“Just do it” is a brilliant catch-all phrase, powered by Nike.

So simple. If you want to get on with any task, just go ahead and do it. Succeed with “us”, Nike. And for many people, the slogan is an extension of what they were taught incessantly in the home and at school. Innovators and entrepreneurs clearly see themselves in that bracket. Just do it.

But what if……

What if you cannot “just” do it? For some reason you are stuck. You cannot carry out the nonchalant task, glaring right at you. Shy, scared of failure, scared of succeeding, laziness, or whatever – as a business mentor, these are frequent problems you have to overcome.

Here’s what I mean. I was sitting today in a restaurant in Jerusalem, hosting two separate sessions with very capable individuals.

The first is young, commercially inexperienced and raring to implement his idea. And he is very focused. “So what’s stopping you”, I asked. “You tell me,” was his response. Playing devil’s advocate, I observed that I did not know what was needed for his business. And he dutifully rattled off a list of equipment.

“And how much does that cost?” I questioned, and followed it with some prodding about marketing.

“So where does that get me?” he pondered. And when I told him that he is now half way to a basic business plan, his eyes lit up. He will spend the next week, confirming the basic facts  and the business model, and then begin to look for a small loan.

Bottom line? For some reason, he cannot motivate himself to move ahead. But once prodded in the right direction, he will “just do it”.

Meeting number two was a different affair. Every question of mine was met with a question. Everything was analysed in detail until the person was sure of what to do next. Fair enough. But what will prompt him to move over from words towards action? He demands to know that he is doing the right thing before he has done it, just like so many of us.

I took a chance and wondered out loud: “How do I motivate you to carry out these tasks?” The reply brought a smile to my face.

“It’s not for you to do anything. I have to do it myself.” By George, he’s got it.

Will it be easy? Possibly not. It will not be a case of “just” getting on with it. But moving ahead is what he will be achieving.