Trying or Doing?

Let’s do a little experiment.

Pick up a pen from your desk.

Done?

Now put it back down.

This time, try to pick it up… but don’t actually lift it. Just try. What do you notice?

Maybe you’re getting a little frustrated. Maybe you’re wondering if Mark has finally lost the plot.

Or maybe you’re beginning to see something. You either pick the pen up, or you don’t.

There isn’t really a middle ground. I wonder how often we use the word try in our own lives?

• “I’ll try to have that difficult conversation.”
• “I’ll try to learn that new skill.”
• “I’ll try to apply for that job.”
• “I’ll try to spend more time with my family.”

Of course, not everything works the first time. Doing doesn’t mean everything goes to plan. Sometimes we stumble. Sometimes we fail. Sometimes we have to begin again. But even then, we’re still doing.

I sometimes wonder if trying can become a place to hide. It lets us feel as though we’re moving without ever taking the next step.

Doing is different.

It doesn’t ask us to have everything figured out. It simply asks us to begin.

So here’s the question I’ve been sitting with this week:

Where has the word try quietly crept into your life… and what would one small step of doing look like today?