Tell me if you’ve heard this
I did ‘X’ – but it didn’t work out – so now I am gonna try ‘Y’
The ‘Attempt Paradox’ – let’s coin it
Attempting and Trying – when it comes to career – need to be separate things.
They are very close concepts, but one has to understand that just because you attempt a bunch of skills that does not mean you tried them.
Attempt vs Try
Attempt is when you upskill for the sake of pure learning.
The goal you set was to explore a new domain, or a new vertical – you just want to broaden your horizons.
See what’s out there.
Trying is when you learn a skill with the explicit purpose of:
– Generating a non-zero amount of revenue from the skill
– Have work/social proof to show progress of the skill you honed
– Or, upskilling to provide more value to your existing core competency
You need to have an outcome, a goal, in mind before you put the effort into trying a skill
Attempt is short-term – not serious, not focused
Trying is long-term – is serious, is goal-based
If you attempt many things
You gain knowledge
If you try many things
You gain experience
If you mix them
Well, you gain wisdom
At the end of the day, you can call this tricky semantics
But do understand, as you grow, in age, and in your career – your time needs to be allocated appropriately.
Don’t fall for the trap of making progress when you haven’t made any.
Set goals, place systems, and execute based on results, not flukes.
Before you jump onto the next shiny “Y,” ask yourself:
– Am I attempting or trying? Am I just curious, or do I have a tangible goal in mind?
– Is this a long-term play or a short-term fling?
– If it is long-term – then what is my success metric?
Remember, knowledge without application is like a library without books – it’s full of potential, but gathering dust.
Choose your “tries” wisely, set clear goals – and follow systems to execute.
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All efforts on SK NEXUS are passion led – the best way to keep the show running is by showing up. Thank you!
At the heart of it – I love solving problems for people using tech, it doesn’t get simpler than that.
Some know me as a Product Manager who relentlessly executes, some know me as a mentor who hand holds them to success, some know me as a techhead who won’t stop complaining about ‘that one thing’, and lastly; some know me as that guy who is always experimenting with something new.
As long as its in the realm of tech, I am interested – because my love for tech fuels my passion – sknexus.com – and my profession – saqibtahir.com
