The beginnings and endings of all human undertakings are untidy, the building of a house, the writing of a novel, the demolition of a bridge, and, eminently, the finish of a voyage.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Human projects always start and end in disorder regardless of what they are.
- In plain terms
- Things are messy at the beginning and end of any big project.
- What can you take from it?
- Accept that beginnings and endings will be messy.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you handle messy starts?
- What projects are you finishing?
Another view
Some systems can be highly structured from start to finish.
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