Just Do it

 What is your personal credo? 

“Just Do It,” yes, the quote by Nike,  but one quote that held me through moments of fear, laziness, and overthinking. Personally, I consider myself an ambitious person with a lot of ideas and goals for myself, but the only thing that holds me back is procrastination. Procrastination is my worst enemy; it knows my weaknesses, my fears, and my distractions. Looking back, there are a lot of things that I wish I could have done differently. 

This mindset that I built for myself all began during my sophomore year of High School. Sitting in the back of Dr. Wilson’s class, staring endlessly at a blank Google Doc that was supposed to become my ten-page history essay on the relationship between Anime and Western cartoons. I didn’t know where to start; instead of trying, I froze and did other things. I think many of us have experienced this moment–knowing something is important, yet feeling unable to do it. 

After wasting my minutes of living staring at my screen, I decided to consult with my teacher for some advice. “Dr. Wilson, I just don’t know how to write this long essay. I just feel so lazy.” Trying to look for words, but the only response was just three words, “Just Do It”. 

That moment shifted my perspective. It was like all of a sudden I was awoken from a deep slumber–realizing that the only thing that was stopping me was not extraterrestrial forces out to get me, but was my own doing. There was nothing to it, just get up off your ass and do it. And so I did that very thing, and received an A- on that very essay, but more importantly,  I chose to keep this saying as a way to give me motivation to push myself out of those barriers to get out of my comfort zone that I had boxed myself in. I was very proud of the essay that I completed, because it was my own hard work that I produced. Often, when I box myself in, I realize that i’m not growing within myself. 

            I’ve seen this especially in my struggle with shyness. While volunteering at the hospital, I wanted to speak to doctors and learn more about their work, but fear held me back. I overthought every possible outcome–what if I sounded awkward, or said something wrong? The first time I tried, I stopped myself and settled for an awkward wave. I immediately felt disappointed. That’s when I knew something had to change. I told myself, “Just do it,” and approached a doctor. The conversation turned out to be insightful and encouraging, and the doctor was far kinder than I had imagined.
Moments like these have shown me that growth doesn’t come from waiting for motivation—it comes from action. “Just do it” is no longer just a slogan to me; it is a reminder that the only real barrier between who I am and who I want to become is the willingness to begin.