“When someone tells me that it’s going to take six weeks for our bindery to make another run of the leatherbound Daily Stoic, I want to ‘start the clock’ as soon as possible. Meaning, I’m not pleased if I hear it took two weeks to make the decision about how many to order, or that somebody was slow in processing an invoice. I don’t control how long it takes to make stuff, but I do control when the clock starts on it. The project is going to take six months? Start the clock. You’re going to need a reply from someone else? Start the clock (by sending the email). It will likely take a while for the bid to come back? Start the clock (by requesting it). It’s going to take 40 years for your retirement accounts to compound with enough interest to retire? Start the clock (by making the deposits). It’s going to take 10,000 hours to master something? Start the clock (by doing the work and the study).”
Ryan Holiday
Get Started Quotes
“Sometimes the rule is: You don’t have to finish, but you do have to start. And sometimes the rule is: You don’t have to start, but if you do, you have to finish. When building a personal habit, it might make sense to embrace the first rule. You don’t have to run all the way, every day, but you do have to get out of the house and start running. And when making promises to a group where trust matters, the second rule definitely applies.”
Seth Godin
“It’s going to take a while–to lose the weight, to acquire the mastery, to turn things around. It’s probably going to take longer than anyone would like it to. You don’t control that. You do control whether you add one more day to that tally. You control whether you push the ETA back unnecessarily. You control whether you start the clock today, whether you stop putting stuff off and get after it.“
Ryan Holiday
“Sometimes I’m afraid to write. While I love to tell stories, I occasionally freeze when I face a blank page. And I know I’m not alone. From the memoirs of famous artists and authors to discussion boards populated by blocked writers, it’s clear that, at one point or another, almost everyone struggles to overcome the sneaky creative fear author Steven Pressfield refers to as ‘resistance.’ Over the years, I’ve learned that (1) you just have to take a deep breath and get started, and (2) everything is easier once you have a first draft—no matter how bumpy it may be.”
Aytekin Tank, Automate Your Busywork (Page 103)
“We’re all waiting until we have deep knowledge, wisdom, and a sense of certainty before we venture forth. But we’ve got it backward—venturing forth is how we gain the knowledge.”
Will Smith, Will (Page 114)
“Our grand business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.”
Bruce Lee, Striking Thoughts (Page 31)
“On the ground, a rock is just a rock. But when moving at high speed through the atmosphere, a rock becomes a meteor—alive with fire and burning bright. People are not so different. Without activity, we are lifeless and dull. When moving fast and taking action, we come alive.”
James Clear, Blog
“The worst golfer in town came in last in the club tournament. Actually, that’s not true. The worst golfer didn’t even enter. Well, that’s not true either. The worst golfer doesn’t even play.”
Seth Godin, Blog
“There’s a better cause right around the corner. It might not work. You’ll never be able to keep all the promises. It can’t last forever. We’re all going to die. It’s not perfect. Someone might steal your idea. There will be critics. You’re not ready. Someone else is going to do it. It’s not that important. It might not work. On the other hand… Now is better than later, and perfect is an illusion. Act as if. Simply begin. Make things better by making better things. You can always improve it later.”
Seth Godin, Blog
“I have spent my days stringing and unstringing my instrument while the song I came to sing remains unsung.”
Rabindranath Tagore, via Sunbeams (Page 148)
“If you wait for tomorrow, tomorrow comes. If you don’t wait for tomorrow, tomorrow comes.”
Senegalese Proverb, via Sunbeams (Page 148)
