Just do it.

Just do it.

It really is that simple. Nike sure scored with that one.

I think we all suffer from issues that prevent us from accomplishing something we want to do. I’m certainly guilty of procrastination; I get terribly distracted, especially on my computer, the lure of Facebook, CNN, or a myriad number of online sources that suck away productivity.

Family, too, tend to interfere with the promises we set. I know that it’s hard to say no to my sweet little girl; she’s fully capable of entertaining herself, but how can I resist her charms? Or maybe, it’s that spouse, that one that doesn’t quite understand what you do, but is sympathetic (or not), that still needs you to take care of that one last little thing.

How about that job? I bet that little bugger sucks away a lot of your productivity; after a long day of staring at an LCD screen, that one at home sure doesn’t seem quite so inviting…

These are mainly from my viewpoint, but they’re still common enough to hit home with a lot of you, especially you writers. I’ve reached a point now where I feel I need to make changes to accommodate my writing goals.

And that brings me back to the topic: just do it.

A lesson I learned in my current English class is that the platform development, the subject of the course, is hard work, like really hard work. We were asked to do a case study on a particular author’s platform. One of the authors I wrote about, Gina Holmes (novelrocket.com) speaks about how the most successful authors are the ones that do everything to the best of their ability, despite any inclinations otherwise. It takes effort.

It’s simply discipline. Just do it.

Discipline is necessary in all career paths, in all goals. You have to exercise and eat right to lose weight, right? Stick to it, be disciplined about it, and you’ll drop fat right off. We all know this, but it’s still hard.

So what. Just do it. I tell myself this now, inspired by Ms. Holmes and her efforts. I don’t particularly want to sit in front of a screen and pound out words that I think are horrendous, but I do anyways. I’ll be honest: I don’t want to build up my author’s platform on Twitter and Facebook because it requires time and effort…I’d rather write about swords and fireballs.

So what. Just do it, Oren.

Discipline is what will achieve results. Block off that time. Set a schedule for the things you want to do. Organize. Plan. Stay consistent with those plans. I am blocking off time for my personal writing, and I will write something during that time, no matter what my mood or inclination is. I will get that exercise, and so will you. When I’m ready to implement my platform, I’ll block off time for that too.

Being successful isn’t just being talented. It’s also being willing to work hard for what you want, to do what’s necessary and do it well, no matter how un-fun it is.

Just do it.