Why Nike just might have the best endline in the world.

The other evening I was fortunate enough to listen to Cindy Gallop speak on The Future of Advertising.

She shared many interesting facts and theories.

One thing she talked about was one of her own start-up ventures: ifwerantheworld.com

ifwerantheworld is a digital platform that allows people to do things they really want to do, via the help of others.

The key to the process is something Cindy calls Micro-actions. People do smallish things that are pretty easy to do. Lots of people do smallish things. Lots of big things get done.

But it was the human psychology behind it that I found fascinating.

That doing things has a physiological effect on us.

It makes human beings feel good.

Lack of action is depressing.

It leads to stagnation. In relationships, careers, businesses.

Taking action is intoxicating.

And, because it feels so good, leads to more action.

Setting goals and achieving them is the stuff of life.

That’s what karate is all about.

It's why the system of coloured belts exists.

Challenging yourself to do something you don’t believe you can do, and doing it.

And that’s like a drug.

But to get the same 'high' one's actions don't have to be difficult, scary stuff.

"I’m going to tidy my desk. I’m going to hang that picture. I’m going to walk an extra few minutes today."

Doing anything worthwhile can elicit this kind of positive feeling.

So when Nike tells us to ‘Just do it’ they're saying more than ‘do it because it’s something you want to do, hey why not? Oh and by the way we’ve got some shoes that might help.’

They’re saying ‘do something and you will feel better than you do right now.’

That’s a pretty powerful truth.

Imagine if everyone in the world acted on that endline, how much happier we’d all be?