Stop "Trying" and Start Doing

"I'll try to be there." "I'm trying to lose weight." "I'll try to get this done." "I'm trying to be a better father."

Every time you use the word "try," you're giving yourself permission to fail.

You're not being humble. You're not being realistic. You're setting a low goal and leaving the door wide open to quit. You're telling yourself—and everyone else—that you expect to fail.

The word "try" has a negative connotation for a reason. It's the language of people who don't commit. People who hedge their bets. People who want credit for attempting without the accountability of actually accomplishing.

Savage success means winning, not attempting to win. We don't bank participation awards. We close the door on failure.

The Problem With "Try"

When you say "I'll try," here's what you're really communicating:

To others: "Don't count on me. I'm probably going to fail, but I want credit for making an effort."

To yourself: "I don't have to succeed at this. As long as I attempt it, that's good enough."

The word "try" is an escape hatch. A pre-built excuse. You protecting yourself from commitment and the possibility of failure.

But here's the brutal truth: By leaving the door open to failure, you're guaranteeing it.

When you say "I'll try to make it," you've already decided you might not show up. Your brain heard the permission. It's looking for the excuse.

When you say "I'm trying to lose weight," you've already decided that eating the pizza is okay. You're trying, after all. You get points for effort.

When you say "I'll try to get this done," you've already built in the excuse for why it won't be finished.

This is the language of mediocrity. Of people who want the appearance of effort without the reality of results.

What You're Really Telling Yourself

Words create or destroy. They shape your reality. They program your outcomes.

So what are you telling yourself when you use "try"?

You're telling yourself that success is optional. That commitment is negotiable. That you don't have to follow through.

You're programming yourself for failure.

Every time you say "I'm trying," you're reinforcing the belief that you probably won't succeed. You're creating an identity around attempting rather than accomplishing. You're giving yourself permission to quit.

Your brain listens to your words. When you consistently use language that leaves room for failure, your brain accepts that failure is the expected outcome.

You've literally told it that trying is enough. Why would it do more than that?

Adjust Your "Why"

Before you eliminate "try" from your vocabulary, you need to understand why you use it in the first place.

Ask yourself these questions:

Why do you feel you won't succeed at this task? What specifically makes you doubt your ability to accomplish this? Is it a real limitation or a perceived one? Is it based on past failure or current reality? Are you actually incapable, or are you just scared?

What's holding you back from doing instead of trying? Is it fear of failure? Fear of judgment? Lack of confidence? Lack of commitment? Lack of clarity about what success actually looks like?

Why do you feel you need to keep the door open to fail? What happens if you commit fully and then don't succeed? What are you protecting yourself from? What's so scary about full commitment that you need an escape route?

What would change if you couldn't use "try" as an option? If you had to either do it or not do it—no middle ground, no participation points—how would that change your approach? Your effort? Your commitment?

Listen to the words you're telling yourself. Really listen. Because they're revealing your true beliefs about your capabilities and your commitment level.

If you constantly hedge your commitments with "try," you don't actually believe you can succeed. And if you don't believe you can succeed, you won't put in the work required to make success inevitable.

Eliminate "Try" From Your Vocabulary

Here's how you stop programming yourself for failure:

Replace "I'll try" with "I will" or "I won't." Commit or don't. No middle ground. "I'll try to be there" becomes either "I'll be there" or "I can't make it." Force yourself to make actual commitments instead of hedging.

Replace "I'm trying to" with "I am" or "I'm working on." "I'm trying to lose weight" becomes "I'm losing weight" or "I'm implementing a nutrition and exercise plan." One is commitment. One is process. Neither is hedging.

Replace "I'll try to get this done" with "I'll have this done by [specific time]" or "I can't commit to this deadline." Specific commitment or honest decline. No weasel words.

Catch yourself every time. You've been using "try" as a crutch for years. It's automatic. You need to catch it, interrupt it, and replace it. Every single time. No exceptions.

Ask "Am I committed or not?" Before you speak, ask yourself if you're actually committing to this or not. If you are, speak commitment. If you're not, be honest about it. Stop using "try" to pretend you're committing when you're not.

Savage Success Principles for Doing, Not Trying

Make binary commitments. You're either doing it or you're not. Eliminate the gray area. Force yourself into clarity.

Set specific, measurable outcomes. "I'm going to lose 20 pounds in 90 days through daily workouts and tracking macros" is specific enough that you can't hide behind effort. You either hit the target or you don't.

Create accountability systems that don't accept "trying." Put money on it. Make public commitments. Create consequences. Build systems where trying doesn't count—only results do.

Define what success looks like before you start. You can't "try" to hit a clearly defined target. You either hit it or you don't.

Eliminate comfort from the equation. You "try" things when you want to maintain comfort. When you're willing to be uncomfortable, you commit fully.

Accept that failure is data, not identity. You use "try" because you're afraid that failing means you're a failure. It doesn't. Failing at something means you got data. Commit fully, fail if necessary, extract the lesson, adjust, and go again.

Build a track record of keeping commitments to yourself. Start small. Make commitments you can keep. Then keep them. Build evidence that when you commit, you follow through.

Focus on process, not just outcome. Instead of "I'm trying to build a business," commit to "I'm working on my business for three hours every morning." You control the process. You can commit to it fully.

Use language that assumes success. "When I accomplish this" not "If I accomplish this." Your language should reflect certainty of execution.

Stop rewarding effort without results. You feel good when you "try" because you're giving yourself participation points. Stop it. Effort only matters if it produces results.

Close the Door on Failure

This doesn't mean you'll never fail. You will.

But there's a difference between failing after full commitment and "trying" with built-in permission to quit.

When you commit fully and fail, you learn. You grow. You get data. You become more capable.

When you "try" and don't follow through, you just reinforce the pattern of not following through. You confirm to yourself that you're the kind of person who tries but doesn't finish.

Savage success requires closing the door on the option to half-ass things. To show up when it's convenient. To quit when it gets hard.

You're either in or you're out. Committed or not. Doing or not doing.

"Try" is the language of people who want the credit for commitment without the cost of it.

You're better than that.

Your New Standard

From this point forward, eliminate "try" from your vocabulary.

When you catch yourself about to say it, stop. Ask yourself if you're actually committed to this or not. If you are, speak commitment. If you're not, be honest about it.

"I'll be there" or "I can't make it." "I'm doing this" or "I'm not doing this." "I will accomplish this" or "I won't take this on."

No hedging. No participation points. No escape hatches.

You commit fully or you don't commit at all.

The Savage Success Protocol and The Savage Inner Game Protocol are built on the principle of full commitment backed by systematic execution. They provide complete frameworks for eliminating self-sabotaging language patterns, building genuine confidence, and creating accountability systems that produce results—not just effort.

Get it on Amazon or listen to the audiobook on Spotify.

So what's it going to be? Are you going to keep "trying" and keep failing? Or are you going to start committing and start winning?

Because savage success doesn't come from trying. It comes from doing. From committing fully. From closing the door on failure and forcing yourself to find a way forward.

Stop trying. Start doing. The difference is everything.

STAY SAVAGE!