The Big Rocks
unknown
Author
One day, an expert was speaking to a group of business students. To
drive home a point, he used an illustration those students will never
forget. 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. Next 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."
He replied, "Really?" and reached under the table to pull 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.
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.
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 faith, your education, your
finances? A cause? Teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these
BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all. Tonight or in the
morning when you are reflecting on this story, ask yourself this
question: what are the "big rocks" in my life or business? Then put
those in your jar first.
