A simple shift that dissolves hesitation, strengthens self-belief and opens the door to magic:
“Do or do not. There is no try.”
—Yoda, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
There’s a tiny word many of us use without thinking. One little word that quietly weakens our resolve, lowers our expectations, and prepares us for failure long before we take action: try.
“Do you think you can do that?”
“Well … I’ll try.”
How many times have you used this innocuous-sounding get-out-of-jail-free card to let yourself off the hook? Try is what we tell ourselves when we’re not ready to commit. It lets us feel virtuous while protecting us from the possibility of falling short.
Before I woke up to the full implications of using this word, I applied it liberally throughout my day.
I’d try to finish something before a certain time.
I’d try to squeeze in a bit of exercise.
I’d try to make that really difficult phone call before the end of the day.
Can you guess whether or not I managed to do these things? Exactly.
This little word allowed me to sound willing and able, while remaining wonderfully non-committal. It would assuage my guilty conscience, even when I knew perfectly well that, really, I already knew these things weren’t likely to happen.
For a natural procrastinator like me, the “try cop-out” can be a recipe for disaster. Saying I’d try to do x, y, or z immediately gave my subconscious mind permission to slack-off. Inevitably, I’d be faced with a frantic last-minute rush to get something done on time. And if it didn’t happen, I’d tell myself, “See? It didn’t work. I knew it wouldn’t.”
I’ve been there, done that, got the t-shirt and worn it out for more than 40 years. I didn’t have high-enough expectations of my own success. I wasn’t anticipating success because I told myself that chances were, it wouldn’t work. I was self-sabotaging before I’d even given myself a real chance.
Until, that is, I removed the three-letter word from my lexicon.
Trying to do something is all about the fear, doubt, and uncertainty around actually doing the thing. Doing something is all about action. If we allow ourselves, we can linger too long in Try Limbo and it’s not a healthy place to be.
Trying to write a book took me 10 years. Actually writing the thing took about 10 months.
Trying to get fitter took years of dithering and “I can always start next week.” Getting on my bike and cycling to the pool takes me less than 10 minutes.
Trying to make the world a better place feels overwhelming. Being kind to people and smiling more takes seconds.
“Don’t feel failure, anticipate success” was the advice that Scotland’s football coach Steve Clarke gave to his team before their astonishing men’s World Cup qualifying match. It transformed everything. It means that in 2026, Scotland will be in the men’s World Cup for the first time in 26 years.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t bother practicing to get better at something. Not at all. Practicing something isn’t the same thing as trying. Practice comes from a Latin word practicare meaning “to do, perform, or practice.” Practicing ultimately makes you better at doing that thing. And it’s in the doing that magic happens.
When you do something, really do it. The well-known sporting slogan wasn’t “Just Try It,” after all.
Today, make a note of when try slips into your thoughts or speech. Play with the idea of catching this word and just doing the action. And every time you act, even in a small way, you confirm to yourself:
I’m already on my way to winning.
