end up in the knacker's yard
To be in or enter a state of ruin or failure due to having become useless or obsolete. Refers to a slaughterhouse for old or injured horses. Once a booming industry before the age of the Internet, home video rental has largely ended up in the knacker's yard these days.
a good beginning makes a good ending
Being well-prepared and focused at the start of something often leads to success. Keeping in mind that a good beginning makes a good ending, I worked really hard on my outline before I began my research paper.