How to Overcome Indecision

In our Level 2 workshop, we show people how to get started and live their new purpose — which is preceded by a decision to actually live it. And that decision can trip some people up, because their fear program doesn’t want them making it.

Why?

The fear program worries if you decide to do something new or adventurous, you’ll have to change — step out of your comfort zone, venture out into the “big scary world” it already dreads, and try new things, do things differently, trust people, believe in yourself, and have faith in the process of life.

So to keep you ‘safe’ from all that, it tries to get you to dread that decision. This is where you’ll find yourself feeling nervous about your decision, or worrying about timing or money, or questioning whether you’re good enough to do it, or thinking maybe you should put it off till later — for no apparent reason, even if you’re really excited about doing it.

That’s the fear program trying to shut your decision down. So if you're making a new and exciting decision in life, here is a simple but powerful process to help you overcome fear and better commit to it, called the “burn-your-ships” decision.

The Burn Your Ships Decision

This idea comes from the story of Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. After sailing to Mexico in 1519 to conquer the Aztec Empire for Spain, he ordered his captains to burn the ships. His intent was simple: remove the option to quit. His men couldn’t sail back to Cuba if things got hard. With no way to return home, victory was their only option.

That’s the sort of decision you need to make in your mind, to overcome the fear trying to stop you. If you make a whimsical, half-hearted, dip your toes in, see how it goes, kind of decision, fear will overpower it (eventually).

But if you make a fully committed non-negotiable decision with yourself, along the lines of, “I'm doing this, that's it, period! No retreat, no surrender, no turning back!” — it burns the ships fear normally uses to back away from commitment.

And that applies even if you've already made the decision to live your purpose. Because if you have, and you’re really honest with yourself, you'll probably find you didn't actually make a fully committed decision. Fear is more likely to have influenced you to make a half-hearted decision, with a half-baked commitment. It’s like you still have your ships parked at the shore, waiting to silently sneak away if things get ‘too scary’.

If your purpose is what you want to do, burn those ships! And not just once, but every day. Fear will try and shut down your decision every day, so you need to keep reaffirming your decision every day — especially in the beginning, and even more so if you’re living a big dream.

Not only does it help overpower fear, but it also sets a framework of action and certainty in your mind, which goes a long way in helping you achieve your purpose.

Here's How to Do It

Write your decision by hand on a piece of paper.

Keep it brief. You only need to capture the most exciting parts of your decision in bullet points. If it’s too long, it becomes a chore to write and a drag to read.

Just write down whatever captures the most exciting parts of your decision in the fewest words possible. Using the example of starting up a new business:

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I John Smith, on the 7th of July 2025, fully commit to starting and running my own online T-shirt business, selling funny T-shirts that make people smile or laugh.

I am so excited by:
– Being creative

– Doing what makes me happier
– Working at home
– Being my own boss
– Making people laugh
– Having more free time

I’m doing this. That’s it. No retreat, no surrender, no turning back.

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Stick It Everywhere

Write your decision down on paper 3-4 times (there is great power in repetition), stick it everywhere you’ll actually read it — the toilet door, fridge, bathroom mirror, and so on. Read it at least first thing in the morning, and last thing before you go to bed. That way you start your day and end your day by reaffirming your exciting decision.

And if at any time throughout the day, you find yourself dreading your decision, re-read that decision again, re-affirm it, reignite the excitement behind it, so you squash the fear — and preferably do this before fear gets a hold on you, otherwise to leap to excitement may be too great. Get in early, and overpower it, the moment you notice it (feel it).

So Simple, Yet So Powerful.

You’ll be amazed at just how powerful this process really is. It not only helps overcome base-fear, but it also helps make your decision feel real, feasible, and exhilarating. It helps define the decision even further. It boosts your confidence and commitment. It opens the mind to all sorts of possible future ideas and plans. It makes you feel good. Most importantly, it helps get you started, take action, and get it done.