You Need to Stop Trying

Last week, I was out on a run, my favorite place to think about life, and I pondered the question, “What does it mean to try?” This came to mind because I’ve been binge-watching the show Dropout where Elizabeth Holmes sets out to change the world before crumbling under the mistakes of her power.

On the walls of Theranos is the saying:

“There is no try. There is only do or do not.”—Yoda.

It is a catchy little phrase said by one of our most beloved green characters, Yoda. (Amongst the other famous green characters are Shrek, Mike Wazowski, and Kermit the Frog, to name a few.) We like to repeat it because the grammatical inconsistency rolls off the tongue and tickles on its way out.

But stop and think about the phrase. There is no try. And yet, each day, there are dozens of people saying they are trying.

• Trying to lose weight
• Trying to stop smoking
• Trying to find a solution to a complicated work task
• Trying to get home from work early

We endlessly try to accomplish those goals we have. As we pursue a goal, we are trying to get there. But in reality, what is trying?

We either are or we aren’t doing the work. If we look at a project we are trying to accomplish, it usually means we’ve given a few token efforts, but don’t believe we will actually achieve the outcome. We say we are trying to make it appear we are putting in the hard work necessary, but our efforts are falling short.

What if, instead, we take Yoda’s advice? We either do or do not. If we can admit that we aren’t doing something, rather than trying to do something and failing, then we can take see what we need to do differently. We can see that the action we took did not get us closer to our goals. And if we can see that, and do not fool ourselves, then we can take a different action. So we either take action that works or action that doesn’t, but either way we are doing the work.

If we have a series of failures, as long as we keep taking action, the collective is bringing us closer to our goal. We move closer to the goal every time we fail because we’ve learned what not to do. This means that we are reaching our goal, no matter how slowly.

It is an interesting concept to wrap the mind around. But listen to yourself or others when using the word “trying.” What is the underlying message? There is usually the sound of defeat or a belief that it isn’t possible.

It isn’t until we say we are doing something that we take all the steps necessary to get there. Along the way, there will be setbacks and failures, but the perspective and attitude are going to get us where we want to go.

Stop trying and start doing. Start believing you are on the way to your goal rather than building in the option of failure. When you stop trying and understand that you are on your way to success, you will see an exponential change in your accomplishments and achievement of your goals.