Remember the 1990s Nike slogan of “Just Do it”? I think it came out in the early ‘90s, and in fact was the slogan that graced the cover of my high school yearbook for senior year. It was an incredibly simple and effective message, and one that Nike certainly was able to get a lot of mileage out of.
Why?
“Just do it” addresses how simple it is to do the extraordinary. That may sound like a contradiction but every single thing we do every day – except maybe breathing – is a choice. As I type this, I am choosing to write. I am also choosing not to run a marathon, run for elected office, and write the next best seller. On a more mundane level, I am choosing to neglect the dishes in the sink, to not fold the the clothes just out of the dryer, and to try to ignore my dog who is desperately trying to get my attention. Every single choice is a yes to something and a no to many other things.
I’ve been asked countless times “how” I managed to work with grief, seemingly so well. From the day Bill died, I felt that the choice was mine. I could die with him and become a shell of who I was, or I could just do it, even if I didn't know what it was just yet. I did know that I could put one foot in front of the other and make it through the proverbial one day at a time. That’s it. There is no other magic to it.
In my coaching programs, we learned to “honor your yes” and that’s really what it comes down to: what do we value? What do we want our lives to look like? What would be markers that we’re achieving those goals?
From there, when we’re making choices, ask if what we’re about to do is inching us closer to the goal. If not, that’s fine but we need to own that.
Let’s use the gym as an example. I know I’m the queen of excuses when it comes to skipping the gym. But what am I instead saying yes or no to when I do that?
Am I maintaining good health?
Am I creating healthy habits?
Am I fabricating an excuse that will be easy to reuse?
And the worst part? We almost always feel that the healthy choice we made was worth it. I don’t think I’ve ever once left the gym thinking “Well, that was a waste of time!” And I certainly have kicked myself for doing the opposite.
So, just do it. It seems like it’s the hardest part, but it really does just entail one small step at a time.
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