It’s strange that at 24 years old, I finally found the genius behind Nike’s slogan, ” Just do it.” It never seemed much more to me than a slogan that got a few snickers on the elementary school playground and was just plain obvious. Recently, however, this slogan has taken on a whole other meaning to me- one of taking initiative and making decisions yourself.
At my job, I assist the Founder of my company who is understandably very busy. When I first started my job a couple months ago I would ask permission for everything. “Would you like me to send this email?” Where should I make reservations?” I didn’t want to go ahead and do something and get in trouble if I made a mistake. That’s when I realized- it’s better to go ahead and do it instead of asking permission and waiting around for his answer. After all, if he had time to answer all of my questions- would he really need an assistant in the first place?
Being young in a big company is hard. We are hired with the expectation that we have a lot to learn and will be asking lots of questions- which don’t get my wrong is good to an extent! But to prove our maturity and ambition, we need to learn when to ask questions and when to go ahead and take initiative for ourselves.
I heard a quote recently by Grace Hopper that said, “Its easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to get permission.” If I heard this quote 3 months ago, I’d probably disagree- but now, I could not agree more. There’s going to be times when you go ahead and do something, and end up making a mistake and getting in trouble. However, a mistake here or there, from someone who takes initiative and makes decisions for themselves, is going to be forgiven a lot faster, than someone sitting around and waiting for someone to make decisions for them.
So next time you’re in a situation where you aren’t sure if you should take a risk and go with your gut, go ahead and “Just do it!”
Tags: career, inititaive, life, millennial, nike, profesional, work, young
I grew up hearing my mother repeat that it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than ask permission. I’ve always found it to be SO true, but so, so hard to apply to my own life, especially when plagued by self-doubt.
Good post. I have seen how my cautiousness has affected my ability to take initiative in previous jobs. I hope that when I start my new job (to be determined), I’ll be encouraged to take leaps.
Great post! As someone who has just entered the workforce, I can say that it is hard to gauge when to double check something & when to ask for advice.
Great advice! Nice to hear something inspiring from someone young and for it to make sence! I also just purchased a new pair of Nike runners for me your post has a double meaning- both very positive. Thanks!
You really hit the nail on the head with this one. I am in the exact same type of position with my boss, and I think I have been more of a bother because of asking so many questions than I would have been if I’d been less afraid of making a few mistakes.
I completely agree and have come to realize it to also be so true in the last couple of months at my job. When I’ve been waiting around for the official ok I realized I could have accomplished so much more if I had just gone ahead and taken action! Our CEO recently said in times like these you have to take risks, so I decided to start taking more risks and hopefully it’ll pay off! Good post!
Nike’s slogan is one of my inspirational tags. Every time I am hesitant to do something, I always think of this brand.
It’s better that we do something and fail rather than wondering what could have happened had we tried it.
Natalie Loopbaanadvies