© 2017 Chris Pace. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN: 978-1-54391-702-4 (ebook)

I dedicate this book to

Pastor Phil Pringle

C3 Church Global

Thank you for getting me started.

You saw God’s call on my life and positioned me to flourish. I am forever thankful for you!

introduction

The SPARK To START

“It’s not how you start but how you finish that counts.”

You’ve probably heard this statement one too many times. But think about it—you cannot finish what you don’t start. Finishing is contingent upon starting. Starting counts.

Is this your struggle? Do you feel like you’re always losing out to procrastination? Or perhaps you’re just unsure of how to get the ball rolling?

You’re not alone! Whether you’re prone to hitting your alarm’s snooze button when you should be out training for that half-marathon or you’re delaying quitting your office job to pursue your dream career, it’s no secret—starting can be tedious. It’s often when we encounter our greatest resistance.

Consider rockets. I’ve always been fascinated by their ability to take off into outer space—how can an object of its weight and size defy gravity so effortlessly? But, have you thought about the amount of fuel required for that momentous lift-off? On an empty tank, a space shuttle weighs close to 165,000 pounds. Add fuel and the necessary propellants, it’s close to 2,200 tons! The bulk of any space shuttle’s weight is the fuel—of which the majority is used for the moment of greatest energy expenditure: launching.

Similarly, it can take more effort to get going than to keep going. Starting may seem difficult, but once you’re off the launching pad, momentum will build. Sometimes all you need to start is a spark! The following chapters will equip you with the tools and strategies needed to master the ‘art of the start’.

Let’s get going!