Don't Be A Try Hard

How many times have you heard yourself or someone else when asked to do something, reply with, “I’ll try.” How many times does that job never get done?
Most of the time? Here’s why.

In my "Power of Words"  seminars I share a clip from Star Wars where there is a scene where Yoda is mentoring Luke Skywalker. He is teaching him how to move something with his mind. Luke keeps trying, failing and then saying “I can’t do it.” Yoda says to Luke Skywalker, “Do or do not. There is no try.” Profound words that mean so much.

Do this exercise. Put a pen on the table in front of you. Now TRY to pick up the pen. If you picked it up, you didn’t try to pick up the pen, you actually did pick it up!
The word ‘try’ is a ‘nothing’ word. The mind can’t compute it.
Furthermore, the word ‘try’ gives people an ‘out’ if they don’t really want to do something. When someone says “I’ll try”, they are really saying, “I don’t want to"  or even “I can’t.”

Here are some examples:
       Manager: "Can you get that report done by Friday?"
       Colleague: I’ll try.

       Mum: "Please put out the rubbish bin tonight."
       Child : I’ll try.

If someone says, “I’ll try”, it may momentarily get people off their back, yet it rarely gets done.  This means people are less likely to trust or believe what that person promises in the future. Better to say, “I will do it.” Or if it can’t actually be done at that time, perhaps, “Friday is too soon, however I will get it done by next Tuesday.”

Rather than use 'try', be honest and direct. If you can’t get something completed by a certain date, or have no intention of doing it at all, then communicate that - people will appreciate it.

Clear communication improves your performance. Your life performance.

Enjoy
x Carol