The One Decision That Will Solve Your Dance Problems

mindset practice

The short answer: the one decision is a resolute one. Decide what you want from your dancing and burn your ships, so there's no going back. An interested or committed decision falls apart the minute it gets hard. A resolute decision, backed up with action every single day, moves you forward even before you have the skills or the plan.

What does it mean to burn your ships?

In the video I tell the story of Hernando Cortés, the Spanish conquistador who landed in 1519 with 500 men and ordered his ships set on fire and sunk. There was no backup plan and no way home. They had to win. That's the kind of decision I'm asking you to make about your dancing.

What are the three types of decisions?

You can be interested, which means you do it occasionally when you feel like it. That's most people. You can be committed, which means you'll do it up to a point and then you're done. Or you can be resolute: you've burnt your ships. Resolute decisions get the best results.

Do you need a plan before you decide?

No. All decisions are made with incomplete information. You don't have all of it, I don't, and your coaches don't either. You act in faith. You may not have the skills, the talent or the background yet, and you decide to do it anyway. That's the decision winners make.

How do you make a resolute decision about your dancing?

Here are the key points, in the order I cover them in the video:

Know that turning up isn't deciding: going to class doesn't mean you've made a decision to go forward.
Set your objective: work out what you want for the next seven days, the next year and the next five years, in your dancing and your life.
Act in faith: you don't need to know how it will happen. Decide anyway.
Back it up every single day: you can't make the decision just once. Back it up only once a week and it becomes a disempowering decision.
Let it work for you: a decision is an attractive force. New opportunities, new doorways and new partnerships appear.
Do it anyway: someone may be more talented or further ahead than you. Who cares? Go for it and have a fun time.

Common mistakes

Thinking that turning up to class means you've made your decision.
Dancing only when you feel like it, which is an interested decision.
Leaving your ships at the beach, then getting back in the boat when it gets hard, when you face rejection or criticism, or when a coach starts telling you how it is.
Making the decision once and never backing it up.
Waiting for rock bottom before you change. It can happen on any ordinary day, the minute you say enough is enough.

Try this in your next practice

Before you start, ask yourself honestly: am I interested, committed or resolute about my dancing? Then decide on your objective for the next seven days and choose one action you'll take every day to back it up.

Frequently asked questions

What does "burn your ships" mean for a dancer?

It means making a resolute decision with no backup plan, so the only way is forward. You fight for your goal rather than keeping an escape route open.

What is the difference between a committed and a resolute decision?

A committed decision has an end point, so the minute things get hard it puts you back in the boat. A resolute decision has no way back, and it gets the best results.

How often do you need to make the decision?

Every single day. A decision you only back up once a week becomes a disempowering decision.

What if I'm not as talented as other dancers?

Do it anyway. You may not have the same skill level as someone else on the floor, and it doesn't matter. Make the decision, back it up and enjoy the process.

Related lessons

Vaughan Liddicoat is a 4 time World Professional 10 Dance representative for Australia, an accredited coach and the founder of Ballroom Mastery. He has a passion for dance and wants to help you become the best dancer you can be and have an amazing time doing it.

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