A good beginning makes a good ending

Meaning: How you start something largely determines how it will finish; preparation and intention matter.

Origin: English proverb from John Heywood's 1546 collection, echoing Latin and Greek wisdom on preparation.

Translations

French: Bien commencer, c'est à moitié réussir (literally: Beginning well is half the success)
Spanish: Un buen comienzo hace un buen final (literally: A good beginning makes a good ending)
Japanese: 始まりよければ終わりよし (Hajimari yokereba owari yoshi) (literally: If the beginning is good, the ending is good)

He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened — Understanding others requires wisdom, but self-knowledge is the highest form of understan…
Measure twice, cut once — Take time to plan carefully before acting, to avoid costly and irreversible mistakes.
The best mirror is an old friend — True friends who have known us for a long time see us most clearly and honestly.
He who fights with monsters should look to it that he does not become one — In struggling against evil, we risk adopting the very characteristics we oppose.
Wisdom begins in wonder — Curiosity and a sense of amazement at the world are the foundations of all knowledge.
He who is everywhere is nowhere — Trying to do too many things at once means accomplishing nothing properly.

Loading the full interactive collection…