Don't Try

"Try" is a past-tense word. Even when used before the event, "try" includes the likelihood of failure, seeking absolution before the effort. In our personal life we say, "I will try to exercise more often.", knowing we won't succeed for long. This same defeatism can infect our work life.

When we have the word "try" on our tongue, we need to assess what is going to lead to failure.

• Is the task too big? If so, break it into smaller steps that can be accomplished. Often we look at the whole of a problem or project and are overwhelmed. At least extract some objectives for an initial phase, and when these are achieved, re-examine the whole and design the next phase.
• Is motivation lacking? Sometimes we just don't want to .... So, we promise others or deceive ourselves by saying, "Well, I'll try", almost looking forward to the relief of failure. In a work situation we usually don't have the choice of abandoning the effort. Schedule an hour in your day to seriously explore why the effort must be made and to find a genuine, personal reason for going ahead. Perhaps you will develop new skills or be introduced to other leaders in the organization. You may be able to display your own leadership potential. Make success your goal.
• Do you lack knowledge? Insufficient expertise is remedied by acquiring knowledge personally or by including experts. In discussing our perception of our own knowledge with our boss, we can discover that others have unexpexted confidence in our ability to adapt and learn. If required, request the opportunity to become more educated through courses or conferences. If assigning an expert full time to assist you is not realistic, ask for a dedicated number of hours of consultation. Search online for advice from the many professional organizations that make their knowledge freely available. Check the local library or bookstore for books that lay out how to accomplish the goals of your work.

Don't just try - take the steps to succeed in everything you do. Failures might happen along the way, but those are just unforeseen steps along the path to accomplishment.