Nike says, “Just Do It” and I did

That morning I felt sluggish the second I opened my eyes. Not dramatic, not “can’t get out of bed” sick, but that in-between feeling where you know something is brewing. I may have had a cold. My head felt a little heavy, my energy was low, and everything in me wanted the kind of day where you move slowly, and nobody expects much.

Of course, that was not on the schedule for that day.

I had an early morning Zoom call with a client at 8:00 am. One of those calls where there is a lot of chit-chat. There was some, but we quickly got into coaching. It was like I had to immediately go into Coach-mode. I remember thinking, “Just get through this call,” because it felt like it was going to take a while to get into my groove.

I was there, I was listening, I was engaged, but I could tell I was warming up slowly. I needed an extra beat to find the right words. I felt like I had to take a few extra seconds to get my thoughts together. I had to work a little harder to be present.

But then something shifted, and it had nothing to do with suddenly feeling amazing.

It had to do with remembering why I was there.

My client needed support. She needed clarity. She needed someone to help her sort through the noise and come up with a plan for the week. And for whatever reason, that hit me in the head like a 2×4. Even though I did not feel 100 percent, I could still be of service. I could still show up and be useful. I could still make a difference in her day.

When the call ended, I felt good. Not because I performed perfectly, but because I did not disappear just because I felt a little off. I stayed present. I contributed. I showed up when it counted. And I made a difference.

And honestly, that should have been enough “adulting” for one morning.

But then came the next decision that afternoon.

I did not want to work out that day. I really like my spin class, but it was not sounding good. Not even a little. My body was already giving me every excuse I needed. “You might be getting sick. Take it easy. Skip one day.” And if we are being real, skipping one day is not a big deal. People skip workouts all the time.

The problem is, it is rarely just one day.

Most of the time, “skip today” is not really about today. It is about the habit. It is about what kind of relationship you have with your own commitments. It is about whether you are the kind of person who follows through only when conditions are perfect, or whether you follow through because you said you would.

Here is the part that made it harder, and also made it easier.

I had already signed up for a spin class. And it was full.

I did what most people do in a moment like that… I started to negotiate with myself.

“I’ll go, but I’ll take it easy.”
“I’ll go, but I won’t push hard.”
“I’ll go, but if I feel lousy, I’ll just coast.”
“It’ll be good to get my blood going – it will help get this out of me,”

And then I caught myself, because I know how this game works. Negotiation is fine, but it can turn into permission to quit if you are not careful. I realized I was trying to make the decision feel painless instead of just making the decision.

So I went.

Not with hype. Not with a superhero mindset. I went the way you go when you are being an adult about your goals. I got in the car, showed up, and clipped in.

The class started, and at first, it was exactly what I expected. My legs felt heavy. My energy was flat. I was doing the work, but it was not pretty. It was not the kind of day when I felt like I was crushing it.

Then the instructor said something that cut right through my internal excuses.

“You didn’t come here to just do ok. You came here to do your best. Don’t cheat yourself.”

That line landed because it was true, and also because “your best” changes depending on the day. My best that morning was not going to look like my best on a day when I feel unstoppable. My best that morning was simply staying in the room and continuing to pedal when everything in me wanted to bail.

So I stayed.

I did not suddenly become a machine. I did not set a personal record. But I kept going, and I finished the class. And when it ended, I felt something that had nothing to do with calories or metrics or exhaustion.

I felt proud.

Not because it was the greatest workout, but because I completed what I said I would do. I kept my promise to myself. I protected qho I am trying to build, which is someone who follows through even when it is inconvenient, even when it is messy, even when it would be easy to rationalize quitting.

That is the thing people miss about consistency. It is not built on your best days. It is built on the average days, and it is built even more on the days you feel off. Those are the days that quietly shape you. Those are the days that teach you, “I can be tired and still show up. I can feel imperfect and still move forward.”

That morning started sluggish. I may have had a cold. I had an 8:00 am client Zoom call, and it took a while to get into my groove. I did not want to work out. And I still showed up. I served my client. I went to spin. It was not my greatest workout, but I am really glad I did not bail.

Because sometimes the biggest win is simply keeping your word to yourself even when no one knows about it.

If you’ve had a day like this, I’d love to hear it. Leave a comment and tell me about a time you showed up when you really did not feel like it.