Episode 089: Break Free – Burn the Boats and Have a Plan B

Finding Your Groove With Kathleen Thompson

Maybe you’ve heard people tell you that you have to “burn the boats” to really succeed. That if you believe you can turn back, you will. I’ve always hated that advice, as it was often given to encourage us to “follow your passion”, which seems naïve and risky. Yet, there’s something to this advice. Here’s how to embrace your future and minimize risk at the same time.

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On This Episode

Rhythm of Life – The First Day of My Next Voice
Random Riffs – A Revolution That Went Too Far
Feature Segment – Break Free: Burn the Boats and Have a Plan B

Today’s Quote

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. –Seneca

Rhythm of Life – The First Day of My Next Voice

There I was in Roger Love’s studio, at my first voice lesson. He asked me to tell my story. I gave him the short version. Then I said this: “This lesson. This time together – this is the first day of my new voice.”

You heard me say in Episode 087 that I felt like I was coming home when I walked into Roger’s Voice of Success workshop. Yet at the same time, as I sat in the studio, I had no illusions that this would be an instant transformation. It’s an investment.

Have you ever had a vision of what could be? You take one step and keep moving, and then you’re there? You look around, and see that “there” shows you another mountain to climb? That’s how I felt when I got home from my first lesson with Roger.

While we’re striving, it’s important to differentiate between striving for growth (or striving satisfied) and striving to prove ourselves worthy. Striving for growth includes rest and there’s a peace infused in the process. Striving to prove ourselves worthy is stressful and exhausting. So even as I work on my body and voice, I’m doing it from a place of rest. Trust. Joy. I hope you will too. Believe me, it’s a lot more enjoyable that way.

Random Riffs – A Revolution That Went Too Far

In 1914 a revolution happened. The first stoplight was installed on the corner of Euclid Ave. and 105^th Street in Cleveland, OH. Invented by James Hoge.

This completely revolutionized the way we drive. But that’s not it revolutionized. Listen to the episode to hear about how the concept of green, yellow, red has permeated so much of our culture. And not always in a good way.

Don’t Forget

If you’d like to learn how you can harness the power and personality of your voice to move others, sign up for your free 20-minute consultation with me. Click here to schedule your time. Together we’ll explore options and you’ll leave with a voice tip you can put into practice right away.

Feature Segment – Break Free: Burn the Boats and Have a Plan B

So many have told the story about how Hernan Cortez told his crew to burn the boats when they landed on the Yucatan Peninsula to try and capture the Mayan treasure.

I always hated that advice. It sounded like something someone would say when they were trying to sell you their course on how to ditch your boring life or job and follow your passion. And they laugh all the way to the bank while you wonder if disillusionment can pay the bills.

Not only that, but both Seth Godin and Elizabeth Gilbert say that we shouldn’t put so much pressure on our art. Whatever that art is for us. We shouldn’t expect it to work. We need to give our gift to the world with open hands and the full understanding that it might not work.

So what’s right? Should we burn the boats? Or understand “this might not work?”

Both.

How? By doing a controlled burn. Here are three steps to a controlled burning of your boats.

1. Get going: Set destination, map course, set sail.

This includes project planning, which we talked about in Episode 025.

2. Have a back-up plan (not a back-out plan)

This includes using a decision matrix to help with a down-side analysis. To get a copy, email [e-mail].

3. Burn the boats

Take action. Leave the past behind. Know there is no back. There is only forward. Not the one plan, but some plan. A, B, or Z.

Where do you want to go? What boats do you want to burn? How does it make you feel to think about burning them? What can you do if your plan doesn’t work?

If you want to start a conversation, send an email to [e-mail], or leave a comment. Let’s break free together, shall we?

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Burn the boats, and have a Plan B.
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