One day an expert in time management
was speaking to a group of business
students and, to drive home a point,
used an illustration those students
will never forget. As he stood in front of
the group of high-powered over achievers
he said, Okay, time for a quiz.
Then he pulled out a one-gallon,
wide mouth mason jar and
set it on the table in front of him.
Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized
rocks and carefully placed them,
one at a time, into the jar. When the jar
was filled to the top and no more
rocks would fit inside, he asked,
Is this jar full?
Everyone in the class said, Yes.
Then he said, "Really?"
He reached under the table and
pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he
dumped some gravel in and shook
the jar causing pieces of gravel to
work themselves down into the space
between the big rocks. Then he asked the
group once more, Is the jar full?
By this time the class was on to him.
Probably not, one of them answered.
Good he replied.
He reached under the table and
brought out a bucket of sand. He started
dumping the sand in the jar and it
went into all of the spaces left between
the rocks and the gravel.
Once more he asked the question,
Is this jar full? No the class shouted.
Once again he said, Good.
Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and
began to pour it in until the jar was
filled to the brim. Then he looked at
the class and asked, What is the point
of this illustration? One eager beaver
raised his hand and said, The point is,
no matter how full your schedule is,
if you try really hard you can always fit
some more things in it.
No, the speaker replied,
that's not the point.
The truth this illustration teaches us is:
If you don't put the big rocks in first,
you'll never get them in at all.
What are the big rocks in your life?
Time with your loved ones?
faith, education, your dreams?
A worthy cause?
Teaching or mentoring others?
Remember to put these BIG ROCKS
in first or you'll never get them in at all.
So, tonight, or in the morning,
when you are reflecting on this
short story, ask yourself this question:
What are the big rocks in my life?
Then, put those in your jar first.
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