Time Management, Overachievers
and the Big Rocks Of Life
Something to Think About...
A while back I was reading about an expert on subject of timemanagement. One day this expert was speaking to a group of businessstudents and, to drive home a point, used an illustration I'm sure thosestudents will never forget. After I share it with you, you'll neverforget it either.
As this man stood in front of the group ofhigh-powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz." Then hepulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table infront of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks andcarefully 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." Thenhe said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucketof gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causingpieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the bigrocks. Then he smiled and asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?"
By this time the class was onto him. "Probably not," one of themanswered. "Good!" he replied. And he reached under the table andbrought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and itwent into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel.
Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?" "No!" the classshouted. Once again he said, "Good!" Then he grabbed a pitcher ofwater and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Thenhe looked up at the class and asked, "What is the point of thisillustration?"
One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter howfull your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit somemore things into it!"
"No," the speaker replied, "that's not thepoint. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don't put thebig rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all." The title of thisletter is the "Big Rocks" of Life.
What are the big rocks in your life? A project that YOU want toaccomplish? Time with your loved ones? Your faith, your education,your finances? A cause? Teaching or mentoring others? Remember to putthese 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 shortstory, ask yourself this question: What are the "big rocks" in my lifeor business? Then, put those in your jar.
Author Unknown --- Submitted by Fran Sawyer - Florida