Get Unstuck: The Death Ground Strategy
Death ground is a strategy of warfare. It’s a reaction towards the threat of annihilation. In the Art of War, Sun Tzu calls it desperate ground, and defines it as such:
When you have the enemy’s strongholds on your rear, and narrow passes in front, it is hemmed-in ground. When there is no place of refuge at all, it is desperate ground.
When pushed backed against a physical boundary, an army can either fight their way out or be annihilated. There is no escape route. This is a zero-sum outcome. It’s kill or be killed.
In 1519, Captain Hernán Cortés landed in Veracruz to begin his great conquest. Upon arriving, he gave the order to his men to burn the ships. According to some accounts, he sunk all but one of his ships before sending the intact one back to Spain. There would be no retreat for his men, only conquest..
Cortés forces defeated the Aztecs in Battle of Otumba on July 7, 1520, and he regained control of Tenochtitlan by August 13, 1521. The Aztec Empire had fallen. Cortés conquered the Aztecs and claimed Mexico on behalf of Spain.
Takeaway:
Safety nets and escape routes can protect us from pain and injury. But they also tend to reduce the effort, focus and commitment that we invest into a process. Once you have completed your discernment process, you have to be willing to burn the boats behind you and trust your inner voice to pursue your dreams.
Never look back.