Editorial January 30, 1978 Issue

Getting going

Nathan A. Talbot

Sometimes getting going is the hardest part of getting a job done. Once we begin, the work often flows along smoothly. But making that initial start can occasionally be tough. We might sympathize with the writer of Ecclesiastes, "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof."^{Eccl. 7:8;}

It may seem that a project is difficult to start because we think we are going to dislike doing it. Or we may not feel adequate. Or we simply may not know where to start. But aside from these excuses, there is a fundamental reason for the delay.

Underlying the whole effort to start is the basic human belief in a beginning—that there has to be a starting point. If an activity begins from a point that has no prior momentum, getting going can be a challenge. An engine has to work especially hard when it first moves the car, the plane, or the train into action. Then the forward motion helps carry it along. In a similar way, tackling a major assignment can require a lot of energy to bring it off the ground. Someone setting out on a new venture such as starting a business may feel the strongest demands as the business gets on its feet. It may be arduous to start the housecleaning or even get up in the morning!

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