Just Do It! Advice From Nike in 2010

I’m being haunted by a voice in my head.  The longtime slogan of Nike keeps ringing in my ears – JUST DO IT!

It seems to be my emerging theme for 2010.

As 2009 drew to a close, I began to notice in many of my clients, in myself and in those around me a collective “holding back”.  Action seemed to take a back burner during the holiday months as the fears of the economy mounted and frustrations of draining, unfulfilling work got the best of us.

For me, it showed up as a kind of paralysis.  My list of to do’s was long, yet each day I spent more time staring at my list than I did accomplishing even the most minor of tasks on it.  I knew I should be doing more yet there was this feeling of “waiting” that came over me.

“Why start something new now?” the voice questioned, “It’s the holidays. Take time off.  Don’t work so hard. Wait until January.”

Was this normal holiday haze or was it something different? The frustrating part for me was that I knew what I needed to do.  I had taken the time to plan.  I had taken the time to explore my fears and know what my blocks were.  But still, there was no action.

As I probed deeper, memories from my last December in corporate America came flooding to my mind and body. The exhaustion caused by the long hours and the push to get the last bit of work done before the holiday break.  I remembered my resentment at the late evening and weekend phone calls with my team that crept into my celebration and shopping time. And unconsciously there was this protective part of me that wasn’t going to let that happen this year now that I was my own boss.

But was I stuck in neutral in spite of myself?  Was I really protecting myself or was I hurting myself and my business? My guess is that I won’t know until more time passes and I have the clarity of hindsight. (I’ll keep  you posted.)

And despite the lack of clarity, something did shift for me.  In the days leading up to the New Year, the itch began to grow.  I started checking things off my list and getting excited to start work again.

And now that 2010 is in full swing, I am seeing the results of my new Just Do It! motto.  How am I doing it?  By following a few simple “rules” I’ve learned over the years.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post when I’ll share these simple tips.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you.  What was your energy like at the close of 2009?  Has that changed in 2010?  What are you doing to stay in action and move towards your goals?

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