QT: How You Start Plays a Big Role in How You Finish

So how are you doing in regards to your goals seven days into 2021?

One week into the year is about that point where things start getting real.

The buzz of the champaign and the excitement of the new year is starting to wear off, and life is starting to settle back into the usual grind.

This is the point where your ambitions for the new year may start to go off the rails.

But it doesn’t have to be.

“It’s Not How You Start, but How You Finish”

You’ve heard this saying before, yes?

In terms of sayings, it’s not too bad.

And in a sense, I don’t disagree with it.

How you finish absolutely matters in terms of your overall success in anything.

But too often, this saying makes it seem like how you start doesn’t particularly matter.

And that’s just not true.

How You Start is Actually Important

It’s true that you can’t achieve your 2021 goals in the first few weeks of the year, but what you do now sets the tone for the rest of the year.

Stumble out of the gate? Sure, you can still buckle down, finish strong, and be successful.

Get off to a hot start? Doesn’t really matter if you take your foot off the gas and finish with a whimper.

Those are the examples that, supposedly, prove the above saying.

I’m not saying that how you finish doesn’t matter.

It obviously matters.

But how you start, in my view, matters just as much.

Getting off to the right start makes it more likley that you’ll be able to have a good finish, which is a pretty solid framework for success.

What is the Right Start?

This is where a bit of nuance comes into the equation.

The right start doesn’t mean everything is perfect. It doesn’t mean you’re hitting it out of the park. It doesn’t mean you’re firing on all cylindars.

Getting off to the right start simply means you’re putting yourself in a good position to be successful when all is said and done.

And the right start isn’t the same in every situation.

Sometimes you want to hit it pretty hard.

Other times, you want to ease into it a little bit.

And still other times, you want to start somewhere in the middle.

How do you know what the right start is for you?

It depends, but ultimately it’s your call.

Intentionality is Important

The key, as far as I’m concerned, is that you’re being intentional about how you start.

You need to do what you feel is right for you to be successful, nothing more and nothing less.

Just like you, hopefully, go into a race with a plan to execute, you need to have a plan for how you’re going to achieve your goals this year.

No plan in place at the moment?

Might want to work on that, eh?

How you start the year goes a long way toward being successful in 2021. #runningtips Click To Tweet

How are You Doing with Your Goals So Far This Year?

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