Unlocking the Magic: How to Stop Trying and Start Doing

We’ve all been there before. 

We keep trying desperately to make something happen. 

We force the process, for whatever reason. 

We have been swallowed by a task, and somehow, it seems like we’re still unable to do it. 

You are certainly working hard. You might be giving the task your all. You really are trying your best. 

But you’re not fully immersed in the activity. You’re not truly doing it. 

In cases in which you care, you might feel blocked. You know the passion is there. You just can’t  quite connect with it. 

Turns out, there’s a huge difference between doing something, and trying to do it. 

How do you tell the difference? 

Let’s find out. 

What Is ‘Trying,’ Anyway?

Trying to do something, perhaps, is overreaching for the results. It’s focusing on an outcome so intently that there’s no room to grow. You often get stuck as a result. 

We are so busy trying to get results, we might forget about the process, on some level. We’re flirting with the action, but we’re not totally engaged, for whatever reason. 

We get frustrated, which doesn’t exactly help. We second guess everything. And we interrupt the very magic we’re trying to connect with. 

Essentially, you lose your voice when you ‘try.’ The (especially creative) process trips over itself when we attempt to control it. Maybe your subconscious trips you. Or maybe it’s your ego. Who knows? 

After a while, hopefully, you can interact with that non-tangible guidance- instead of snagging hurtle after hurtle. (Perhaps the figurative runner was looking too far ahead.) 

‘Types’ Of Trying

Labels aren’t necessary. Still, there seems to be several levels, if you will, of attempts. 

Let’s say you got a new job. You want to do well, right? You try to do everything perfectly. A little too much, too perfectly. 

You go above and beyond for your new company. 

So much so, you drop the ball. You make mistakes. You get overwhelmed. The connection gets thwarted. 

And that hinders other bits of the process. And then it all becomes entwined, and it becomes difficult to untangle yourself. 

You might try, instead of doing something well, simply because you don’t want to do it. You just want it over with. Therefore, you go through the motions, but your attention is elsewhere. 

Uncertainty can also lead to messy attempts. You don’t know what you’re doing, right? So, the only thing you can do is “try.” But no guarantees, of course.

This anxiety could even have you paralyzed by confusion. 

The point is, there is more than one reason that your work might stumble. However, one might argue that you’re simply in your head too much. 

The Paradox Of Trying 

You’re trying really hard. 

Obviously, that doesn’t (necessarily) mean there is a lack of effort and/or commitment. 

You want so badly for your efforts to culminate in a certain way, that you jumble yourself up like a mindful knot. 

All of this energy focuses on an outcome. So much so that it blocks the very thing you desire- at least temporarily. Depending. 

The paradox is that giving too much can lead you to unwittingly getting less out of your efforts. 

Authentic guidance connects you with a beautiful experience- without expectation. You let go of (inner) control, and let ‘it’ flow out of you, as it will. Every attempt simply serves, perhaps, as a damn- which stops the lively waves. 

The Power Of Doing Is Unmatched 

Actually doing something  is like freely dancing with the process. 

You do it by getting as close to “it”- to that moving wonder- as you can, perhaps. 

You might even feel a little magic, being so close to unrivaled action. A sense of energizing calm floods you, replacing the heavy doubt. 

A strong grip eventually gets painful. Letting go of the pressure frees you from its restrictive grasp. 

The harder we hold on, the more aimless we become, funnily enough.  

Dedicated action used to be what life was all about, for most of history. Now, we often struggle to get there. 

Regardless, simply following through on those guided actions allows a tranquil, yet thrilling resolution. 

Doing The Experience 

What does it feel like to do, rather than try? 

Clarity hits you, and you’re able to focus, finally. You are no longer interested in the debilitating, aimless inquiries. Only the current step. You might say the floodgates have opened, and now the energy is gushing out. 

Dancers literally dance with their passion. If they’re too worried about doing it right, though, their fluid movements lose all grace. They might even fall as they lose balance. However, they can fill you with awe as they dance freely. 

Writers let go of writing for an acceptance letter, and simply say what they really want to say. They aren’t writing for views; they’re intertwined with their written voice. (However that takes shape.) 

Doing the thing is all about connection. You ‘meet’ yourself, in some aspects. Your personal expression becomes liberated- unheld by expectation and rules. 

Deeper attention means you’re totally feeling it. You’re in that moment, lost in that experience. Fulfilling, not only the time, but also yourself. 

Attempting A Loss Of Magic 

Trying to get results only hinders possibility, likely leading to poor outcomes- if you get that far. It’s surface level motions, sometimes. 

Forcing results damages our reliability. On some level, in some situations, trying floats above the process in order to manipulate the ending, leaving no present moment magic.

Artists of any kind will understand the magic that occurs when you are fully engaging with your personal expression. Where time stops existing, for you. Your body feels activated, and there’s that glow that follows your movement. 

We also know the frustration we feel when we can’t quite connect with that magic. 

So we try. And try again. We keep trying. 

And we only get further away from that serenely invigorating experience. (It’s more than a feeling, isn’t it?) 

Our authentic personal expression is, perhaps, hemmed up in… somewhere. It might be somewhat close; we can feel it. It’s just not ‘arriving.’ 

I would say that it’s possible you’re not fully committed to visiting your artistry, for some reason. 

But this obstruction of flow is also caused by being a little too committed, as well. 

Oftentimes, the only way to rekindle that deeply intimate spark is to relax. 

Maybe even walk away, but only for a little while. Come back- with a clearer head. 

There Is No Trying, You Can Only Do

“Do. Or do not. There is no try”

Yoda, Star Wars 

This quote can be taken several ways. 

It’s not baffling as to why someone might not appreciate Yoda’s insight. Actually, it upsets a lot of people. You have to try in order to do it. How else are you going to do anything? It might feel like this idea steals your effort away from you. Then, maybe, there’s no point. 

Looking from a different perspective, it’s calming wisdom. 

The reason being- if you’re doing it, you’re doing it. 

Even if you’re trying to do it, you’re still doing it. The process doesn’t have to be perfect to count. You don’t have to be perfect, either. 

If you’re just learning how to paint, you’re painting as soon as the very first drop of pigment lands. 

You’re not trying to paint; you are painting. From a certain standpoint, you’re already doing it. 

You’re doing it, even if you don’t quite know how yet. That deserves credit. 

Still, despite Yoda’s proclamation, attempts have been made. 

It’s possible that you’re ‘trying too hard.’ You can’t get out of trying harder by attempting more. That’s not how this balance works. 

At any rate, many things are worth the effort regardless of how they turn out. There is no final failure; everything is simply a stepping stone. 

Perhaps you’ve collected a lot of useful data. Carved out a clearer direction. Maybe you simply practiced your skills. 

There are benefits, despite the outcome. 

In other words, you’re always learning, especially when you mess up. 

Many times, the gift is in the process.