Master starting and you will be hard to stop. That is the promise of "Startacular: Training in the Art of Initiative," a book about the power of persistent action.

Most of us know from experience that getting started with consistency is often a great obstacle to making things happen. But you don't have to let inaction kill off any more of your ambitions.

You can learn to approach any goal with initiative. You can defeat procrastination and make starting enjoyable. And you can achieve steady progress in anything through short bursts of focused effort. In short, you can transform...