Just Do It

Whether Nike ever intended their advertising tagline ‘Just Do It’ to become a doctrine by which to live or not, it appears to have become just that, extending beyond a sporting mantra to become a ‘call to action’ applicable to almost every aspect of life. Adapted from the words of a convicted murderer, who, when facing execution, apparently shouted ‘let’s do it’, ‘Just Do It’ has been the tagline inextricably linked to Nike since 1987.

Recently, for the first time in months, I played tennis, having stopped to allow time to focus on training for our recent cycle to Barcelona, when I figured time on a bike was more valuable than time on the tennis court. I might have felt differently had I played at a level to which Nike might consider sponsorship but that couldn’t be further from the reality, so I was a little wary of picking up my racket after such a long break, when the rest of the group had been continuing to play.

On arrival at our local tennis courts, I knew immediately that it didn’t matter how I played, it was simply lovely to see my fellow group members after such long time. I could have played terribly and I would still have had fun. We ‘played’ a few games and it was great fun. I was reminded that ‘playing’ tennis was not about the quality of the tennis, but like many other activities, it was about getting up with a purpose, getting ready and giving it a try. It was about exercising, socialising, having fun, being in the great outdoors and for me it was about doing something for the first time in a few months that was not directly related to Parkinson’s or cycling. It was a bonus that I played well, by my standards anyway and the sun shone.

Having stopped for a few months, it would have been very easy not to go back to tennis. There is an apathy that can accompany Parkinson’s that carries the mantra ‘don’t do today, what can be put off until tomorrow’, an all too familiar feeling for many people living with Parkinson’s. Fortunately, so far, the benefits and enjoyment of a varied exercise programme usually outweighs any inertia that apathy tries to lay at my feet and I still tend to take the ‘Just Do It’ approach to life.

This ‘Just Do It’ approach reminded me of a session I co-moderated at The World Parkinson Congress. The panel consisted of an artist, a dancer, a writer and a musician. Each panellist gave a fascinating insight into their own relationship with Parkinson’s and creativity and yet, despite the diverse nature of the presentations, there was one clear message throughout them all. It doesn’t matter what you produce, whether you can draw, paint, dance, sing, write, play a musical instrument or not, is not important. You don’t have to do it well, you simply have to do it. The end result is not important but the taking part is. So, if, we don’t have to be Picasso to paint, move like Fred Astaire to join a dance class or have Shakespeare’s talent for sonnets to sit down and write, then there is no excuse. The message was clear from each of the panellists, that the benefits are in the act of doing and not in the end result. So, pick up that pencil or paintbrush and have a go. Dance like no-one is watching, pick up a musical instrument and make a sound – any sound or sing like no-one is listening.

However good or otherwise, you think you might be, Exercise or creativity. JUST DO IT.

Go on, you might be pleasantly surprised.