"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 over achievers 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. Then 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 this illustration teaches us is if you do not 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 BIGROCKS in first or you will 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."