«كُل شِيءْ فِي أَوِّلُهْ صَعْبْ»

The saying holds that any task feels hardest when first attempted, because the newcomer has not yet built habits around it and does not fully know what it demands. The difficulty belongs to the starting point rather than to the work itself.

It carries an implied promise: with repetition and growing familiarity, the same task becomes manageable and even easy. The proverb therefore encourages patience and persistence, treating early struggle as temporary rather than as proof of failure.

Say it to reassure someone struggling with a new job, skill, or routine, framing their clumsiness as a normal early phase. It also suits moments of self-encouragement when beginning an unfamiliar project and the first steps feel discouraging.