The phrase “Just Do It” is as famous these days for Nike as the phrase “where’s the beef?” is to Wendy’s. The great thing about just do it can get you to pick yourself up and dive into a workout – especially if you’re already exercising regularly and having an off day. I’ve used that just do it before to get my butt up and motivated and back on the treadmill when I’ve started to slack off. The problem is – when you haven’t been active — just do it doesn’t cut it.
Thought Precedes Action
Before you can just do it, you have to think about it. You might laugh at that idea, but it’s true. You have to think about everything you’re going to do. Before you eat, you have to think about the fact that you’re hungry. Hunger motivates you to go into the kitchen and to open the cabinets and to figure out what you to prepare. Hunger encourages you to make your dinner and set the table and finally to eat the dinner.
So you need to think about what you want to do before you just do it. You need to have the thought that you want to do it and you have to think about how to do it. Then you can do it. There’s nothing simple about just doing it.
How to Do It
You start by recognizing that you need to do it. Then you step forward to thinking about how you can get it done. Sit down and make a list of all the health benefits you’d like to achieve for yourself. Maybe you’d like to be sick less often, maybe you’d like to get over colds faster. Maybe you’d like to be able to go running with your kids and maybe you’d just like to look a lot better in your clothes or feel better about yourself.
Whatever benefits you’re looking for, think about them, write them down and figure it out This can help you decide on an action plan that will get you going and let you just do it. So don’t just do it – think about it, prepare for it and then you can do it.