Sweetness of Starting

About this edition

The teaching below preserves the original book’s wording, with page footers and layout whitespace removed. The AI practice and reflection are new adaptations.

The tree-planting image and growth claims are motivational metaphors. The adaptation focuses on making a concrete beginning, without promising rapid progress or asking you to work beyond your capacity.

Historical and scientific claims in the source have not yet undergone a complete evidence review.

Source teaching · Alex Julian, 2024

The original lesson

I think we have all heard some variation of it. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is today. The sooner you start, the sooner you will start to see fruits. Not only that, but you are also building momentum, and don’t underestimate this. Growth is not linear. If you do a couple of the right things in a row, you might be amazed at where you end up.

Reiterating from the previous lesson, do not allow yourself to procrastinate. It is poison. It is a virus. Remove “starting tomorrow” from your mindset, because when you do that tomorrow never seems to come. Start today. Your future self will thank you for it. Also, the world will thank you for it.

New contemporary AI application

Try it in your next AI session.

Make one small beginning in a project that matters to you. Ask your AI tool for a rough starting point, or create one yourself. Save the result and leave a clear next step so you have somewhere to return.

Reflect afterward

What exists now that did not exist before you began?

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Developed with AI assistance for this digital edition. Reflect privately; nothing needs to be submitted or shared.

Music and teaching

The original song and video

This lesson’s original song and video will appear here once the recordings and their lesson match have been verified.