of forethought. You must ask yourself some serious questions before burning any ships! If you quit your job today, how will you pay your bills? How will you and your family eat? Will you still be able to have a roof over head? Can you cut back and still live the same life or will you all have to tighten your belts for a while? These are highly individual and personal decisions and only you and your family know the answers here. But, if it all falls into place, then the next step is to brace yourself and just do it!

There are so many ways that this is the best policy. If you have a bad habit for example, having the policy to ‘just do it’ can break you of that habit for good. Just stop! Don’t even think about it any more. Burn those ships! You may find that it is the best thing you ever did!