The Power of “Just”

Just_____

I had just got back from my honeymoon and I was ready to “get back into a routine.” We all love a routine, deep down. I was ready to be healthy, get fit, train for the triathlon, and get back into growing this coaching business. And then… I got sick. 

I was essentially forced to NOT get back into the routine. I was stuck sitting in this period of thinking. I was forced to think about all the healthy food I’d eat. All the workouts I’d accomplish. All the early mornings I’d have. I was just thinking about all that I would do to get back into a good routine. 

How common is this? To just be thinking about what we really want to do. We get out our big calendar, our spreadsheets, our planning mechanisms, and we plan. We think. We get excited. We say bold things like “this time I’m really going to take this seriously.” Or, “I won’t have ANY desert all month.” 

There is an excitement, a release of dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins. We actually experience pleasure just by talking about doing something. And let’s be real, it’s pretty easy to talk a big game. 

I found myself sitting in this thinking phase, and remembering one very powerful statement from a well-known brand, Nike. “Just Do It.” Powerful, right? Do it! Do it! You can do it!

I used to think that “do” was a powerful word. It took me out of the thinking phase and into the doing phase. This is really what I wanted. I didn’t want to just plan and think about being healthy and in a routine. I really want to do those things. Sometimes, the “do” part just seems so big, like so much. That’s why I felt the need to plan, organize, or add to my calendar. It’s a way to experience some of the pleasure without having to really do the hard, challenging stuff. 

I recently read Mel Robbin’s Let Them Theory (amazing!) and listened to a few of her podcasts. I heard her mention this phrase, “Just Do It,” and I thought, “Okay, here we go again with the ‘do’.” But I was shocked! 

She called out that the most important part of this phrase isn’t the “Do It,” it’s actually “Just.” Just do it. This one simple word has so much power, and it’s simple. 

Rather than having to plan out all my healthy eating, workouts, time to wake up… I can “just.” Just go workout today. Just go for a walk. Just wake up early and see what happens. Just eat one healthy meal. Just go grocery shopping today. 

I love this. It’s a way to simplify all the crazy planning and thinking that we so often get into. It’s a way to “Do It” with much less pressure and stress. What’s crazy is by just doing something, you actually gain confidence. You realize that it’s not so big and complicated. You can just do something and see where it goes. It doesn’t all have to be so planned out. You don’t even have to tell others what you are going to do. You can just try it. 

Let’s all take a step back and find one thing that we can “just” do today. 

For me, I’m going to just post this. Not over think it. Not even re-read it. Just do it. 

-Chris