There Really Is No Try

You don't have to know the difference between Dagobah and Bajor to have heard the phrase “do, or do not, there is no try.” But even the biggest Star Wars fan has said “I'm trying.” But, you have to really examine that phrase to see how true it is. Yoda never said “Perfectly, you must do it, the first time,” or “Within you, the power already is.” (He's a Jedi Master, not a Good Witch of Oz”) No, what he said was just this: You do, or you don't. When you say “I'm trying,” you're just making excuses for your failure. Your failure to practice, your failure to believe in yourself, and yes, your failure to execute. Yoda is a process guy, not a results guy. He's always about training, about self-discipline, about preparing for all possible outcomes, even the bad ones.

Try watching a baby as he learns to walk and talk. Now there's someone for which there is no try. He makes sounds and faces with his mouth, as he learns what his own body is like, and what reactions he gets. He'll take a few steps, walk, then fall. Sometimes he'll cry, sometimes he'll get downright determined and get right back up, just to take a few steps more. He's not “trying” to walk, he's walking!

Ever try something new and completely screw up? That's OK. Ask Albert Einstein, who said “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” This is the same man who said “It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.”

It's important to break down your goals into small, achievable steps, so you don't get overwhelmed by the fact that you're not achieving the results you want yes. If you do, you're better off than someone who didn't. Because who learns from doing nothing? You don't have to succeed every time, nor do you even have to achieve the results you set out to do before hand, if you recognize opportunities. (How many scientific breakthroughs started as complete accidents?) Once you can tell the difference between “trying” and “learning,” you'll learn... there really is no try.