The Skeleton Principle: Building Success One Drop at a Time
By Evelyn Chen

“Little drops of water make a mighty ocean, little drops of sand make a mighty land.”
– Julia Abigail Fletcher Carney

There are few quotes that truly resonate with me, but this is one I hold close to my heart. Growing up in a traditional Chinese household, my parents expected my brother and me to be industrious; a trait I carry with me to this very day.

When I was young, I didn’t fully grasp the ramifications of this or how it would eventually translate to success. We were raised to be fiercely independent. Because my parents were younger than most, they had their own lives to lead, which meant we had to fend for ourselves much of the time.

I live my life by the “skeleton principle.” Whatever the problem, I start with the skeleton; the fundamental root of the issue. I will never forget the time when I was ten and we had to complete a massive Cultural Fair exhibition. I had chosen to talk about beautiful Sarawak, but as the deadline approached, the task felt like an impossible mountain. There was no one to help me at home as my parents were out and having been taught to be fiercely independent, I only had myself to rely on.

Instead of worrying and stressing, I started my skeleton. I identified the bare essentials: a large tri-fold board, five key facts about my heritage and a small display space. That was my frame. Then, I slowly added the “meat” by reflecting on the project daily and documenting whatever came to mind. On Monday, I found a single picture of a traditional Longhouse. On Tuesday, I wrote three sentences about Kueh Lapis. On Wednesday, I pulled a piece of Pua Kumbu fabric from the cupboard to use as a runner.

I continued this process, adding just a little each day, until my skeleton became a “human”; a vibrant, detailed exhibition. By then, I had deciphered the solution while others were in a last-minute panic. It’s quite simple, isn’t it?

By contributing even a minuscule amount of just 1% to everything we do, it eventually accumulates into something significant. Sometimes being hardworking is not doing everything all at once. It could be doing a few things to the best of our ability in an attempt to complete a few tasks.

Life can be daunting, taxing even. But when you orchestrate your days and nights, the path becomes clear. Plan your wake-up time, your tasks and your destinations. Once it is written down, your expectations are defined and you can move! One step at a time, one drop of water at a time. Watch how your tasks sort themselves out and how your life becomes less complicated.

Trust me on this; I have been doing this since I was a child and it has never failed me.

Vocabulary Gallery

Ramifications: The complex or unwelcome consequences of an action or event.

Fend: To look after and provide for oneself without help from others.

Fundamental: Forming a necessary base or core; of central importance.

Deciphered: Succeeded in understanding, interpreting or identifying something complicated.

Minuscule: Extremely small; tiny.

Accumulates: To gather or acquire an increasing number or quantity of something.

Daunting: Seeming difficult to deal with in anticipation; intimidating.

Orchestrate: To plan or coordinate something complex to achieve a desired effect.

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The ocean of fluency begins with a single drop. Just as the skeleton principle turns a basic idea into a complete solution, mastering a language starts with the small, disciplined steps of learning one word and one phrase at a time. At ILTI, we help you build that foundation so you can move through the world with clarity and confidence.

Your English learning journey starts here. Call/WhatsApp: 010-395 3067 or email us at info@ilti.edu.my

 

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