It’s Only The Start

There is a common maxim used to encourage the discouraged that states “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish”.

This popular, modern-day proverb implies that the outcome is more important than the beginning.

Believe me, I understand this saying for its emphasis on inspiring people to keep the end in mind rather than getting sidetracked by early life disappointments or setbacks along the way.

But I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that no matter how you present it, the start of an action establishes the point from which to proceed in that action. 

I come from a Track and Field family, so this resonates more clearly with me than most.  In a race, if you false start, you risk disqualification.  If you get a bad start out of the blocks, the possibility of being instantly overtaken by an athlete with better reaction, acceleration, and speed is highly likely. It stands to reason then, that being intentional about your start weighs just as heavily, if not more so on your desired outcome.

With that said, I began this year quite literally reaping the fruits of last year’s labor, but I’m not content to stop there. I am already executing the plans and goals I’ve mapped out for myself; not because it’s what’s perfunctory every January 1^st, but because I am considering my start with the end in mind.

How will you start this year? What actions or behaviors have you recognized (in yourself or those around you) as being counterproductive to this start?