Is The Jar Full?
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."
Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set it on the
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 space between the big rocks. Then he 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.
He then 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? 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 other? 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 you 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). 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."
--This e-mail was forwarded to me
by Janet. Thanks, Janet!!!
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This page was last updated on March 14, 2000