The Secret to Success

Need a full-proof way of motivating yourself or your student to move forward and succeed? Follow Cortez’s example.

In 1519, Cortés landed in Veracruz. His objective: prevail in battle against the Aztecs and grab their treasure. His problem: The Aztec empire had been around for hundreds of years. The odds of upstaging it with only 600 men were astronomically low. So, what did Cortez do? He burned 10 of the 11 ships he and his men had used to reach the Mexican shoreline. Removing the possibility of retreat, his men had no choice but to move forward. They had two options- be victorious in battle or die.

History tells us that they did what no one else had ever been able to do before. They toppled the Aztec empire. There is nothing to attribute their success to other than the fact that all options had been taken off the table except one. They moved forward, without wavering in this decision!

There’s a simple lesson here. To increase the likelihood of success, we must remove all “retreat options.”  We must identify our “ships” and “burn” them.

• Want to be healthier? Remove the junk food out of the pantry.
• Technology competing for your attention while studying? Turn it off.
• Peer group affecting your decisions negatively? Replace them with new friends.

Thanks for Reading!

Curt Bumcrot, MRE

Speaking of decisions, this is the final day you can take advantage of the Back To School Promotional credit.  Don’t miss out — act today!