LESS TRYING AND MORE DOING

LESS TRYING AND MORE DOING

When you are challenged to do something you have never done before, for example something tough, like a somersault, you have no frame of reference, no experience to give you confidence in your ability to achieve it. It is perfectly reasonable to say, “I WILL TRY”. You will probably have to try and fail over and over again, until you eventually learn how to do it. Once you can do it, you never have to say, “I WILL TRY” to do a somersault again – you simply do it.

Often when I ask clients to do something, for example, choose a healthy meal from a restaurant menu, or wake up thirty minutes earlier to fit in a training session, their first response is, “I WILL TRY”, as if somehow they completely doubt their ability to achieve what is actually a very doable task.

If you know that something is within your capabilities, even if it’s difficult and may require a bit of effort and planning, don’t doubt your ability to succeed by adopting the “I WILL TRY” mindset. By saying “I WILL TRY” in this instance you are telling yourself you’re weak in the face of a challenge. You’re also giving yourself an escape route by telling yourself it’s okay to fail, as long as I’ve tried, which usually results in giving up (with dignity).

So the message is simple: If you can do something, you don’t have to try, or in any way doubt yourself, JUST DO IT. If you stumble, pick yourself up and start again in the knowledge that you can do it. With this approach, failure is a mere learning experience that will make you stronger not an excuse to give up.

(Ashley Galliard March 2016)