Purpose

That depends a good deal on where you want to get to

Begin at the beginning,

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately,

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.

Lost time is never found again;

Drive thy business, let not that drive thee;

The eye of the master will do more work than both his hands:

he that lives upon hope will die fasting.

One to-day is worth two to-morrows,

Never leave that till to-morrow, which you can do to-day.

the journey of a thousand li commenced with a single step.

Remember that you are an actor in a drama of such sort as the Author chooses—

In every affair consider what precedes and what follows, and then undertake it.

Never proclaim yourself a philosopher, nor make much talk among the ignorant about your principles, but show them by actions.

Spend not the remnant of thy days in thoughts and fancies concerning other men, when it is not in relation to some common good,

In the morning when thou findest thyself unwilling to rise, consider with thyself presently, it is to go about a man's work that I am stirred up.

A chicken instead of a pheasant.

Eat the pheasant and its eggs.

Hold the rite while the rice cake is at hand.

Pouring water into a bottomless jar.

With too many boatmen, the boat goes up a mountain.

Even when digging a well, dig one well.

Even a thousand-ri journey begins with one step.

Beginning is half the task.