Nike, of course, has it right. “Just do it.” Whoever came up with the slogan in that marketing office deserves some sort of all-star award for this all-encompassing idea. Every single effort we make in our lives boils down to this elemental statement.

Whenever I’m in the midst of a crisis, personal lapse, writer’s block, weight creep or any other stall on a personal end, I commit myself to researching the problem and developing a solution. I’m just very proactive like that. The trouble is, sometimes I know the answer, I just don’t act on it. I know exactly what will make my stress more manageable; I know exactly what to listen to when I need a creative jump-start; I know that tracking food always takes the weight off. Sometimes the ideas seem too simplistic to really work. Of course sitting out in nature dissipates stress, but sometimes I’m just too bummed to get out from under the covers when I’ve convinced myself nothing will work anyway. Now, I’m a pretty resourceful and self-motivated person in some areas, but sometimes it all boils down to just doing it.

I’ve always had an immense desire for change, a raging internal drive to take myself to the next level in my profession, hobbies and relationships. I take grueling effort to research, list, calculate and produce solutions for everyday problems. Perhaps a publishing prize would be within reach if I actually sat down to write. Perhaps my PR for running would get better if I stuck to a training plan and ate only Running World-worthy food.

It’s all a matter of just doing it.