Starting matters

We talk a lot about finishing without giving starting its due credit.

Starting matters.

A lot.

I’m not talking about the world of minimum viable products (MVP) or getting something shipped so you can learn. Those things are good and super important.

But the truth is, starting right can save you time, relationships, finances, etc.

Let’s look at some simple examples:

• When you put on a shirt and start with buttoning the wrong button, it looks foolish and is quite uncomfortable. Then it costs you time to have to unbutton it and redo what you’ve already done.

• How about when you play music? If you’re playing a song in the key of E and you start in C, it’s going to sound off.

• A plane flying from NYC to London that starts off course may well miss the entire United Kingdom, costing time, money and credibility.

There are countless examples of these, some with more dire consequences than others, but you get the idea.

Being a dad has brought to surface the importance of starting more than ever. It’s my responsibility how my children start. One day they will leave and have families, careers and lives of their own. Sure, they will make their own decisions and destinies, but the worldview and thought process from which they make their place in the world will be influenced by how they start. And how I start them.

This isn’t a parenting post. This applies to all of us. We all start things. Let’s do so knowing that how we start will influence our finish.