Posts
One day an expert was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As this man stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz." Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a 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 full?" Everyone in the class said, "Yes." Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he 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 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. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went into all 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 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, "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."
This was from a recent school lesson about time management. It's so true that if you don't put the "big rocks" in first, you'll never get them in at all. I was falling into the trap of thinking that things would just happen. Staying home most days with my children I thought, "I have plenty of time to clean, cook, spend time with my kids, study, etc." which is true, but without taking control of my time my days were slipping by and I felt I wasn't accomplishing much. After this lesson I started scheduling my days, hour by hour, even if I was home. I have had time to study my scriptures, teach my children things like how to tie, how to fold laundry, etc., clean my home, complete my homework, exercise. It isn't magic, but it feels magical because when you take control of your time you get so much more done.
It's not just getting things done either, it's getting important things done. I start my daily schedule by listing at the top my big rocks like eternal life, getting my degree, and preparing my children for school and life. Then I have to decide how those things fit into my hourly schedule. I schedule the time in for prayer and scripture study first, then I decide where to fit my homework in and lessons with each of my children. Around those things I plan the rest of my day, things like laundry, making dinner, naps, etc. It has been so beneficial and my days at home with my children are much more productive and calm.
So, what are your "big rocks"? Are you making the time for them in your life? Are you taking control of the gift of time which God has given you? The thing with time is, you can't get it back once you've spent it. Invest the time you have and be wise with it. One day we will all stand accountable before the Lord for what we did with the time we were given.
