Just Do It
It’s one of the greatest slogans of the modern era. When you hear the words, you know exactly whose branding it is. “Just Do It” — Nike.
I have always been a big Nike fan. I imagine it all started out on the playground, playing ball and watching Michael Jordan rock those Retro 3’s that still sell off the shelves today. Justin Timberlake just wore a new edition of them in his Super Bowl Halftime Show. And if you check out Stock X, you’ll find that these sell at higher prices than just about any other shoe out there.
But, for now, let’s forget my love of sneakers and MJ and get back to the task at hand — “Just Do It.”
It’s a simple phrase. It’s easy to understand. But when it comes to our daily lives, we tend to forget to put it to use.
We all procrastinate. We all look at our massive to-do lists and say we’ll come back to the hard stuff. We all want to lose weight, eat healthy, get a promotion, start a business, spend more time with our families, etc. But for some reason, we don’t “Just Do It.”
My former boss and biggest mentor, Paul Massey, was such a good coach for me in this regard. His story is an amazing one; he and his partner, Bob Knakal, started a real estate business by themselves and ended up growing it to hundreds of employees, millions in revenue, and eventually sold it for $100M. On the simplest level, they Just Did It.
They had an idea, they planned, they worked hard, they failed, they succeeded, but most importantly, they executed. In my years working for Paul, that was one of the most valuable lessons I took away. Most people talk a big game, but few people “Just Do It” and execute on their plans.
I read and research everything I can on the power of getting things done and the psychology behind it. I’d like to share some of my favorite quotes, reads and programs and the ways in which they have helped me throughout my professional career.
1. “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” — Plain and simple. If you don’t take the time to figure out how you are going to get from A to B, your odds of getting there decrease exponentially. This may seem redundant, but if you want to achieve something, draw out the road map.
2. The Power of Habit — Creating good habits is one of the best things a person can do for themselves. There are countless books on it (The Power of Habit, How to Win Friends & Influence People, Discipline Equals Freedom, etc.). It’s preached by Tony Robbins, Tim Ferriss, and just about every other life coach out there. Identify what you want and create the right patterns in your daily life to achieve it.
3. What Drives You — This has been the most powerful discovery in my life. Finding out what motivates you can serve as an incredible tool. There are two books I find to be essential reading when it comes to this topic. The first is Drive by Daniel H. Pink, which dives into the surprising truth of what actually motives us. Once I read Pink’s book and discovered the tools that drive me, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance served as an incredible follow up. Grit focuses on the ways in which people keep moving forward no matter what stands in their way.
As 2018 continues, keep driving towards what is going to make you happy. And when you’re tired or don’t feel like doing what you need to do, remember one thing — “Just Do It.”
