Just Do It.
You probably think "Nike" when you read this phrase. Yep even I can't say it without picturing the big swoosh. Before we get into today's blog post. I figured out a very interesting truth concerning the oh-so-famous slogan "Just Do It!", Let's dive into that first, shall we?
Gary Gilmore, a convicted felon charged with the robbery and murder of a gas station attendant and a motel worker in Utah in 1976, happens to surprisingly be the inspiration behind the renowned brand's slogan. Sentenced to death and sent to Utah state prison, Gilmore, standing before a firing squad, was asked if he had any last words. And his last words were, "Let's do It."
Wieden, the co-founder of Wieden + Kennedy advertising agency, a night before pitching in the final line to Nike, was up late brainstorming a slogan to bring before the agency for the Nike brand. Wieden recalled the man from Utah and his final words. Although not impressed with the "Let's" in the criminal's phrase, Wieden decided to replace it with the "Just" we are so familiar with right now. To know more about the history of the slogan, visit creative review. Very interesting how the origin of the Nike slogan that's had an amazing impact on the world was inspired by a very odd circumstance. In their defense, the slogan at the time was of little relevance as no one thought it was necessary to start with, so the source of inspiration was trivial.
Away from the history of the slogan, In today's blog post we explore an even more important aspect of the Nike tagline. The actual act of "doing it". Doing what? you may ask, well keep reading.
IT, is that thing you've been dreaming about doing or planning to do for a while, it could be for years, months, weeks, or even a couple of days, it doesn't make a difference, the point is for you to just go ahead and do it.
What Do You Want To Do, And Why Won't You "Just Do It"?
You've had this big idea, this dream, this longing, this passion just burning inside of you, but you aren't doing anything about it because? It's a question. What's stopping you? Let's get a bit more specific, shall we? Is it a business Idea, a huge project, a new carrier path, a YouTube channel, a website, an organization/company, a hobby, a trip, an activity, an online or physical course, a podcast, a new passion, or a new skill? Whatever it is, the question today is, why aren't you taking any steps towards getting it done? What's stopping you? Because I'm for sure certain the saying "where there is a will there is a way" is not third-degree cliché for nothing.
Why You Should Just Do It.
"Just doing it" may sound very impulsive, which it is, but listen, if you don't, honestly someone else will, and you're most probably going to find yourself regretting not having gone for that dream or that passion as early as you could. Plus, you never know until you try, don't let the fear of what you don't know stop you, because chances are it won't be as bad as you think it will be. You should go on ahead and do it immediately because you never know what happens tomorrow and the worst-case scenario is that it doesn't work out, but thank goodness you did it now because that's a lot of time saved and you can move on to the next thing, think about it the only time you have is now, later or tomorrow is a myth.
Are You?
Postponing It - Do you keep telling yourself you'll do it when the right time comes? My question for you is are you any closer to the right time? I mean supposing you know when that said right time is because you seem to have enough faith in said time. But don't you think it's funny how it never seems to come, "the right time". If it always seems to be just as far as it was yesterday every day, it could be that it's been with you the entire time, right in the palm of your hands, but you just won't take it on. It's never any closer because it's not even out there, a month, week, or day away, it's right with you, it's with you right now. Here's my take, "Just Do It." The right time is NOW, not tomorrow or next week.
Scared - Fear of the unknown has this way of stealing from us the most precious gifts of life like love, memories, opportunities, chances, and dreams. I know trying to step out of your comfort zone is scary and it should be, your comfort zone is made to be your safe space. In your comfort zone, you're in control, nothing comes by surprise, whereas outside it, anything could happen. And when we think of anything, we are always drawn to think of everything that could go wrong and hardly ever everything that could go right. Challenge yourself to see the possibilities of you going and doing what you love and what you've dreamt of doing for so long and the chance of you succeeding at it, try thinking of the satisfaction it's going to give you, being able to achieve that dream or goal. Fear of what people are going to say is another reason to be scared, I know. That's been me for a long while. And I learned one very important fact which is "People really don't care" and when I say this it isn't to say that they don't care about you, but they aren't necessarily spending their days judging and observing every detail about your life and what you chose to do with it. The truth is everyone is the main character in their own story and they aren't all spending time analyzing your steps and making sure they catch every hair that's out of place, which should give you the courage to just go and do that thing that's been on your mind. But If you're spending you're time worrying if they will have opinions on what you do, I'll let you in on this truth, Yes and No. There's going to be people that will say you're doing too much and those that will say you're not doing enough and more often those that won't even care what you're doing, so if you're going to let people stop you from starting that show, business, job, or going on that trip, basically just chasing that dream, at this point, it's not them being an obstacle, it's YOU.
Always Quitting - Shia Labeouf says in the video below "If you're tired of starting over, stop giving up." Truthfully having to start over and over, for the most part, is a result of constantly quitting, cheers to persistence, but you never know what would have worked and stuck if you kept going a little longer. Don't abandon your dreams, do not stop, your one day is coming soon, we all get days when we want to give up, especially when it looks hopeless, but the things that matter the most or are worth it tend to take a lot more time and effort than those that aren't worth much. I know you feel like letting it all go and moving on but you never know what amazing things you stand a chance at achieving if you just hold on a little longer.
Comparing Yourself To Them - Listen, right off the bat, STOP COMPARING YOURSELF. Is it not enough that you aren't them? There are 8.0 Billion human beings on this planet and it's not a coincidence or luck that there is only one of you among them, I don't care if "the idea is similar" or they "did it first", that could be true but all in all doesn't change the fact that they aren't you. And if this is something you're good at and would love to pursue, that doesn't count as an excuse cause they probably aren't the only ones doing it too. Besides, no one is going to do it like you will, again you're the one in 8 billion, God didn't do that for nothing. If you're saying "they are better" you're probably comparing yourself to people that had a head start or are privileged either financially, have good relationships, or just had more time to get better at what they do, all that still doesn't stop you from achieving what you want because that's their story, focus on building yours.
How Do You Just Do It?
It's simple really, you Just Do It. Vague? Okay here, you know what you've always wanted to do, you've seen how others do it. You have an idea. but if you don't have a pretty good idea, there are so many ways to get it. The internet is giving out free knowledge every time, people are learning and polishing new skills every day, you could ask people who you know are doing just what you want to do, invest time in learning about what it is you want to do, get a note pad and a pen write down what you learn and have already learned if you want to pursue this and be the best at it nothing is holding you back but you. Make up your mind RIGHT NOW as you read this, go to YouTube, Google, Facebook, and even Yahoo if you have to, go and learn all about it if you know nothing, go and learn how to start it if you don't know how, go and figure out how to be better if you don't know how. Investing in learning all about your dream and passion will make it easier to just do it. And when you do learn all about it and figure out how to begin, just START.
Don't Forget To:
Be smart about it. - I've seen so many people "follow their dreams" and "chase their passion" at the expense of so much more. That "started from the bottom now we're here" saying can be very misleading, thank God for those that dropped everything to chase their dreams and made it, things could be different for you. I'll tell you this, some people will leave out the fact that while pursuing their dreams, they still we're in school, or had multiple jobs to support their livelihood, or had an actual home and family to go back to, all this just to look like they had it rough and that's the only way to the top when it's not. Dropping out of college or quitting that job to pursue that dream that you aren't sure is going to sustain you is a very reckless thing to do in my opinion. Like I said some people have made it but so many others haven't, those chances are just too slim. Use the opportunities you have now to your advantage, and use them to foster your dream until it can undoubtedly stand on its own. All I'm saying is if you are brave enough to quit whatever you've got going for you right now to purposely strive and suffer for your passion, you can take on the pursuit of your dreams alongside school, work, or family.
Be Patient- All good things take time, I don't care how you feel about this saying, it doesn't make it any less true. To be where you would love to be or become who you would love to become might take a while, and temptations to quit will arise, but giving in to impatience is the biggest blunder you could ever make. This is all the reason to "Just Do It" and do it "NOW". You'll need to cultivate time into your dreams and who knows it could take a lot less time than you thought just don't forget to be Patient either way.
Love what you do- Working hard for your dreams can become taxing and very tiresome, it can begin to look more like a chore because you're trying to get things done right and on time. But never forget the reason you started and strive to enjoy every moment of it, that way however big or good you get you'll always have your originality at your core. Remember the reason you started and how excited you were for it and just how happy it made you and don't lose that joy to the demand of keeping up with the dream.
Keep Learning- The biggest mistake people make after they get their big break is to get comfortable, never stop trying to get better, never stop learning new ways to do what you do, pay attention to change, and find ways to do what you love and keep it relevant to the time and season.
Involve God and Pray always- Having God by your side is the best way to succeed. Never stop praying for his guidance and leadership, God will show up every time you need him to, he will help you keep going on days you don't feel like going anymore, he'll pick you up when you fall, he'll comfort you when you feel weary and tired or overworked, and he'll lead you to victory. Many times you'll have to let go and let God.
Remember Gilmore, from the beginning of the post the murderer guy? Yeah, he weirdly is the inspiration for Nike's slogan "just do it" and that's very odd of course but I found a lesson in that. As mentioned before he said the words "Let's do it" and even though those words were changed to what they are now, I'm one to believe he said them to mean "Let's get it over with" and though it gives off the most passive attitude, the thing is you'd be surprised how the fear of how something ends or turns out gets diminished once you decide to get it over with. So have an amazing week and If you want to do it "JUST DO IT."
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