Last night, I re-watched the third chapter of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.
I have a thing for that trilogy. Scratch that—I have a thing for Batman. The superhero who is just a human like us. With deep inner conflict, unresolved trauma, and a relentless drive to help others—not for fame, but to leave a lasting impact.
Each installment taught me something profound: “Batman Begins” showed me how to confront my fears, “The Dark Night” illustrated how chaos impacts society, But it’s the third one, “The Dark Night Rises”, that influenced me the most.
There’s one scene that has stayed with me. Bruce Wayne—the protagonist—is imprisoned and faces a life-altering challenge. He’s trapped in a cave and must climb his way to freedom. The final obstacle? A near-impossible jump. Every time he tries, he fails. Why? Because he’s tied to a rope. The rope serves as a safety net, reassuring him that if he falls, he won’t die. But that same rope holds him back.
Then comes a turning point: he chooses to climb without the rope. If he fails this time, he dies.
But in that moment—freed from the rope—he makes the jump. And he succeeds. All the other prisoners, who were there to support him after his multiple failures, look at him escaping from a life of darkness and pain.
Now, think of the rope as your backup plan—your B-plan.
For some, a B-plan is the ultimate ally. It’s the safety net, the smart fallback taught in business school, the logical response to risk.
But what if the B-plan is more harmful than helpful? What if, instead of protecting us, it anchors us to defeat?
As long as you have a B-plan, your mind is subtly preparing for failure. You approach challenges with one foot out the door, ready to retreat if things go wrong. But real transformation—the kind that demands courage and risk—often comes when failure is not an option.
Like Bruce Wayne, sometimes we need to cut the rope to discover what we’re truly capable of.
I’m not saying backup plans are inherently bad. In some cases, they’re essential.
But when it comes to pursuing something extraordinary, we should ask ourselves: “Is my B-plan giving me confidence or holding me back?” “Am I leaning on it out of fear?” “What would happen if I removed the safety net?”
Sometimes, the only way to make the impossible leap is to burn the bridge behind you.
So, take a deep breath, consider the risks, and think seriously about cutting that damn rope…
