Time is equal for everyone
This weekend, I had the chance to attend SYC's hiking tour. At 0930am, we met at Punggol MRT Exit A and crossed the mall to get to Punggol Waterway Park. The mentors for the week were Mr. Per Magnusson, CEO of Jebsen & Jessen, an industrial enterprise doing manufacturing, engineering, and distribution activities, and Prof. Ricky, Chair Professor of SUTD.
Due to covid restrictions, we had to walk in groups of 2, hence every few kilometers we would switch pairs to get to know the most number of people.
For the first portion of the hike, we walked through Punggol Waterway Park towards Coney Island. The trial was really scenic as it was beside a small man-made river and had lush greenery covering the sides of the trail. However, what I found interesting about the park was how it was integrated seamlessly with the mall and the residential buildings surrounding it.
Afterward, we walked through Coney Island from the east entrance to the west entrance. As Coney Island was further away from civilisation, it was a nice and peaceful hike surrounded by nature.
Finally, we looped back from Coney Island to Punggol MRT station, but along the way back, we stopped at a gathering point to listen to Mr. Magnusson's insights. In Sweden, which is where Mr. Magnusson was from, they believe in equality and having an egalitarian society, but it is almost impossible and impractical for everyone to be equal. However, there is one resource that is equal for everyone: time. Everyone only has 24 hours a day no matter who they are or what they do.
Therefore, it is important for one to be able to manage time well to make the most out of these 24 hours. To do so, one must have a list of tasks based on their importance and clear these tasks from most important to least important. Even though some tasks, are less interesting to do than others, they still must be done according to their importance.
As such, if one is able to work in an industry they are passionate about, clearing important tasks will feel like less of a chore. But what if one’s passions are different from one’s strengths? This question was answered by Prof. Ricky. If one is passionate about something, they shouldn’t be too bad at it. On the other hand, if one is not passionate about what they’re good at, how do they really know they are good at that subject? Hence the most important thing one should do when they’re still young is to go out and explore as many areas as possible to find one’s passion and see if working in that industry is a good fit.
This general sentiment was shared by the fellow youths I interacted with. Fortunately for me, I do not have to choose my university specialisation yet, therefore after this hike, I will definitely expose myself to more experiences to hopefully find my true passion and excel at it.