hit the ground running

Meaning

To start a new activity, project, or job immediately with great enthusiasm, energy, and rapid progress, without needing a long warm-up or training period.

Examples

• We need to hire an experienced manager who can hit the ground running from day one.

  We need to hire an experienced manager who can hit the ground running from day one.

• As soon as the funding was approved, the development team hit the ground running.

  As soon as the funding was approved, the development team hit the ground running.

• She did her research before starting the job, allowing her to hit the ground running.

  She did her research before starting the job, allowing her to hit the ground running.

• With our competitors launching new features, we must hit the ground running this quarter.

  With our competitors launching new features, we must hit the ground running this quarter.

• He didn't need any training and hit the ground running with his first sales calls.

  He didn't need any training and hit the ground running with his first sales calls.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ The new employee ran on the ground immediately.

  ✓ The new employee hit the ground running.

  This is a fixed idiomatic phrase; changing the verbs or prepositions ruins the meaning.

• ✗ We need to hit the ground to run with this project.

  ✓ We need to hit the ground running with this project.

  The phrase is hit the ground running, where running is a participle modifying the action, not an infinitive to run.

Related Expressions

Practice

• The onboarding process was short because they expected me to ___.

  💡 start working productively immediately

  Show answer

  hit the ground running

• If we prepare all the marketing materials now, we can ___ when the product launches.

  💡 begin with immediate energy and speed

  Show answer

  hit the ground running