Those of us old enough to have grown up watching Star Wars will instantly recognize the immortal words of Yoda:

“Do, or do not. There is no try.”

Not only is this good advice for a young Jedi, but a worthy philosophy by which to live – especially in business. I am becoming more and more convinced that there are two categories of people in the world: those who try and those who make it happen.

Making it happen is not a result of talent, ability, or special knowledge. It is a decision. My network is filled with great people who have a lof of talent, ability, and knowledge. However, when it comes to finding those who actually making things happen, I find that the list gets a little shorter.

Making it happen is not a matter of trying your best, working hard, or catching some luck. It is a matter of envisioning the outcome, deciding that it will happen, and doing whatever it takes to reach that outcome. I encounter people all the time who, when asked if they can do something, respond with things like “I’ll try,” “I hope so,” or “I’ll do my best.” This is admitting that you have not committed to the outcome. By hiding behind vague statements of hope, you reveal that you have not made a decision to reach the finish line. This sets the stage for failure and for disappointing those who are depending on you.

I conduct regular workshops at SpinWeb on various topics like marketing, technology, and productivity. For  a while, I was in the world of “I’ll try” as I worked on putting together presentations and outlines. My plan was to schedule my first workshop after I put together the presentation. Finally, I realized that I had not fully committed to the workshop so I turned the plan around by choosing a date, publishing it on our web site, and opening it up for online registration. By doing this, I made the decision that the workshop was going to happen and that I had no choice but to get my materials together in time. I made a decision to simply make it happen. Guess what? It happened.

Next time you need to produce something of value, are you going to try or are you going to make it happen? Those who choose the latter are the ones who accomplish great things.