Don’t Try. Do.
Definition of the word “try”: an effort or attempt to accomplish something.
In the Star Wars movie, “The Empire Strikes Back”, there is a scene where Yoda says these exact words. Yoda is teaching Luke Skywalker how to use the force and Luke says “okay, I’ll try.” Yoda yells back “NO. Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.”
You see, those are key differences. You either do something or you don’t. Trying is basically the same thing as not doing it. Trying is an excuse for when we don’t accomplish something. Are you trying to get in shape or are you getting in shape? Are you trying to work hard or are you working hard?
When your coach wants you to do a new hitting drill, are you going to say “okay, I’ll try..” probably in a passive voice, then do the action with half effort? Instead, take pride in doing something new and say you will DO it. When I say “I’ll try”, I feel like I know I am going to fail, or failing is acceptable because I’m just attempting it, so it isn’t that serious. The reality is, you might fail, but who cares. Walk up to whatever you have to do, and do it with some intention and purpose. You won’t ever learn if you don’t go at everything with your 100% effort. Ask yourself, are you trying to be a good hitter, or are you becoming a good hitter? It’s a choice to commit.
Words have power to them, and using the wrong words can create outcomes we don’t want. Either do it or do not. We don’t try and make things happen, we commit and do it. If you don’t want to do something then that’s okay, but trying is not the same thing as doing. Everything that we do begins with a decision, so if you’re deciding to do something then DO IT, don’t try.
Action plan:
Get rid of the word “try” from your vocabulary. Once you get rid of the word “try” you will understand how much you hate the word. You’ll start to correct people who use the word. Instead of saying “Okay I’ll try”, replace it with “Okay, I will.” Take the word “trying” out and replace it with “doing”. It might be hard at first, so make it a game with your teammate to see if you can catch them saying it, then correct them.
“ Do or Do Not, There is No Try.” -Master Yoda
