begin by doing

begin by (doing something)

To start by taking a particular action (which is stated after "by"). We will begin by stretching. I began by checking out all the library books I would need for my research.
See also: begin, by
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

begin by doing something

to start out by doing something first. We will begin by painting the house. She began by opening the door.
See also: begin, by
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • began
  • begin by (doing something)
  • bride
  • bridesmaid
  • always the bridesmaid
  • always the bridesmaid, never the bride
  • (one) ain't particular
  • ain't particular
  • a job of work
  • be worth (one's) while
References in periodicals archive
This is what the county governments should begin by doing.
The group decided to begin by doing stretches together every morning and every afternoon.
They begin by doing several contour sketches of the object in their visual journals until they feel ready to begin their actual project.
Begin by doing a walk/run, then push out the distance of your runs until you can make the whole distance.
And so the good people of the North East should begin by doing their bit for the local music scene by supporting Peculiar Disco Moves at their single launch show at The Mining Institute on Friday, November 22.
We believe communities should begin by doing what's necessary and then expand to do what's possible.
Congress to extend tax breaks for the middle class, saying it is "unacceptable for some Republicans in Congress to hold middle class tax cuts hostage simply because they refuse to let tax rates go up on the wealthiest Americans." With the clock ticking toward the so-called "fiscal cliff," Obama asked lawmakers in his weekly address to "begin by doing what we all agree on" and extend the middle class tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year.
Or you can join a local bike club and begin by doing some easy group rides.
Begin by doing the best you can, knowing it may not be perfect at first.
You can begin by doing the school run yourself and taking back responsibility for your own cooking and cleaning.
Every entrepreneur should begin by doing an Internet search to see if anyone else is already using the business name.
Most incoming students--some of whom had never studied anthropology before--were expected to begin by doing the Diploma in Social Anthropology, a year-long introduction to social anthropology based on lectures and tutorials and culminating in several days of examinations in the spring.
"I think in the first year I struggled a bit with this, but by the second year I realised that I needed to begin by doing a week just trying to bring everyone up to a similar level and that was easier."
Begin by doing it part-time until you can translate the passion into something marketable that benefits others and profits yourself."
Tax reform could begin by doing away with the tax write-offs that have poor taxpayers paying for second homes for the wealthy and health care for public employees and elected officials (while they do without).