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The Big
Rocks
By DOUG INGRAM
United States Olympic Committee
A while back I was reading
about an expert on the 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 I’m sure those students will never forget. After I share it
with you, you’ll never forget it either.
As this man stood in front
of the group of high-powered over-achievers 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 smiled and 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. And 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."
The title of this letter is
‘The "Big Rocks" of Life’. What are the big rocks in your life? A project
that YOU want to accomplish? Time with your loved ones? Your faith, your
education, your finances? A cause? Teaching or monitoring others? Remember
to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you’ll never get them in at all.
So, tonight when you are
reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the
"big rocks" in my life or business? Put those in your jar tomorrow. |