Why you need to burn bridges

May 2005, years before my dreams of entrepreneurship took off, I put in my notice at JFK airport. Two weeks later, I packed up my tools and walked out of the cockpit for the last time—after all this time, I was ready to officially break into Wall Street.

As I punched out of that final shift, my supervisor called out, “Hey, Edrizio! I heard you’re getting an office job.” 

“Something like that,” I said. "It's a summer internship." 

"Well, I hope to see you back here in the fall,” he said.

He had good reason to count on my return. At twenty-five, I’d spent nearly a quarter of my life—six years—working there. Besides, how many aircraft mechanics pivot to a career in investment banking?

“I appreciate the opportunity,” I said, “but I won’t be coming back. But thanks so much for the offer.” I bid goodbye and actually returned my JFK ID

Sometimes, the only way to make progress is to burn the bridges behind you. If you can't go backward, you have no option but to move forward.