#Beginnings

Progress Springs From Courage, Not Perfection

Finally, to translate philosophy into motion: time‑box your start (a one‑day prototype or pilot). Specify a smallest shippable step and a single metric to learn from. Run a premortem—Gary Klein’s method (2007)—to imagine failure and preempt the biggest risks. Then schedule a review to close the learning loop and iterate. Throughout, anchor courage to virtue so bravery is not recklessness. As Cicero’s On Duties (44 BCE) reminds, prudence, justice, and temperance guide bold action. Begin with values, start small, learn fast— and let progress grow from the brave act of beginning. [...]

Starting Is the Discipline That Changes Everything

Once you begin, momentum breeds motivation. Teresa Amabile’s The Progress Principle (2011) documents how small wins fuel engagement, and Albert Bandura’s self-efficacy research (1977) shows that mastery builds from successful actions—no matter how small. Each start seeds confidence, which in turn makes the next start easier. Thus the discipline to begin is not a one-time feat; it’s a renewable resource. With each initial step, you compound progress, proving Murakami’s insight: simplicity at the start unlocks everything that follows. [...]

Begin Anywhere - John Cage

John Cage was an influential American composer and music theorist known for his innovative and experimental approach to music. His philosophy often involved breaking conventional boundaries and exploring chance operations, reflected in this succinct and liberating quote. [...]