Trying Is Doing: The Forgotten Power of Attempt

In a world obsessed with outcomes, the word try often gets misrepresented. It is seen as a half-measure, a sign of weakness or indecision. “Don’t try, do,” we are told, as though trying and doing live in different dimensions. But a deeper look reveals this: trying is not the absence of doing, but its very beginning. It is the root structure beneath the visible tree of action. Etymology and philosophy both tell us: trying is a form of doing, and in many cases, it is the most important part.

The Etymological Roots

The word try comes from the Old French trier, meaning “to pick out, cull, sift,” and before that, from the Late Latin tritare, “to wear out, rub, grind.” The origin tells us something essential: trying is not passive. It is the process of refinement, a test, a way to separate the false from the true, the raw from the real. In this light, to try is to engage with the world — to rub up against it, to meet resistance and find out what survives.

The word attempt holds similar weight. It comes from the Latin attemptare, “to try, test, make an effort,” from ad- (toward) and temptare (to handle, feel, try). Embedded in attempt is the notion of reaching towardsomething — the handling, touching, engaging with a possibility not yet realized but already being shaped.

Trying, then, is not waiting. It is contact. It is intention made manifest, even before success is secured.

The Conceptual Framework

Doing is not just arriving at a result. It is movement toward, engagement with, and the shaping of potential into form. From this lens, trying is the mental, emotional, and energetic alignment that initiates doing. It is the activation of will, the ignition of choice, the first step in the choreography of becoming.

Imagine a child learning to walk. She tries. She stumbles. She tries again. We never say she is “not doing.” We say she is learning to do — and in that learning, in the trying, she is walking. Each wobble is a part of walking itself.

To try is to create a bridge between the internal world of desire and the external world of action. And the bridge is not made of thought alone — it is made of motion, even if unsteady. Trying is not a placeholder for doing. It is the process of doing itself, unfolding.

The Fallacy of “Try Is Not Enough”

The modern mantra “There is no try, only do,” popularized by a certain green Jedi, rings motivational. But it misleads. It subtly promotes the belief that unless an outcome is achieved, no meaningful action has taken place. This erases the immense effort, transformation, and learning that happens within the try. It is like saying the seed has not begun its journey until it flowers — which is absurd.

We become through our attempts. To try to heal is to engage in healing. To try to forgive is to soften the grip of resentment. To try to understand is to step out of oneself and toward another. These are not void gestures — they are the sacred work of becoming human.

Why This Matters

When people believe trying is not enough, they are more likely to stop. They withhold their attempt until they are certain they can achieve, which paralyzes the process. But to reclaim the dignity of trying is to give people permission to move — even imperfectly — toward growth.

Trying is vulnerable. It exposes hope, risk, and the courage to face uncertainty. It is the soul’s way of saying, “I believe in something enough to show up, even without guarantee.”

Conclusion: Trying Is Sacred Doing

The etymology reveals it. The experience confirms it. Trying is not the opposite of doing — it is its earliest form. It is how we begin to act, to learn, to change, to love, to rise. It is the flame before the fire, the music before the performance, the heartbeat before the step.

Trying is doing — just as the dawn is the day beginning.

So try. And know that in the trying, you are already becoming.