Burn the Boats, Grab the Baton: From Interest to Unshakable Commitment

We all start with interest. That spark. That excitement.

“I want to lose weight.”

“I want to build a business.”

“I want financial freedom.”

But here’s the problem: interest doesn’t get you there.

It’s not enough to want it. It’s not enough to be curious.

If you want to win — at life, at business, at anything — you need something deeper.

You need commitment.

🚩 The Brutal Truth

There’s a quote by Ken Blanchard that hits hard:

“When you’re interested, you do it when it’s convenient. When you’re committed, you do it no matter what.”

I see it in real estate all the time. People come in with energy — they’re excited about the potential. But the moment it gets hard… when the leads don’t come easy, when the deals fall through, when life gets messy — they disappear.

Because they were interested.

Not committed.

🔥 Burn the Boats

There’s an old story about a general.

He takes his army to an island and before they go into battle, he orders one thing:

Burn. The. Boats.

Why?

Because there’s no turning back. No retreat. No safety net.

You either win… or you die trying.

That’s the kind of fire you need in your life.

Too many of us keep escape hatches open.

“If this doesn’t work, I’ll go back to my old job.”

“If it gets too hard, I’ll take a break.”

“If I don’t see results in 30 days, I’ll try something else.”

No. Burn the boats. Go all in.

🏁 Life Is a Relay — You’re the Anchor

Picture a 4x1 Olympic relay.

Four runners. One baton. The last person runs the anchor leg — the final stretch.

That’s you.

You’ve been handed a baton that represents:

Your past choices

Your family history

Your pain, your privilege, your position

And now? It’s your leg.

You might be behind.

You might’ve had a bad handoff.

But guess what? You still have to run.

🇺🇸 Sha’Carri Richardson: The Gold Medal Example

Let’s look at the 2024 Olympics.

The U.S. women’s 4x100 relay team was behind when the baton hit Sha’Carri Richardson’s hand. She got it in fourth place. People had counted them out.

But what did Sha’Carri do?

She ran. Like her life depended on it.

She passed team after team and crossed that finish line in first place, gold medal in hand.

She didn’t complain. She didn’t jog. She didn’t make excuses.

She sprinted.

And later she said:

“There was nobody I was going to allow — even myself — to be in front of me.”

That’s what commitment looks like.

💣 The Real Work Begins When the Excuses Show Up

Everyone is committed on Day 1.

The real question is — who’s still committed on Day 91?

When it’s boring.

When it’s painful.

When nobody’s watching.

When you’re behind.

That’s when it counts.

🛑 So Let’s Cut the BS. Ask Yourself:

Where in your life are you just interested?

What “boats” do you need to burn so you can stop retreating?

What would it look like to sprint — to go all in — today?

💥 Final Thought

You don’t need another podcast. Another book. Another plan.

You need a decision.

The baton is in your hand.

There’s no turning back.

It’s time to burn the boats.

And run.

Tune in to the podcast: