Big Rocks

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.”
He pulled out a one-gallon wide-mouth Mason jar. Then he carefully placed about a dozen fist sized rocks, 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 the jar full?”

Everyone in the class said, “Yes.”

He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel, dumped some in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the space between the big rocks. He asked the group again, “Is the jar full?”

By this time the class was on to him. “Probably not,” one of them allowed.

“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 the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Again he asked, “Is the jar full?”

The class was quiet.

Once more he said, “Good.” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. He looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”

One eager student raised his hand and said, “No matter how full your schedule is, you can always fit some more things in.”

“No,” the speaker replied, “That's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is this: 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? Your children....your loved ones....your education....your dreams....a worthy cause....teaching or mentoring others....doing things that you love....time for yourself....your health....your significant help to others.”

“Remember to put these big rocks in first or you'll never get them in at all. If you sweat the little stuff (the gravel, the sand) then you'll fill your life with little things to worry about that don't really matter, and you'll never have the real quality time you need to spend on the big, important stuff (the big rocks). 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.