There was an expert on subject of time
management. One day this expert was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive
home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget.As this man stood
in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a
quiz."
Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason 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 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 spaces between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more,
"Is the jar full?"
By this time the class was onto 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 and it went into all 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 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 some more things into 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?
A project that YOU want to accomplish?
Time with your loved ones?
Your education, your finances?
Teaching or mentoring others?
Do you regard God as one of the big rocks?
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 or business? Then, put those in your
jar first.