We Need a More Nuanced Way of Saying "Just Do It" (By Andy Kay)

People with low confidence and/or depression endure additional frustration when confronted with the attitude of just do it.

Popularized by an immense athletics corporation, it's hard not to see the mass-appeal of this ubiquitous saying. -- And of its more jaunty sibling: Nothing to it but to do it.

Ah, how quaintly it conveys confidence and a winning spirit.

Unfortunately, it's hardly translatable into utility.

Two reasons for that:

1) First of all, it only presents an attitude that, when paired with persistence, focus, and above all a crystal clear plan, will help you endure. But when you have neither, what good is a one-sentence peptalk in itself?

In other words: I should just do what, exactly?

And when? And how? For how many hours a day? What time of day? And until when? And succeeded by what?

2) Second, depression and low confidence is impossible to understand unless you've been through it yourself. And the people who are keen on giving well-meant advice often have no clue what kind of situation they're addressing... :

"Feel depressed? Well, you just gotta pull yourself together!"

"Can't lose weight? Well, you just gotta eat less and exercise more!"

"No luck with the ladies? Well, you just gotta be yourself!"

"Don't have any friends? Well, you just gotta have more confidence!"

*SIGH*

Look: Building one's confidence and/or breaking free of depression can be tough. Solving those issues can take months, or even years. And...

If you have neither confidence nor direction in life, being met with an attitude of just do it isn't only inappropriate; it can seem downright insulting.

If we want to carry something out, we gotta be specific about it. Only THEN does it make sense to talk about "just" doing something.

First, however, we gotta figure out what we're gonna do. And for many people, this in itself is a biggie.

(Hell, it took me +33 years!)

Specifically, the best way to get started on this is to start walking one path. Plain and simple.

Pick it out of interest. If you don't feel like you're going anywhere, pretty much anything will do.

This isn't a mandatory future career we're embarking on here. We merely walk a path because any momentum is essential for any progress, and because standing still will only cause us to deteriorate.

Also, if at any point we feel like changing directions, we can always do that. And we will have gathered valuable experience for our onward journey.

ACTION ITEM:

Write down at least three things you'd like to answer the next time someone gives you the happy-go-lucky attitude of just do it.

No need to be belligerent. Just think about what you'd most of all want people to understand, and use that as a benchmark.

Optionally, if what you need might be direction, write down three things you'd might want to pursue. List any pros and cons beneath each one. If you have no interests whatsoever, take comfort in the fact that you likely have worlds of undiscovered interests ahead.

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