２０１７年５月１３日（金曜日）　ena シンガポール校

Begin with the end in mind

Hello everyone.

Today, I want to share with everyone something that my middle school principal once shared with my school during assembly. It was one of the things from middle school that I still remember very vividly now, almost 18 years later.

‘Begin with the end in mind’. （訳：目標を念頭に、物事をはじめる。）

My principal brought a big red bucket and placed it in front of the whole school. Then he took out some huge rocks from a small plastic bag and placed them beside the bucket. Next, he took out some other pebbles from another bag and placed them beside the bucket. Lastly, he took out a small container of sand and placed it beside the rest of the things.

Then, he asked the school, “How would you fit all these things into the bucket?”

Some students suggested putting in the sand and the pebbles first. The principal then proceeded to do what the students suggested. However, once the sand and the pebbles are in the bucket, there was no room at all for the huge stones.

The principal then took out everything else and returned them to the starting position. “This is how you do it,” he said and proceeded to put the huge rocks in the bucket. Then he took up the pebbles and threw them into the bucket. Last, he poured the container of sand into the bucket. Miraculously, everything fitted in the bucket.

He then told the school that the huge rocks represent the important things in our lives – studies, test, homework, family. The pebbles represent the things that are not as important but fill up a major part of our lives, for example, our friends. The sand represents the small things in our lives, such as the games, TV programs, holidays.

“There is a fixed amount of space in this bucket that cannot be changed.”

“If you put the small things and medium-sized things into the bucket first, then there will be no space for the huge important things.”

Then, he asked the school if they think the bucket was full. Most of the students agreed that it was. The principal then picked up a jar full of water and poured it into the bucket. It turned out that there was space for a whole jar of water before it reached the brim of the bucket.

“No matter how full your life seems to be, there is always room for more. Make full use of your time and live life to the fullest.”

“Whatever you do, always begin with the end in mind.”

Now I am sharing this with all of you.

Many a time, students tell me that they don’t have time for homework or for revision. Begin with the end in mind. What do you want to achieve? What is your ultimate goal? Start with that. Ask yourself, what are your huge rocks? Put those in your lives first before putting the pebbles and the sand. Otherwise, your huge rocks won’t fit.

Learn to prioritize.

Begin with the end in mind.

リム