Our Letter to Nike: How to Just Do It – With Intention

As a wellness art and design studio on a mission to design Heaven on Earth, we’re constantly exploring the co-creation of experiences that make people and organizations happier, kinder, and more creative. This means that we look out for partnerships with people, companies, and communities who are on a similar mission to improve lives. Nike is one of such companies.

As Nike celebrates their 50th anniversary, we’ve taken the time to reflect on the impact of their presence. Their stance on social issues such as racism, when most other brands tend to shy away from such sensitive topics, has made them a favorite for us. Also, we’ve been lifelong fans of the way Nike uses its signature phrase ‘Just Do It’ to preach the message of taking action – from sports to civic duties. Created in 1988, this slogan has inspired millions and spurred many more to move. To Just Do It.

 

 

However, the next question from most people is, “How do I just do it?” A lot of us find it difficult to just do it because we don’t know where to start. We find it hard to believe in ourselves, or we’ve tried before and have faced failure or ridicule from others. So where do we start?

This is where our Framework of Intention™ at Akanka comes in. It’s a simple yet profound framework we designed while we spent time gardening in Nature. During the 2020 lockdown period, we set a goal for ourselves to turn our concrete walkway into a botanical garden. As we spent every day caring for Nature and watching it thrive, we were able to distill its lessons for how to be intentional about life into three steps that make up the Framework of Intention.

 

Before (2020)

 

After (2021)

 

Over the last 2 years, we’ve come to confirm that it’s the framework that’ll help the world be more intentional about its path to love, peace,  joy, and happiness. We’ve seen it resolve conflicts, improve communication, dispel fear and anxiety, and spur creativity and innovation. We’ve seen it give people the necessary steps to Just Do it – with intention.

When we’re ready to ‘Just Do It’ intentionally, here’s how we begin. We start with the three steps of our framework:

1. We slow down
2. We give gratitude
3. We take responsibility

 

 

We start by slowing down. When we take care of Nature, it teaches us to slow down and be present. When we slow to be present, we’re able to reflect on where we are – we’re able to discover our starting point. When we slow down to be mindful, we’re able to think about where we wish to be. Like an athlete who takes in a deep breath and visualizes victory, when we slow down, we’re able to determine the future we wish to see.

 

 

Now we know where to begin – from within. Next, we acknowledge the energy within us by slowing down to give gratitude for our strengths and abilities. We give gratitude for our lives – even when things aren’t going so well. We give gratitude for our loved ones who encourage us to keep moving. We give gratitude for our doubters who serve as contrast in our story and remind us that the obstacle is the way. We give gratitude for the times that we win. We give gratitude for the times that we don’t. After all, failure is data. We win by learning from it.

 

 

Finally, gratitude gives us the energy to take responsibility for becoming better. We take responsibility for putting ourselves out there – even at the risk of failure. We do that one push-up when we don’t feel like working out. We put on our running shoes and open the Nike Run app despite the temptation to laze around. We take that first step – no matter how small it seems.

Now we can ‘Just Do It’. Anyone who seeks to do it well must first be intentional. Anyone who seeks to do it with intention must first learn to slow down, give gratitude, and take responsibility.

 

 

As Nike celebrates 50 years, they must reflect on the intentional mindset that helped them evolve from a terminated contractor to a globally-known brand. The team slowed down and remained calm in the face of termination, then chose to give gratitude for the situation and use it as fuel to propel themselves forward. As Phil Knight says, “What could have been a gut punch, was a royal kick in the butt that pushed us forward. We were fired.” They did what athletes do best. They got better.

Imagine a future where everyone around the world has the athlete’s mindset to get better. Imagine a future where everyone around the world has the mindset to Just Do It – with intention…Imagine the Heaven we can create on Earth. A Heaven on Earth with more courageous people slowing down to discover their purpose, chase their dreams, take risks, create, support others, and find their path to love, peace, joy, and happiness.

 

 

On our end, we’ve taken responsibility for this future by designing our framework into Nike-inspired sports shirts. By merging Nike’s slogan with our framework, we give the world a clear message from Nature on how to be intentional.

 

We’re looking forward to the future where we share with the Nike team how our collaboration can create a new generation of intentional people. We’re looking forward to a future where our lessons from Nature on how to Just Do It with intention become a part of Nike’s message to athletes and the rest of the world. 🌎

If you work at Nike or have got a strong contact and can make this happen, please reach out to us. Let’s do it. 

 

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