The Myth of 'Just Do It'

The Myth of 'Just Do It'

Improving, especially after you have acquired a high level of skill, typically requires an enormous amount of effort. ...— yet it also involves concentration, thought, deliberation and will power.

The philosophers and psychologists who advocate a just-do-it mentality all admit that during those rare occasions when something goes wrong, performers or athletes need to direct their attention to their actions.

In its “just-do-it” advertising campaign, Nike presumably used the phrase to mean something like, “stop procrastinating, get off your posterior and get the job done.” Interpreted as such, I’m in favor of “just-do-it.”

However, when interpreted as “experts perform best when not thinking about what they are doing,” the idea of just-do-it is a myth.