What Works: Just stop trying
Submitted by editor on Mon, 01/26/2015 - 10:21am
Woke you up with that one, didn’t I? Yoda, arguably my favorite character in the Star Wars franchise, says this. “Do or do not. There is no try.” So I challenge you today to stop trying all together and START DOING. The word “try” has long been a weak way to say, “I see what I should do and I’m going to make a half-hearted effort to do it.”
I will try to work out 3-4 days a week.
I will try to read that book.
I will try this process a new way.
I will try to increase my revenue.
It’s weak language. It gives you an out — an excuse to say, “oh well, I TRIED. It didn’t work.” No, I won’t co-sign that mindset. If you are trying, you are not wholeheartedly doing it in the first place.
Instead, strengthen the way you speak to yourself and others. You’ll hear me say this a lot. “Will Do.” My friends at Pathways have a great free series right now about how one simple shift, like this one, can change your life. Go here to start watching.
Now… try to shift your mindset by eliminating the word TRY.
I will work out 3-4 days a week.
I will read that book.
I will do this process a new way.
I will increase my revenue.
Follow that up with HOW you are going to do it and you have a winning formula for success. Sometimes you don’t know how. It’s OK! Just take one action and let the rest unfold. The key is to DO IT!
Our entire region is building on pioneers DOING things, not trying to do them. Kit Carson didn’t TRY to blaze a trail. He did it. It takes a whole heart to wake up in the morning, face the cold, and do what it takes to make progress. This pioneer spirit is what you need every day in your life, work, and business.
In my life, I don’t try to write this column. I write it! I don’t try to act. I act. I don’t try to dance. I dance. I don’t try to lead. I lead!
The ONLY failure is in not moving your feet. That’s it. It’s really that simple. The west would have never been won, or even discovered, if there was no venturing, no risking, and no drive to move forward in spite of uncertainty.
So tell me, in the comments below, about a time where you thought you couldn’t do it and instead you JUST DID. What did you accomplish? What success did you see? Or, what lessons did you learn from mistakes made. How does DOING versus trying serve you? The floor is yours, Carson City.
ABOUT DIANE HANSEN
Diane Hansen is the Chief Inspiration Officer of What Works Coaching, a coaching firm that has helped people worldwide with their businesses, careers, mindsets, and profit margins. She brings to Carson City more than 17 years of experience with a wide array of clients, ranging from top corporations, motivated entrepreneurs and individuals hungry for a fresh start. Her column appears every Monday on Carson Now.
