Big rocks of life
An expert was speaking to a group of business students and to drive home
a point, used an illustration, which the students never forgot. The expert pulled out a one-gallon,
widemouthed jar and set it on a table in front of him. He placed about a dozen
fist-sized rocks, one at a time, into the jar.
When the jar was full to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"
Everyone in the class said, "Yes." Then he reached under the table, pulled out a bucket of
gravel, dumped some gravel in and shook the jar, causing pieces of gravel to work down into
the spaces between the big rocks. 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, which filled the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked
the same question "Is this jar full?" "No!" the class shouted. Once again he said, "Good!" Then
he grabbed a pitcher of water and began pouring it in until the jar was full to the brim. He
looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?"
A student 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. So,
tonight when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the
"big rocks" in my life or business? Then, put those in your jar.
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