The Art of Trying

If you find yourself suddenly stuck in a safe but boring routine, you’re not alone. That feeling of not wanting to go too far outside your comfort zone is something we have all had to navigate on the other side of 2020 and beyond. 

But we have found that small efforts, small attempts at just trying can be revolutionary in their impact. For us it started in 2022. Re-Work was built on the constant experiment of “let’s try and see what happens.” That attitude helped us build this organization and get out of defaulting to what felt familiar and safe in our careers. 

Trying is the magical solution to feeling stuck, or uninspired, or bored in work and life. But it isn’t easy. You almost have to shake yourself out of your routine and into something different. 

It’s an attitude and a practice that taps you back into the sense of wonder that came with discovery as a kid. Have you ever seen a baby realize its hands are attached to them? It’s that wide-eyed wonder, but for adults in their lives.  Because when you get stuck in comfort, it’s easy to become isolated and even more fearful of discomfort. 

“Let’s just do it, let’s just try it and see what happens.”

The thing is, trying involves risk. You might get it wrong. Or lose your way on a set path. In other words, you might fail. You have to get comfortable with the reality that not everything will work out, not every try leads to a win. But the more you try, the more likely you are to get to an even better place in your life and work. Because trying offers so many benefits. 

The benefits of trying are plentiful:

• It builds resilience. Each attempt at something new, whether you succeed or fail, builds resilience, self-compassion, and emotional strength. Research out of Columbia University showed that trying new things can prime the brain for adapting to changing circumstances. AND in these uncertain times we need that skill.

• It makes you more flexible. Doing something new or different, even as small as a new path to work, wakes up your brain and contributes to mental wellness. 

• It makes you happy (in the chemical sense). When you try something new, your brain releases dopamine, which improves your mood. 

• It keeps your brain young and builds neuroplasticity by giving you a broader sense of the world. What you think is possible is able to shift as you gain new perspective while trying. 

• It taps you into awe and amazement. Trying something–especially something new– unlocks a sense of wonder. It reminds you that you haven't seen or done it all, not nearly. 

• It creates a sense of hope. It supports the belief that something better is possible. Even when the path forward may seem unclear. It also helps clarify the path by testing what works and what might not. 

When you try, you grow, even when the results may seem small or even invisible. But you have to give yourself and your teams permission and the safe space to fail in order to reap the benefits of trying. You'll need to take the risk of doing something you haven't done before. 

So How Do You Try?

There are five types of trying according to Psychology Today

In the art and practice of trying, we’d suggest you start small. You can keep it simple at first, take a new route to work, or try a new lunch place. Try to learn a new game or explore a part of your city you’ve never been to. Or just walk into one new store. And build from there. 

Because ultimately this is about the life you’re creating for yourself each day. The small efforts that lead to well-lived lives. I truly believe being open to just trying (and potentially failing and trying again) is the path to a full and meaningful life. Meaning unfolds in the trying. It’s the baby who takes those first few shuffles, falls, maybe cries and then gets back up. One day that baby will be running and might not even remember the fall. 

Trying puts us in the now of life and helps us enjoy the path toward a destination and not just the place itself. Because an extraordinary life, career, or experience starts with one small attempt at something new. 

So try it out. And let us know how it goes. 

Resources (keep reading)

• Psychology Today, "Why Trying Counts More than Success"

• Psychology Today, “Doing Something New is Good for You”

• Columbia University “Why Should You Try Something New Every Day?”