How I Met Your Mother

In 1519, Hernán Cortés set sail from Cuba with 600 soldiers, 16 horses, and 11 ships bound for the coast of Mexico.

His mission?

Conquer the mighty Aztec Empire...an empire of hundreds of thousands, armed with resources and warriors far beyond what Cortés’ small force could imagine.

When they landed, whispers of doubt ran through his men...they were scared to death!

The journey had been long. The enemy was powerful. The odds were crushing.

Many began to think of retreat.

Cortés knew hesitation was fatal.

So he made a radical decision.

He ordered the ships to be destroyed...they were burned and sunk into the harbor.

There would be no turning back.

The men were stunned.

But suddenly, the choice was simple...they could no longer waver between staying or going.

They had to move forward fully committed.

That clarity became their greatest weapon.

And while history remembers Cortés with controversy (and it should), the lesson endures:

When you eliminate distractions and define exactly what you want, your energy shifts.

In my late 20s I reached a similar, but less violent crossroads.

I knew it was time to settle down...

Dating casually wasn’t getting me anywhere...I was tired of it looking back.

One afternoon, while sitting in the CIMA training class at the University of Pennsylvania, I pulled out a piece of notepaper and wrote down exactly what I wanted in a wife...clearly I was not paying attention.

These are the traits a 29 year old GenXer wanted in 2004:

It was my version of burning the ships.

I got clear...this became my guide.

I only dated women that I thought may have those traits, knowing that dating them would help me find out.

Within months, I met Chris Ellen...a year later we were married.

This week, we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary.

The lesson is simple: clarity creates results.

Whether it’s business, health, or relationships—when you know exactly what you want, everything changes.

Focus sharpens action...action compounds...and before long, what once lived only on paper becomes your reality.

Several times in my career I have deviated from this type of focus, including this year.

That is about to change and I can't wait to share it with you in the coming weeks...