The question to ask yourself when you see this picture is this:
Q: Is he tying his shoe, or trying to tie his shoe?
The answer lies here:
Is the shoe tied when he is done?
"try" as a verb, should be past tense only as far as I'm concerned. "I tried 8 times before I got it." When you're in the present, and quitting smoking can only be done in the present, it's important to think "I am" not "I try."