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An expert on
the subject of time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive
home a point, used an illustration.
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 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 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 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 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, "ThatŽs not the point. The truth this
illustration teaches us is: If you donŽt put the big rocks in first, youŽll 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?
Teatching or mentoring others?
Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or youŽll never get them in at
all. |
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