Just Do It!
February 4, 2011 by Lillie
A client recently asked me, “How did you learn how to do so many things?” She found it unusual that I write, edit, help writers self-publish, create and maintain websites, and a few other miscellaneous things.
It goes back to my parents and the way I was raised. Although my parents were simple people without a lot of worldly resources, all of their children grew up believing we could do anything we wanted to. No one on either side of my family had ever gone to college, but it never occurred to my siblings or me that we couldn’t get a college degree.
When I went to college, I depended on financial aid, academic scholarships, and jobs. I was in a work-study program that provided a twenty-hour a week job at the college while I carried a full load of classes. When I reported to my assigned job in the library, the librarian pointed to a typewriter and said I would be typing catalog cards. As I described in Abject Terror + A Bluff = New Confidence, I panicked when I saw the typewriter. It was an electric, and all my experience was on a manual typewriter. Imagining myself fired from the job because I couldn’t even turn on an electric typewriter, I envisioned myself being kicked out of school because I couldn’t pay the tuition, embarrassing my family who was so proud of the first college student in the family. I could see my whole life ruined over this failure, so I bluffed my way through, succeeded in the job, and discovered I could do more than I thought I could.
After that, I developed the habit of answering, “Sure, I can,” when someone asks me, “Can you <fill in the blank>?”
As a result of trying to keep one little plant alive on my desk, I learned enough about plant care to start a plant store that grew into the third largest interior landscape company in our metropolitan area.
Through the years I was in business, I made a lot of mistakes and I made some good decisions that seemed selfish at the time. I learned to run a business even though I had no background in business before I opened my plant shop.
I learned to speak in public by starting off speaking to garden clubs with five or ten members. Over time, I began to speak to larger groups both about plant care and about business. At one point, I addressed the convention of a statewide nursery organization with several thousand people in attendance. However, what meant the most to me was to hear that I encouraged one person I didn’t meet until years later.
After I had a stroke, I decided it was time to follow my dream of becoming a writer, so I wrote a novel, sold my interior landscape company, and became a full-time writer.
I became an editor because I contacted a publisher and pointed out editing problems with some of the books published by the company.
In the nearly fifteen years I’ve been a freelancer, I’ve done new things when a client asked for a website, layout of their book, cover design, or any of the other things required to prepare a book for publication. Now if you look at the services I offer, you’ll see I’ve added many of these services to my repertoire.
I find that I enjoy helping a few clients do everything related to publishing their book rather than writing a lot of articles or editing a lot of manuscripts. I enjoy the variety, and I get a real sense of satisfaction seeing the finished product.
However, you may have no desire to add more skills to your professional skill set. But there’s probably something you would like to try, something you want to learn, something you wish to experience. Maybe you think it’s too challenging or frivolous or time-consuming. My advice: Just do it!
It’s not too late, and you’re capable of doing far more than you give yourself credit for. So whether you want to learn a new skill, travel to an exotic place, change careers–or anything else, just do it!
That was a really uplifting post Lillie! Thanks!
Thanks, Dominique. I enjoyed reminding myself of some of my favorite posts from the past.
Some might call you a Jill of all trades.
I’m somewhat weary to admit that with a lot of things I’m ‘winging it’. But if I don’t start winging it, I will never learn, right?
Kudo’s on being such a fighter. I hope to see much more from you!
Ivin,
Jill of all Trades – Master of None!
Winging it is the way to get out of your comfort zone and expand your horizons.
Lillie, I love this post and loved learning more of your story! I have a similar attitude and truly believe that “nothing is impossible with God.” The mistakes are part of the fun and a much needed reminder that we are nothing apart from Him. Bless you for the encouraging message and the link to other other wonderful posts!
Karen,
I know you have the same attitude and for the same reason. I just read a devotional from Dayspring about this very subject. Holly Gerth wrote: “This seems impossible for me. But nothing is impossible for the God who lives in me. That means all things really are possible for me too. I can do this with Him.”
I love the just do it. I’ve probably had more failures in life than successes. But the successes wouldn’t have come without the failures. I’m challenged by starting another new business right now and going in a bunch of different directions. It’s been hard, but I know nothing worth having comes easy. I’ve come to the conclusion that life isn’t suppose to be easy (God didn’t designed it that way). Once I accepted that – it got easier because my expectation changed. Folks, it not easy for anyone. Not the rich, famous, successful or anyone else. So those of us who strive for easier are always going to be disappointed.
I think our fear to do something comes from one of two places, or even both. Fear of not being loved or not being enough stops us dead in our tracks too often. Sometimes all you can do is “Just do it”.
Whatever your hurdle is, just close your eyes, take a deep breath and just do it. You’ll be better for it. If not immediately, I guarantee you will in time.
Tim,
I wish you success in your new business. As you say, though, even failures are successful because they teach us along the way to success.
C.S. Lewis says that God never lets us get comfortable here on earth because He is reminding us that this is not our real home. We’re travelers here for a little while. If he made it easy for us, we wouldn’t look forward to Heaven.
Thanks for the thoughtful and encouraging comment.
Thanks That’s Beautiful Lillie.
Tim,
I’m a big fan of C.S. Lewis.
It’s important to have confidence and to believe in yourself in order to succeed, and most of all you don’t need to be afraid of failure. You are a good example, and your life experience makes me confident that i can do anything as long i want to.
Mia,
Thank you. I’m glad my experiences are helpful to you.
The mantra is ‘never say no’, even if you are hesitant to do something out of fear, apprehension, insults etc. try to do it anyways! It is action which makes us to learn things on our own!
Brent,
A very good mantra–at least when it comes to being willing to try new things. Not so good when it comes to choosing right and wrong.
Your experiences are very inspiring and I am 100% agreed with you about the “just do it” Thank you.
Paul,
I’m glad my experiences were helpful and that you agree with me.
Throw your heart and soul into everything, try your best, and who knows what you can achieve!
Reminds me of an article I recently wrote, Thought for the day 3rd of January
“Strive to know everything before you die. If you fail, at least you died trying!
Anyway, they say a thirst for knowledge keeps the mind young, so you never know, you may get lucky
”
I liked that article and I like this one Lillie
Good thought for the day, Christopher.
I couldn’t agree more Lillie! So many people these days are working unfulfilling jobs just for the sake of paying the bills. Life is full of so many amazing opportunities and experiences it doesn’t make sense to keep doing the same thing everyday, especially if you don’t love it!
I wish more people had your perspective Lillie. I feel like there would be a lot more happy people around if that were the case!
Kyle,
A lot of people are hesitant to take risks, but only by taking risks can we grow and expand our horizons.
Hey Lillie, one more great article and inspiring history.
I have to say most of the accomplishment I have in my life is by following the “just do it” mantra!
Thanks a lot for keepping this blog and sharing your thoughts and experiences with us.
Alexia,
I’m glad to hear your experience is the same as mine–if you “just do it,” you can accomplish more than you realize.
Lillie, I couldn’t agree more. Life is not easy but success does not come for it self. I started all over again for myself a couple of times and you’re right. It’s Just do it
Alan,
The saying that if you never fail, you aren’t doing anything is very true. As long as you pick yourself up and go on, no failure is a total loss.
Awesome writing… So encouraging…….. Who knew the NIKE tag-line “Just Do It” can be expressed so well….. And yeah from now on even I m gonna get habitual of “Sure I CAN” for at least I will give a try and that would lead me somewhere or the other…. Thank you for sharing your practical life experience… Do keep writing … waiting for your next article….
Thank you, Simon. I thought about using the Nike tagline, but it’s so good, I couldn’t think of any better to say what I wanted to say.
Uplifting post – Thank you so so much!
Glad you found it uplifting, Joe.
I am actually looking for a press release writer at the moment. Is this something you do?
Thanks
Billy,
Yes, I do write press releases. You can learn more about news release in my four-part series, begining with http://lillieammann.com/2007/11/05/news-releases-part-1-what-a-news-release-is-and-what-it-isnt/
Thanks a lot Lillie for the motivating blog! I say this because it is human tendency to understand more when a fellow one shares his/her experience. And many a times, it happens that we can actually relate our circumstances with them. That is where the inspiration comes from!
Simon,
It’s always encouraging to know that my post about my own experiences is relevant to someone else!
Hello Lillie,
There’s an old English saying, “If you want a job doing then ask a busy man/woman.” I’ve found it to be true that people, likle yourself, who you’d think would’t have the time to do an extra job, actually do the extra job better than someone who’d appear to have more time on their hands!
Russell,
Perhaps one reason for that is that busy people have to be organized and plan effectively, and some people just drift along and procrastinate. They may have time, but they don’t use it well.
i agree.. really uplifting post.. thank you for sharing lillie..
Glad you liked it, Tommy.
Nice post well Thanks a lot Lillie for the motivating blog, I just want to say that Awesome writing…So encouraging and inspiring……love it..thanks for sharing…God bless you
God bless you, too, Sam.
Great post it really shows what hard work can achieve if only younger people had the same attitute. They seam to think that every thing is just handed to them on a plate.
jon,
I know every generation bewails the younger generation, but our whole society has been trying to induce an entitlement mentality into people for years. Naturally, young people will be more affected if that’s all they hear.
Yes. You’re a doer. You can learn a lot from books, classes, courses, etc. but you learn the most by actually doing something, figuring out how it works, and making progress. Nice post!
Thanks, Fred. There may be natural differences in the way people learn. I have a friend who takes a class for every new piece of software she gets. But I definitely learn best by trial and error and “just doing it.”
What a great story! It is great to hear how supportive your parents were and I am sure that had a lot to do with the level of success you have been able to achieve. I have a long way to go to reach my personal goals, but it is refreshing to hear how someone else was able to succeed; even with the cards seemingly stacked against them.
Good post and God Bless!
John,
I was definitely blessed by having the parents I did. I’m glad my story encouraged you. Best wishes in your journey to meet your goals.
No answer has better benefited me better than “yes, I can” in every stage of my life! It is as if people take your preliminary examination by asking such questions. Many a times they themselves know that we are unsure about the situation. But I am thankful to god that every time he has given me opportune time to learn everything when I said I CAN DO IT!
Mike,
I’m glad you have the “yes, I can” attitude.
FYI: I found your comment in spam. I seldom look in spam, but this happened to be near the top and caught my attention. Since I don’t see anything in the comment itself that would trigger the spam filter, you might check at Akismet.com to see if you are blacklisted. If so, you can get your name removed from the blacklist.
That was great. I love this post. Its true “The risk can leads to success. I am sure I could share this post to my friends.
Rebecca,
I’m glad you liked the post and appreciate your sharing it with your friends.
Thank you Lillie..I will be following your blog often
Glad to hear that, Rebecca.
Our thoughts may be productive, but mere thoughts floating in our head with no initialization by means of action is an utter failure. Many times in life we just procrastinate some ideas, which are lying idle in our head due to situations, personal reasons etc. We should try to remove the cobwebs of uncertainty and work towards our goals/targets.
Joey,
You are so right. Great ideas are cheap; what counts is whether or not you act on the ideas.
Falling down and getting up taught me few things in life: 1) how to avoid falling 2) how to get up 3) how to not make this act a habit. “Even in the dust of defeat is glory to be found” – this adage summarizes the real inspiration in life.
Wu,
Your comment reminds me of the story of the man who visited a wise sage and how to become successful.
The sage answered, “By making good decisions.”
The man asked, “How do I learn to make good decisions.”
The sage answered, “By making bad decisions.”
Thanks for the heads-up, Lillie!. I’ll have it checked.
You’re welcome, Mike.
Very encouraging Lillie! Especially for me since most of the time I allow fear and insecurity to take over, getting nothing done! It’s true though, most of the time in life we really don’t know what we are doing, but with a little BS and a little confidence, we can make it work! It’s better than to try than do nothing at all, cause you never know what can happen! I have a question for you though. How easy was the transition to become a successful first time author? From how you described it, it sounds like it happened over night! How long did it take before you had your first book published?
Anna,
I didn’t mean to mislead anyone that it was quick or easy. If you follow the links in the article, you will find other posts with greater detail about each of the things I talked about. It took a long time to build up a freelance business and more than six years to get the first book published. There’s a lot more to the story–again you can follow the links and read it all in other posts.
Just Do it ….. the says it all … Be confident and keep going and yes the main thing be positive….
Anthony,
Another thing I’ve heard: just keep on keeping on.:-)
“Just Do it” the line itself gives so much of positive energy that one feels like doing so much more and feel like yes i should give it a try and face it….
George,
I can’t take credit for coming up with the line, but it certainly is expressive.
“The whole idea of motivation is a trap. Forget motivation. Just do it. Exercise, lose weight, test your blood sugar, or whatever. Do it without motivation. And then, guess what? After you start doing the thing, that’s when the motivation comes and makes it easy for you to keep on doing it.”
Juan,
That reminds me of hobby writers who say they have to be inspired to write. When you write for a living, you can’t wait for inspiration. You start writing, and the inspiration follows.
In the past I’ve often been critical of those who exhort others to “just do” something, like the time management gurus who say that to avoid procrastination, you should just do the thing you’re putting off. This is not very useful advice; if people knew how to “just do it”, they would! Thus, the standard answer to this non-advice is usually, “But it’s not that simple,” or “You just don’t understand!”
Wu,
I certainly understand what you’re saying. And there are times when “just do it!” isn’t appropriate. I don’t think I would attempt to do surgery, for example–that requires years of study and preparation. However, we’ve all heard stories of people who cut off their own arms or legs to save themselves from death when they were trapped. The risk of death from doing their own surgery was less than the certain risk of death from lack of water and food.
Maybe the way to approach it is to ask yourself, “What is the worst thing that could happen if I totally mess this up?” In my college job in the library example above, for example, I believed (erroneously, but I believed it then) that I would be kicked out of school if I could not do the assigned job. Rather than giving up and allowing that to happen without a fight, I took the opportunity to learn as much as I could about what I was supposed to do. If my learning was inadequate and I still couldn’t do the job, I would be in the exact same position as I would have been if I had not tried–kicked out of school for being unable to do my job. So giving it my best try was certainly worth any risk involved.
If I were to try to drive a car without any instruction, that would be foolhardy and dangerous in most situations. But if I were stranded in an isolated area with a crazed gunman and had the opportunity to get into a car, it would be worth the risk for me to try to drive even though I didn’t know how. At least I might have a chance of getting away from someone trying to kill me.
That is a rather dramatic example, I admit.
However, I think the point is valid: what are the risks to try it compared to the risks not to try.
In your example of overcoming procrastination, ask yourself, “What is the worst that can happen?” Obviously if you try and fail, you are no worse off than you would be if you didn’t try. So try to take one step: perhaps gathering the materials you need for the job at hand. Maybe you’ll get only a few of them and not finish. Well, you’re certainly further along than you were before you started.
I never said you can magically do something just by saying you’re going to do it. However, I did say and firmly believe that we are all capable of far more than we actually accomplish and far more than we think we can do. So anything we do to “just do it!” will get us further down the road than sitting around waiting until we know everything we need to know or magically get motivation or whatever.
“Just Do It” a really inspiring quote which people cant actually understand it so well… If we keep telling our self that do it then things can be done by us.. Its motivation…
Gerry,
Yes, telling ourselves to “just do it” can be motivational. We have to believe that we can do it-or as in my case, be so terrified of failure that we’ll try anything!
Don’t you guys think that.. We take ourselves for granted and don’t actually try to encourage ourselves…
Brent,
Yes, often we’re so afraid of failure that we don’t even try. If we tried and failed, we would be in the exact same position we’re in now … so why not give it a try?
It’s pretty scary to take a plunge into something like “just do it” implies. But here is how you go about it.
Brent,
It is pretty scary. And I think the reason I was willing in the example of my first job in college is because the thought of what might happen if I didn’t was even scarier!
“Just doing it” shouldn’t be precise; it should come to you out of the blue. There’s no need to pick a day or plan ahead.
simon,
I think it can work both ways. If you encounter a situation where you need to act right away, it should be spontaneous. But if there’s something you’ve been wanting to do but haven’t had the courage, there’s nothing wrong with planning ahead and making arrangements to do it.
That’s motivating. Reminds me of a quote “it’s never too late to begin”. There are so many things that I want to do but keep on making excuses. Wonder it’s my mistake that I don’t take out time for myself. I want to travel and eat and write a book and I guess this is a message that I should do it asap!
Dominic,
It is never too late … until it is too late. I had a wakeup call when I had a stroke. I had always wanted to write “someday,” but after I had the stroke, I realized I almost didn’t have any more somedays. It’s time to get started before it is too late, before we either die or become incapacitated and can’t do what we want to do.
[...] that first keystroke. Take that first step. Today is “someday”! Related Posts:An Anniversary: How I Became a Full-Time [...]
Of course, it is true that nothing is impossible. Like this story says, even we can do anything we want. But some of us just keep trying hard and at the end get nothing in hand. Not every hard working personality is successful in this world. It takes real guts to switch on from one field to another especially when you are already working somewhere. You can take my own example; I have been working so hard. But was never successful if you talk about my career. May be its just because that I have never had a dream to get into a specific field.
Patrick,
Your dream doesn’t have to be related to a career. I was blessed to be able to change careers, but it would have been worth it to me to keep doing what I was doing and spend time pursuing my dream of writing in addition to my job. Not everything has to relate to what the world considers success. If you don’t have a dream for a career, then maybe just working at any job is fine…but if you have a hobby you want to pursue or traveling you want to do or any other dream, go for it.
“Just Do It” – Love that phrase Lillie, thanks for the inspiration
Jon,
I can’t take credit for originating the phrase, but it was just too perfect for my post not to use it.
Thanks for a truly inspiring post. Until recently I believed I was getting too old to try or achieve, but I have realized age is but a number.
David,
I’m glad you’ve realized it’s never too late to follow your dreams. Enjoy all your new experiences.