Remember that old saying, “If at first you don’t succeed: Try, try, try again. This is age-old wisdom, but we need to add something important into the mix.
William Edward Hickson was a British educational writer. He lived from 1803-1870. Among other things, Hickson is known for popularizing the old proverb:
‘Tis a lesson you should heed:
Try, try, try again.
If at first you don’t succeed:
Try, try, try again.
The saying can be traced back even further to the writings of Thomas H. Palmer.
It’s Good To Try Again, But Beware
The only way we improve at something is through repetition and practice. This is good and true. But if we continue to fail at something there might be a problem.
Take minimalism for instance. If your goal is to declutter and live with less stuff, you have to change your habits. You can’t continue to buy things you don’t need. You have to let go of things you don’t use. Otherwise, you’ll continue to fail.
If a baseball player keeps striking out, he needs to evaluate his swing and make some changes.
If you keep doing the same thing over and over and expect different results: According to Albert Einstein, you’re insane.
You May Not Be Crazy, But You Will Keep Failing
If you want new results, you have to evaluate your performance and then try again. Experiment with different methods. Use new angles. Practice new patterns.
Minimalism might seem like it’s something plain and simple. It’s not. Minimalism at its core might even be more complex than the popular. Take minimalist music for example. Many minimalist compositions actually have many more subtle changes than a pop song.
Becoming a minimalist is not simple. It takes time. You don’t reach your goal overnight and there’s not a one-method-suits-all path to get there.
So if you’re trying to live a minimalist lifestyle, but feel like you’re failing. Evaluate what works and what doesn’t. Then, simply try again.
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