Hello <>,

We’re looking for those creations you’d like that will change your life. “What’s the miracle you’re going to create today?” That’s a high bar. Maybe that miracle is getting to clarity on and commitment to resolving some particular issue. Maybe it’s knowing the first steps.

Sure, the “full miracle” may take weeks or months. But today’s miracle is putting the wheels in motion. It’s realizing this thing will happen because I say it will.

The difference between a thing getting done and not getting done is commitment. Call it “burn the ships” commitment.

In 1519 Hernan Cortez stole 11 ships and he and 600 men sailed from Cuba. He did that in the middle of the night, directly against the Governor’s orders. The 600 headed off to the coast of Mexico to take on Montezuma and his one million warriors. Cortez knew the only way to keep his head on his shoulders was to conquer Montezuma and win favor with Spain’s King Charles. Upon landing, he immediately had his army burn the ships. There was no going back.

I remember a coaching session once with the wife of a client. She described circumstances which seemed to me like something she might want to really weigh into. I asked her: “What’s your level of commitment?” She replied: “About a 6.” At which point I told her: “I can’t help you.” The thing is, 6s don’t get done. If she had wanted to have a conversation about how to get that up to an 8, 9, or 10, that’s a conversation I would gladly have had with her.

Let’s use the word “transformation” here to mean seeing a whole new future as you design it to be. And then pulling it back to now and beginning to create it now. If you’re looking for transformation in some area of your life or business. Let’s make sure you’re clear. And that you’ve got your want, and your commitment, up high.

It’s important to consider the cost of not creating what it is you say you want. People tend not to do that. They make a default decision not to pursue something without giving much consideration to the cost of that decision.

To measure the cost, you may have to get creative. Some things can be measured in dollars and cents. Some can’t. But if you’ll just settle in and be really honest with yourself, the cost of status quo will become a lot more obvious than you might think.

I sat with a business owner a while back. In terms of creating a business and wealth, he’s top .1%. Among other things he told me about the stress. About the drinks he was having every evening to relieve that stress. He said he was 40 lbs. overweight. After hearing all of this for 45 minutes, I asked him: “What’s going to happen if you don’t change?” He thought about it for a good long while and came back with: “I’m going to die.”