--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It matters little how one begins…" description: "\"It matters little how one begins, provided that he be resolved to go on well, and to end well.\" — Saint Francis de Sales" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/saint-francis-de-sales-2108_begins_it-matters-little-how-one-begins-provide_155453.png" --- # It matters little how one begins, provided that he be… ![“It matters little how one begins, provided that he be resolved to go on well, and to end well.” quote by Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/saint-francis-de-sales-2108_begins_it-matters-little-how-one-begins-provide_155453.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/saint-francis-de-sales-2108_begins_it-matters-little-how-one-begins-provide_155453.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/saint-francis-de-sales-2108_begins_it-matters-little-how-one-begins-provide_155453.png) > “It matters little how one begins, provided that he be resolved to go on well, and to end well.” [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The start matters less than the resolve to continue well and finish well. **In simple terms:** How you start is less important than perseverance. Key Takeaway Persist with purpose. Themes perseverance determination growth Mood determined hopeful Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - career projects - personal development - long‑term goals Key Concepts goal setting resilience Questions to Reflect On - What keeps you moving forward? - How do you define a good ending? A Different Perspective Initial skill may hinder progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Begins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/begins/) [Begins Provided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/begins-provided-1718907/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Goes on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goes-on/) [Little Begins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-begins-1718908/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Matters Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matters-little-472500/) [Resolved End](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resolved-end-1718909/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [Big Z, little Z, what begins with Z? I do. I'm a zizzer zazzer zuzz, as you can plainly see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/big-z-little-z-what-begins-with-z-i-do-i-m-a-zizzer-zazzer-zuzz-as/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [“A proviso is a clause that begins with either "provided" or "provided, however.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-fox/a-proviso-is-a-clause-that-begins-with-either-provided-or-provided/) [Charles M. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-fox/) > [Even the most complex problem is resolved in the end. Because if there's a question, there also is an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-joon/even-the-most-complex-problem-is-resolved-in-the-end-because-if-there/) [Kim Joon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-joon/) > [ The form \[of literature\] matters little to me, classical or not. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/the-form-of-literature-matters-little-to-me-classical-or-not/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [It matters little who first arrives at an idea, rather what is significant is how far that idea can go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-germain/it-matters-little-who-first-arrives-at-an-idea-rather-what-is/) [Sophie Germain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-germain/) > [Life can be harsh. But it matters little. What matters is how well you hold your tongue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-can-be-harsh-but-it-matters-little-what-matters-is-how-well-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People always say that, when you love someone, nothing in the world matters. But thats not true, is it? You know, and I know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/people-always-say-that-when-you-love-someone-nothing-in-the-world/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [It matters little where a man may be at this moment; the point is whether he is growing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/it-matters-little-where-a-man-may-be-at-this-moment-the-point-is/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [It matters little if something is 'craft' or 'art.' The question is only this: does it give me pleasure?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/it-matters-little-if-something-is-craft-or-art-the-question-is-only/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [When a woman hath ceased to be quite the same to us, it matters little how different she becomes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/when-a-woman-hath-ceased-to-be-quite-the-same-to-us-it-matters-little/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [It matters little how much equipment we use; it matters much that we be masters of all we do use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/it-matters-little-how-much-equipment-we-use-it-matters-much-that-we/) [Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/) > [“It seems cruel," she said, "that after a while nothing matters... any more than these little things that used to be necessary and important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/it-seems-cruel-she-said-that-after-a-while-nothing-matters-any-more/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [I was born to be a remarkable woman; it matters little in what way or how. ... I shall be famous or I will die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-bashkirtseff/i-was-born-to-be-a-remarkable-woman-it-matters-little-in-what-way-or/) [Marie Bashkirtseff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-bashkirtseff/) > [Beware of spending too much time on matters of little importance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/self/beware-of-spending-too-much-time-on-matters-of-little-importance/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/self/) > [It matters little who is the enemy, if we cannot beat off his attack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-matters-little-who-is-the-enemy-if-we-cannot-beat-off-his-attack/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Saint Francis de Sales > [Flowers often grow more beautifully on dung-hills than in gardens that look beautifully kept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/flowers-often-grow-more-beautifully-on-dung-hills-than-in-gardens/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [Friendship requires great communication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/friendship-requires-great-communication/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [The thoughts of those moved by natural human love are almost completely fastened on the beloved, their hearts are filled with passion for it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/the-thoughts-of-those-moved-by-natural-human-love-are-almost/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [Those who love to be feared fear to be loved, and they themselves are more afraid than anyone, for whereas other men fear only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/those-who-love-to-be-feared-fear-to-be-loved-and-they-themselves-are/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [Go to your confessor; open your heart to him; display to him all the recesses of your soul; take the advice that he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/go-to-your-confessor-open-your-heart-to-him-display-to-him-all-the/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [It is better to remain silent than to speak the truth ill-humoredly, and spoil an excellent dish by covering it with bad sauce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/it-is-better-to-remain-silent-than-to-speak-the-truth-ill-humoredly/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [Friendships begun in this world will be taken up again, never to be broken off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/friendships-begun-in-this-world-will-be-taken-up-again-never-to-be/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [And when children begin to use their reason, fathers and mothers should take great pains to fill their hearts with the fear of God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/and-when-children-begin-to-use-their-reason-fathers-and-mothers/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [Pride dies 20 minutes after death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/pride-dies-20-minutes-after-death/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [To be pleased at correction and reproofs shows that one loves the virtues which are contrary to those faults for which he is corrected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/to-be-pleased-at-correction-and-reproofs-shows-that-one-loves-the/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [If you would fall into any extreme, let it be on the side of gentleness. The human mind is so constructed that it resists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/if-you-would-fall-into-any-extreme-let-it-be-on-the-side-of/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [One single act done with aridity of spirit is worth more than many done with feelings of devotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/one-single-act-done-with-aridity-of-spirit-is-worth-more-than-many/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [All of us can attain to Christian virtue and holiness, no matter in what condition of life we live and no matter what our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/all-of-us-can-attain-to-christian-virtue-and-holiness-no-matter-in/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [We must visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament a hundred thousand times a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/we-must-visit-jesus-in-the-blessed-sacrament-a-hundred-thousand-times/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [Lately I was near the beehives and some of the bees flew onto my face. I wanted to raise my hand, and brush them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/lately-i-was-near-the-beehives-and-some-of-the-bees-flew-onto-my-face/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) [Explore all 185 Saint Francis de Sales quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) ## More Begins quotes > [When I was 3, my parents strapped on a pair of Playskool plastic roller skates to my feet, and that's where the story begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-celski/when-i-was-3-my-parents-strapped-on-a-pair-of-playskool-plastic/) [J. R. Celski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-celski/) > [Whether one is twenty, forty, or sixty; whether one has succeeded, failed or just muddled along; whether yesterday was full of sun or storm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-mitchell-hodges/whether-one-is-twenty-forty-or-sixty-whether-one-has-succeeded-failed/) [Leigh Mitchell Hodges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-mitchell-hodges/) > [The end of the world begins the moment you die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-end-of-the-world-begins-the-moment-you-die/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“healing begins the moment you want it to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nayyirah-waheed/healing-begins-the-moment-you-want-it-to/) [Nayyirah Waheed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nayyirah-waheed/) > [Life begins when a person first realizes how soon it will end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcelene-cox/life-begins-when-a-person-first-realizes-how-soon-it-will-end/) [Marcelene Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcelene-cox/) > [Russians not only vehemently despise blacks, they believe Africa begins at the Ukraine border.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/russians-not-only-vehemently-despise-blacks-they-believe-africa/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [The struggle ends when the gratitude begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-struggle-ends-when-the-gratitude-begins/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The longest journey begins with a single step.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patanjali/the-longest-journey-begins-with-a-single-step/) [Patanjali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patanjali/) > [Libraries are where it all begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/libraries-are-where-it-all-begins/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [“Every accomplishment begins with the decision to try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-thomas/every-accomplishment-begins-with-the-decision-to-try/) [Esther Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-thomas/) > [Prayer begins where our power ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-joshua-heschel/prayer-begins-where-our-power-ends/) [Abraham Joshua Heschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-joshua-heschel/) > [Each piece of writing I undertake, whether a story, novel, play, or poem, begins with an image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-lock/each-piece-of-writing-i-undertake-whether-a-story-novel-play-or-poem/) [Norman Lock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-lock/) > [“Civilization begins at 10 am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-n-peacock/civilization-begins-at-10-am/) [B.N. Peacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-n-peacock/) > [The end of the world begins in the sea we love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-winton/the-end-of-the-world-begins-in-the-sea-we-love/) [Tim Winton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-winton/) > [Remove the predators, and the whole ecosystem begins to crash like a house of cards. As the sharks disappear, the predator-prey balance dramatically shifts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-skerry/remove-the-predators-and-the-whole-ecosystem-begins-to-crash-like-a/) [Brian Skerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-skerry/) [Browse all 499 Begins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/begins/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It matters little how one begins, provided that he be resolved to go on well, and to end well.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Saint Francis de Sales" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/it-matters-little-how-one-begins-provided-that-he-be-resolved-to-go/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Begins" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/it-matters-little-how-one-begins-provided-that-he-be-resolved-to-go/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/saint-francis-de-sales-2108_begins_it-matters-little-how-one-begins-provide_155453.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/saint-francis-de-sales-2108_begins_it-matters-little-how-one-begins-provide_155453.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/saint-francis-de-sales-2108_begins_it-matters-little-how-one-begins-provide_155453.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It matters little how one begins, provided that he be resolved to go on well, and to end well.” — Saint Francis de Sales", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Saint Francis de Sales", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It matters little how one begins,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/it-matters-little-how-one-begins-provided-that-he-be-resolved-to-go/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/it-matters-little-how-one-begins-provided-that-he-be-resolved-to-go/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```