Whenever we want to get more done, accomplish a goal, or get ourselves out of a funk, our first instinct is to kick ourselves in the butt and try harder.
The problem with the “Try Harder Plan” is that it almost never works because most of us are already trying pretty hard.
If you can look yourself in the eye and say, “I’m just plain lazy,” then perhaps the Try Harder Plan could work for you. However, for 90% of people, the Try Harder Plan fails miserably.
The best analogy I can make is that you are in a hurry to drive somewhere, and your solution to get there more quickly is to push more on the gas. Aren’t you already driving as fast as you can without crashing? Of course. So, the answer to getting there faster must be something other than more gas. The same holds true for accomplishing our goals. Trying harder will get some results, probably for a short amount of time, but it will not get you where you want to go faster. You have to “try different,” not try harder.
We commend you for going for your goals and trying hard, just make sure you don’t grind yourself down to a nub in the process. If you are dissatisfied with the results you are getting, check out this article.