Do you think about only big things and ignore the little ones, thinking they’re of no importance? If so, this story that Stephen Covey shares in First Things First may be of interest:

A time management expert was speaking to a group of business students who were high-powered over-achievers. “Time for a quiz,” he said.

He pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. Then, he produced a dozen or so fist-sized rocks and carefully place 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.”

“Really?” He asked as he reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel into the jar and shook it so the pieces worked their way into the spaces between the big rocks.

Once again he asked if the jar was full. Now the class was on to him. “Probably not,” replied a student. “Good!” He replied.

He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand, which he dumped into the jar. The sand filled the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked, “Is the jar full?”

“No!” The class shouted.

“Good,” he said as he grabbed a pitcher of water and poured the water until the jar until it was filled to the brim.

He looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”

One student raised his hand and said, “The point is that no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!”

“No,” he 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.“

Too often, we let what’s urgent become the “big rocks” and crowd out what’s truly important—our real “big rocks.”

You and your big rocks

Look back over the last week. Think about how many of these “big rocks” were in your schedule.

Connection. Did you support a colleague in need? Comment on a blog? Talk to the stranger? Tell someone they did a good job? Have coffee with someone you wanted to get to know?

Self-appreciation. Did you inventory all the good things you are and do? Or just what you aren’t or don’t have?  Did you rejoice in your strengths? Cut yourself some slack for your weaknesses?

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself. ~Harvey Fierstein, playwright

Self-care. Did you exercise? Take a walk? Take in the beautiful flowers? Balance out eating the mini-bag of Cheetos with a salad and an apple? Get enough sleep? Use moisturizer and sunblock every day? Did you pay attention to your feelings? Did you show strength by reaching out for support when you needed a boost?

Fun. Did you read, watch, or listen to something funny? Play? Dance? Sing along to the radio as you drove? Did you get silly with a friend and giggle until you had to pee? Give yourself permission to take a break or may be even do nothing? Enjoy a rollicking belly laugh?

Growth. Did you learn something new? Hold yourself accountable for doing something you said you were going to do? Invest in feeding your soul and that of others? Consider (without beating yourself up) how you could do something better next time?

Give thanks. Did you express appreciation? Feel gratitude? Say thank you? Did you let yourself be satisfied with excellence (which is doable) instead of perfection (which isn’t)?

Channel fear. Did you let your fears control what you did or didn’t do? Did you use your fear as a catalyst for doing what needed to be done? Did you express curiosity rather than judgment?

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. ~Nelson Mandela, activist

Reflect. Did you carve out a few minutes to ponder? Stare out the window? To be and not do?

What will you do tomorrow?

What are your big rocks? How will you fit them in going forward?

Image credit before quote added: Pixabay