Stop Trying: The Life-Transforming Power of Trying Less and Doing More

Carla Ondrasik, author, speaker, and former music industry executive, has made it her mission to challenge all the “tryers” in the world. Developed from hard-won experience, she quickly learned that to achieve success in her life and break the habit of excuses, she had to ditch the word “try.” While she doesn’t guarantee success, her core belief is that it can’t be reached until discipline is invoked and one stops trying. Eliminating the word from your vocabulary is the first step, and stopping hiding behind it as an excuse is the second. 

In her book, she outlines the magic that happens once those first two steps have been achieved. She starts by dissecting the term and exploring how “try” has become a socially acceptable justification for not doing or quitting when the going gets tough. The first third of a book is a strong argument against the word, and while the author continues to breathe life into the mantra “stop trying,” she swiftly moves into transformational strategies.

Her end-of-chapter round-ups include challenges and practical applications and are straightforward and helpful. 

There is a lot of autobiographical content, stories from her music industry years, and illustrations of how she’s come to realize this mission. One of the best is a truly “laugh out loud” moment of her car’s tech system, that presents a perfect example of the age-old problem of doing the same thing over and over again and getting nowhere and in her case, extremely frustrated. In this scenario, her son brings the solution and life lesson that supports her cause. 

Carla shares her approach for overcoming common mind-traps, including the inner critic, fear of failure, loss of control, and the blame game. While this approach is not unique to self-help and motivational books, she gives her own spin, all the while encouraging the reader not to fall into the trap of “try-baby.” She closes with a couple of introspect chapters that challenge you to deeply reflect on why you’re here, reading this book at this moment in your life. Then she mindfully invites you to use this book for its intended purpose—helping you live a no-try life. 

Book and Image Courtesy of Wunderkind PR and Post Hill Press