DO … or DO Not … There is No “Try”

Close your eyes. Clear your mind.

Now, think of all the things you have said you would “try” to do.

How many of them did you actually do? For how many of them were you held accountable?

When you tell someone you will “try” to do something, what you are really saying is “I might get around to it if it happens to be convenient and I have nothing better to do”. Or, you might be saying “I really don’t want to do it, but if you are going to make an issue out of it, I give it my 10%.”

Don’t “TRY” to do anything. Don’t tell others you will “TRY” to do something.

DO IT, or DON’T. Make a decision, and stick to it.

When you say you will “TRY”, you are giving yourself permission to not do it. When you say it to others, you are tacitly requesting permission from them to fail.

A long time ago, a teach of mine told me to eliminate the word “can’t” from my vocabulary. To this day, I never use that word. Unfortunately, the word “try” is almost as bad. It is deceptive because it allows your mind to accept less than success.

As a coach, I constantly have to watch the words of my clients. I don’t let them get away with “trying” to do something. We work out a plan, gather resources, and make it happen. That’s my job – as a coach and consultant – to make sure that the effort put forth is done so in the right direction, and in the right amount.

If you think of the great accomplishments in history, many of them came about due to sheer persistence. Thomas Edison “failed” hundreds of times to make the light bulb a reality. And then, over night, the entire world changed.

Don’t “try” to go out and create your light-bulb. Do it. But know this – neither Thomas Edison, nor any of the other inventors you might think of – accomplished their goals in a vacuum or on their own. They all had help, in one form or another. We are human beings – we are here to help each other, and to ask for help. So, when you feel like the word “try” or “can’t” is coming to your mind, get some help. Call your coach, or your mentor, or your best friend. Call someone who is going to show you that you CAN and WILL accomplish your goals.

Then, DO IT.