Tzaddikim taught that a person’s first thoughts, speech, and actions (מחשבה דיבור ומעשה) of the day should be for Hashem. For example, the first thing people do upon awakening is they say modeh ani and they wash negel vasser. That means the first words and deeds were for Hashem, which sets the tone for the entire day.
Rebbe Zusha of Honipoli zt’l would begin the day by saying, “It should be a good morning for all Yidden.”
Our subject includes the idea that one should begin the day by learning Torah, davening, etc. Don't begin the day by reading the newspaper or listening to the news. Begin the day in a positive manner; it can change the entire way the day transpires. When the foundation is good, the entire edifice of the day will be built on a firm basis, and you will accomplish a lot during the day.
The Toldos (Ki Savo) writes, "The wise should be cautious, and he should tell his children as well, that the younger years should be used primarily for avodas Hashem and fighting the battle against the yetzer hara. This is as it states in Pirkei Avos (3:12) הוי קל לראש [which can be translated as that one should be swift to utilize the beginnings of one's life for avodas Hashem]…"
In parashas Shlach, the Toldos writes, "When a child begins to speak, Chazal (Succah 42.) say we should teach him… to say תורה צוה לנו משה, [so the beginning of his speech should be speaking Torah]. Also a person's deeds, each day, should begin with going to the beis kneses before he goes to his work. This is a great benefit for many reasons. It will help him daven with kavanah, without foreign thoughts, etc. And, in this way, he will have greater success in his work, too. The same applies to all one's senses: sight, hearing, walking, and feeling. The wise will listen and add on more ideas."
This also applies to the times one sets for Torah study. It is wise to begin right away with studying Torah. If you start with shmoozing with your chavrusa, asking him how his day went, fifteen minutes can pass unproductively. If you begin with Torah, the entire learning session will appear differently.
This also applies to when a new zman begins. For many yeshiva bachurim and kollel yungerleit, a new zman for Torah study is about to start. It is important to make the beginning good, with hasmadah and enthusiasm. The hasmadah and enthusiasm will probably cool down as the days and weeks pass, but since you began on a positive note, you will likely continue learning well throughout the zman.
When preparing a cup of coffee, boiling water is used. Most people cannot drink the coffee at that high temperature, though. They wait for the coffee to cool down a bit (or add milk). But it is important that the beginning should be piping hot. Similarly, one should begin the zman with fiery enthusiasm. The enthusiasm and hasmadah will likely not remain at the same intensity throughout the zman, but it is essential to begin in this ideal state. If one starts the zman lukewarm, not entirely focused on Torah study, he will likely become even less interested as time goes on. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to start off with a bang.