Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • December 2014
7
Randy T. Gi lmore, Owner/President , Marching Show Concepts, Inc.
What if you suddenly arrived
at the place you’ve wished for, or
dreamed about, or worked so hard
to get to... Would you recognize it?
Do you know what it looks like?
Have you taken the time to
really see it in your mind? If not,
what would keep you from going
right past it? Or even missing an
opportunity to end up there?
In
The Seven Habits of Highly
Effective People
by Stephen Covey,
Perhaps the most practical, maybe
even the most powerful, of those
habits is Dr. Covey’s advice to “Begin
with THE END in mind.” Success,
by design. Whether a blueprint for
your next year’s marching band
program or a recruitment plan for
building your instrumentation. It
works. Begin with THE END in
mind. That’s how to arrive at any
destination you desire. It’s been
said many different ways over the
years...Start any project or goal by
thinking about where you want to
end up.
Epictetus (like Shakespeare, but
older) got the ball rolling toward
THE END in the second century
when he wrote, “First say to
yourself what you would be, then
do what you have to do.” That is
beginning with THE END in mind.
“I choose...THIS!” Now how can
I become that? Or how can I get
there? Or how can
we make it happen?
The answers are in
the questions and
and in knowing
what success looks
like when you
arrive there. Ask
yourself what your
program might
look like and then
begin the process to
arrive there one day. It takes hard
personal work on yourself, your
strengths, your skills, your values
and how you can bring that value
to your students until you arrive at
THE END you have in mind.
If today is the first day of the rest
of your life...how will you begin it?
How will you begin your list of new
beginnings? Beginning can be easy
to do. Like... Beginning to write
hand-written notes to say thank
you. Beginning new students on
instruments that you are going to
be short on in two years. Beginning
to learn about new teaching
techniques or reviewing techniques
from someone (you consider
successful) has recommended.
Beginning to write
down your goals.
Beginning your
new
teaching
techniques.
Begin with
something new in
mind... The End...
the who or what,
the someone or
something you
want to become.
Beginning with THE END in mind
is a major key in discovering your
success. Understanding when
you do, that the real payoff (the
arriving) is in THE BECOMING.
What you will become on your way
to THE END.
Successful directors and
successful programs know it lies
in our personal commitment to go
there…All the way to THE END.
Here’s to great Endings!
Start With The End in Mind !
Ask yoursel f
what your
program might
look l ike and
then begin the
process to
arrive there
one day.