Put the Big Rocks in First

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. 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 is; this illustration teaches us that 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.

So . . . . you are probably asking yourself "what dies this have to do with knowing no boundaries?" Well my friends, it has everything to do with it.

We have gotten to a point in our society where we are trying to stuff more & more into the same amout of hours in a day while expecting the same results. We have spread ourselves soooo thin, that there is no way that we can perform at the same level as before.

We seem to have segmented our lives; spiritual, family, financial, physical, professional, social, emotional, etc. Each of these little segments has their own "boundary" so as not to allow anything from one segment to merge in with another. Herein lies the fallacy. Everything interacts with everything else. We cannot have a strong family segment without also having a strong spiritual segment. We cannot have a strong professional segment without having a strong financial segment. In actuality, each segment supports the other. Having a one week segment has the potential to weaken the whole.

We NEED to break the boundaries of each segment allowing each one to influence the other thereby strengthening each at the same time.

Think about it.

Have a blessed weekend & God Bless;
K2