Just ________

Driving home yesterday in what was the worst traffic we have had to date this year I began to get frustrated - frustrated with my life, frustrated with my situation, frustrated with my ability to move any part of my life forward  "How am I going to accomplish anything trapped in this car as I go back and forth?"  I bewailed.  "How am I going to do anything of value where I am now?"

And then the answer came back to me "Just Do It."  Yes, just like that "Just Do It" from Nike.

Just do it.  Just do what you need and intend to do.  No excuses.  No reasons not to.   Just start.  Even if you make an inch of progress, just do it.

This thought permeated my brain all the way back to my house.  No more obstacles can be used as reasons that I cannot do a thing.  I simply need to be about it.

This led directly back to my goals that I have been  haphazardly working on over the last two weeks. I thought I had them nailed down but found that there was little enthusiasm for me to move forward on them.  So I changed them.

It is a subtle change.  Instead of saying "I need to participate in 5 runs at less than 8 minute miles and improve my Highland Athletic personal records" I changed it to "Just lose weight" with four supporting items:  Lose sugar (really need to do this), lose weight, run 5 races with less than 8 minute miles, and improve my Highland Athletic personal records"

Or writing.  I changed it from the vague listing I had of all the different things I was working on to "Just Write":  Blogs, Book. 

As I did this, I found that the unanticipated benefit was that I was defining things in terms of action verbs:  Just Write, Just Lose Weight, Just Speak, Just Pray.  And action is precisely what I need to be taking.

Do I believe this is the panacea to all my goal setting woes and lack of achievement?  Not at all.  Words without deeds accomplish precisely nothing.  But for the first time since I started working on the goals for this year I actually felt a slight degree of anticipation and ownership, of having something that I can work towards and make progress on.

It is easy.  Just _________.