Do you ever catch yourself prefacing your good intentions with “I’ll try…”?

We all have lists of things we haven’t got round to doing anything about yet. It doesn’t matter how important these are or how serious you are, if you are not able to turn them into actions, they mean nothing.

Many people get stuck in the loop of good intent, but for change to happen one must break free of this cycle of impotence.

If you are really serious about making things happen for yourself then wishes and aspirations must be turned into planning and activity.

One reason that many people get stuck is that they use the wrong mental programming.

By allowing ourselves to start sentences about our intentions with “I’ll try…” we are unconsciously giving ourselves a get-out clause and also predicting failure.

Here’s what to do. For the next two weeks, each time you plan to do something, make sure to say to yourself (and others), “I will…”. This will help you by making your decision to act more conscious.

In other words, if you want to make things happen, don’t try – do.

Reference

Ekman, P., (2003), Emotions Revealed, Henry Holt Books, New York