"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 overachievers
he said, "Okay, time for a quiz" and he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth mason
jar and set it on the table in front of him.
He also 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 yelled, "Yes." The time management
expert replied, "Really?" He 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. He then 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, your faith, your 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.