Projects, Hockey Games, and Wars

I woke up this morning from a series of interesting dreams that had the same theme in common.

When starting a large project you're always in a different mindset than when you're in the middle of it. You conceive the project and it's almost like a dream. The world is at your fingertips. Everyone will love what you do and the process will be easy. You haven't started working on it yet so nothing can go wrong.

Then, you start the project and it's actually a lot more work than you bargained for and at times very overwhelming. You (or at least I) always seem to find more than a few instances during a large project that you want to chuck it all away and quit. It's just too hard. Too much work. And, who cares anyway?

So, how do you change your mindset from what you first felt when you started the project to how you feel when you're actually in the middle of it and find it's a lot of work? And, what will get you to the end of that project?

Whether it was working on a project that involved a comic book and music album, playing a game of hockey, or fighting a war for the sake of humanity, these two phrases ran through my head all night long:

Start a project with enthusiasm, energy, and arrogance.

End a project with dedication, stubbornness, and the desire to present a job well done.

I think my subconscious might be on to something here...