Go for it!

Back when I was in high school Nike released its Just Do It ad campaign, The spirit of this campaign was to get people out there and go for it. To stop sitting on the sidelines and get in the game. To go for it. I gravitated to the slogan Just Do It as it kind of spoke to me to take a risk and go for it when I had some uncertainty about a decision that needed to be made. Should I give up my summers to be a camp counselor at Silver Birch Ranch? Should I change my mind about which college to attend and move across the country to go to Arizona State University? Should I become active on Twitter? Should I start blogging?

Perhaps the best example of living out the theme of Just Do It happened almost twenty years ago. I had just started dating a great girl and we both lived in Arizona. We discovered that each of us was planning to visit our respective family back in the Chicago suburbs during the same week. Jenna had flown back and I was set to fly out a few days later. I was going to use a non reservation ticket, however when I arrived at the America West gate at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. The gate was crowded and I soon realized that I would not be getting on the flight that day and had a very slim chance of flying out the next day. I was super bummed because we had planned to meet up in Chicago and  I really wanted to see Jenna. I mulled over my options and quickly decided that I would drive the 1800 miles. So I jumped into my Volkswagen Cabriolet and headed out of town. I drove straight through, only stopping for gas and to use the bathroom. Everyone I knew thought I was crazy to drive across the country by myself. I took a chance. It was the best decision I ever made.  During those two weeks back in Chicago I fell in love with my best friend. I took a chance. I followed that slogan- Just Do It and it made a world of difference. The following summer we got married.

In thinking about your school, your classroom, your students, How will you Just Do It this year? What will you be willing to try? How will embrace a change? What will you do when you face some adversity? What new learning will you do for yourself to be the best you can be for your students?

In twenty years from now what will you remember? How will you reflect on the time you had with students? What will you remember doing that was out of your comfort zone? What will be your Just Do It moment?

Every year we have the honor and privilege of working with students. They deserve our best and for us to try new things, to continually seek ways to engage them, to connect with them, to inspire them, and to believe in them.

If you Just Do It you will not regret it. Stepping out of your comfort zone will be the one of the best decisions you will ever make.

Tim McDermott