There was a time in my life when I really identified with and endorsed the well-known Nike slogan, “Just Do It.” I mean, it made sense. If there’s something you need to accomplish, stop thinking about it and just do it. It’s a statement of personal empowerment, of taking charge of our destinies. We have to take action. Procrastination is a way of life for many, and fear of failure (and sometimes fear of success) can stifle our ability to live a life in pursuit of our dreams. So, “Just Do It” says get off your butt and make your dreams, goals, or anything you want a reality.
But as often happens over time, as age and experience reshape our perspective, I’ve come to find this slogan rather bland and meaningless (sorry, Nike). Much like a fad that time reveals as an embarrassing blip in the cosmos (phone booth stuffing, streaking, and the pet rock, e.g.), I now question what I was thinking when I gave so much credit to this demanding plea to perform a non-specific action.
I suppose that is my major beef with this trademarked tagline – it’s just too vague, and that’s where it loses its sticking power. I know, your first thought probably was, “But, Tad, it has to be vague. What each of us needs to do to find ourselves, our futures, or whatever the heck we want is different.” Agreed. And maybe that’s the problem with all life-altering aphorisms. To appeal to the masses, they lose the personal element that we need for it to really hit home. “One-size-fits-all” is sometimes in need of a little tailoring.
Alas, though, I may have been guilty of partially pushing the problematic point. One of the central themes in my upcoming book is the need for us to take small first steps in pursuit of a goal. Sometimes we get so overwhelmed by what we want that the goal itself can turn out to be a demotivating force. By keeping things simple and finding a way to get started – by taking first steps – we take away some of the anxiety-inducing pressure and find solace in getting the proverbial ball rolling. That’s how I found success in my diabetes self-management. I was just looking to get on a better track, and I made one small decision that ultimately changed the entire course of my life.
But at its core, I believe my philosophy is different. “Just do it” seems to have an air of finality that hits hard before the phrase is ever fully uttered. The process of achievement feels truncated, as if we should be able to accomplish our goal in an instant if our will is strong enough. But that’s not reality and that’s not the picture I paint. In real life, most change, improvement, and accomplishment take time. It is a process, or to speak the trite language of the time, a “journey” (thank reality television for running that term into the ground). We’ll never get to that finish line, however, if we never cross the starting one. So, the key is to get the process started with first steps.
Apparently, not everyone shares my growing disdain for this troublesome phrase, though. There is a whole clique of self-defined self-help gurus out there today, commanding anyone who will listen to just do it, or just be better, or whatever painfully oversimplified mandate they can mouth. When I am forced to endure another of these logic-defying, energetic requests, my first thought is always, “Wow, thank you for clearing that up for me. If I had known it was that freakin’ easy, I would have done it years ago.”
But change is not easy. Goals are not always easy. And in truth, where would the value be if they were. We’re human, and the greatest part of our existence and being is the human striving to fulfill our potential and become the best we can be. You see, life is what happens in between setting and realizing goals. It’s what’s in the middle that matters the most.
I believe we can all achieve our dreams, that we can find the happiness we seek. We just need to have an idea of what we’re looking for and we have to take those all-important first steps.
And, of course, be wary of shoe company slogans.
–Tad