“It is far easier to start something than it is to finish it.”
Amelia Earhart
20 Hrs. 40 Min. (Primary source)
Earhart’s 1928 memoir chronicles her pioneering transatlantic flight, capturing both the mechanical drama of early flight and her own awakening to aerial possibilities. Written with characteristic modesty, it reveals the seeds of her later solo ambitions.
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“In soloing—as in other activities—it is far easier to start something than it is to finish it. Almost every beginner hops off with a whoop of joy, though he is likely to end his flight with something akin to D. T.’s [delirium tremens—the severe withdrawal symptoms associated with alcoholism, characterized by violent trembling, hallucinations, and intense anxiety].”
Amelia Earhart
“The time to worry is three months before a flight. Decide then whether or not the goal is worth the risks involved. If it is, stop worrying. To worry is to add another hazard. It retards reactions, makes one unfit. Hamlet would have been a bad aviator. He worried too much.”
— Amelia Earhart Primary source“Preparation, I have often said, is rightly two-thirds of any venture.”
— Amelia Earhart Primary source“Anticipation, I suppose, sometimes exceeds realization.”
— Amelia Earhart Primary source“Possibly that feature of aviation which may appeal most to thoughtful women is its potentiality for peace. The term is not merely an airy phrase. Isolation breeds distrust and differences of outlook. Anything which tends to annihilate distance destroys isolation, and brings the world and its peoples closer together. I think aviation has a chance to increase intimacy, understanding, and far-flung friendships thus.”
— Amelia Earhart Primary sourceMore quotes by Amelia Earhart →
“’Tis easier to prevent bad habits than to break them.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary source“You’re much more likely to do well if you start out to do something feasible instead of something that isn’t feasible. Isn’t that perfectly obvious?”
— Charlie Munger Primary source“Strategic change doesn’t just start at the top. It starts with your calendar.”
— Andrew S. Grove Primary source“Never interrupt someone doing something you said couldn’t be done.”
— Amelia Earhart Disputed