159Japanese proverb ことわざ
一年の計は元旦にあり
いちねんのけいはがんたんにありIchinen no kei wa gantan ni ari
“The year's plan is drawn on New Year's morning.”
The meaning
What is not decided at the start decides itself — badly. Taking the time of a beginning: that is what the year's first morning teaches for every endeavor.
At the origin
A proverb of beginnings; tradition adds: "the day's plan is drawn in the morning".
The characters
- 一年 ichinenthe year
- の noof (link)
- 計 keiplan
- は
- 元旦
- に
- あり
のParticleLinks two words: possession or belonging, like “of”.
In practice
Start each project — and each day — with ten minutes of planning.