big rocks - a time management story
one day an expert on time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration.
as this man stood in front of the group of high-powered over-achievers he said, "okay, time for a quiz."
he pulled out a very large, wide-mouthed jar and set it on a 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 could fit inside, he asked, "is this jar full?" everyone in the class said yes.
he said, "really?" . . . then reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar, causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.
then he smiled and asked the group once more, "is the jar full?"
by this time the class was on to him. "probably not," was the answer.
"good!" he replied. and he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. he started dumping the sand in and it went into the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. again he asked, "is the jar full?"
"no!" the class practically shouted.
again he said, "good!" then he took a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim.
again he asked, "is the jar full?"
many in the class said yes. others weren't so sure, and they smiled as he took a salt shaker and emptied it into the jar, as well.
then -- the time management expert looked up 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 something more into it."
"no," the speaker replied. "that lesson *could* be drawn from this illustration, but that's not the point i wish to make. the truth this illustration teaches us is: "if you don't put the big rocks in first, you won't get them in at all."
the title of this is "big rocks." what are the big rocks in your life? a project you want to accomplish? time with loved ones? education? your faith, your fitness, your finances? a cause?
know what your own big rocks are, and remember to put them in first, or you won't get them in at all.
