There Is No Try

If you have ever been serious about a goal, you will have much better odds of success if you take the advice of an almost 900 year old Jedi.

There is no try.

When you use the word “try” what you are really telling yourself is, I’m not sure I can do this.

Try is a word the ego uses to protect itself from change. The ego does not like change. Change leaves us vulnerable because vulnerability means we are not in total control of the outcome.

Trying is making an attempt, testing to see if the outcome is what you want. You may succeed and your ego (your self talk) will say to you, “Whew, that was lucky!” Or you could fail and the ego will say, “I just knew you were going to make a mess out of it!”

But when you make an 100% commitment to the goal, whether you fail or succeed you take the ego out of equation. As Thomas Edison says:

Edison understood that when you commit to something, it is almost a guarantee that at some point you will fail as you pursue the goal.

Everything we do has a learning curve. This is the most simple of concepts but surprisingly difficult for some to grasp. We all want to be instant experts at whatever we decide to do.

If you want to succeed at a goal whether it is to lose weight, get a better job or find your soul mate, there is no try, just a commitment to do.

In the dictionary beside the word try, should also be the word fear. Think of the last time you tried something. What was going through your mind? I hope I can do this. What will others think of me? God, I hope I don’t make a fool of myself.

But when you make the commitment to do, whether you do or do not. You make a deeper level decision that transcends the ego that then becomes part of the fiber of your being. The chances for success increases exponentially.

It’s like when you have that snapping point where you don’t care what others think about you and you don’t care if you make a fool of yourself and fall flat on your ass. Because the goal matters more than any temporary discomfort. The blockage of uncertainty is removed and you finally see results.

Yoda’s words of wisdom came to me last week when I was mediating on my frustration with losing weight. I had reached a plateau of sorts and was feeling defeated. The words just popped into my head. Do or do not, there is no try. I had the attitude that I was trying to lose weight instead of making the more realistic commitment of a healthier lifestyle that would result in weight loss. That new perspective was a commitment I could make to myself. That was something I could do.

Thanks Yoda. I will do or I will do not, but either way, I have made the commitment. And what do you know, my pants feel a little looser this week as well.

What are you “trying” to do? How’s that going for you?