There is an illustrative anecdote that is often used in time management lectures that is worth retelling. One day an old professor was invited to lecture on the topic of Efficient Time Management, so goes the tale.
Standing in front of this group of elite managers he said, "We are going to conduct an experiment". From under the table that stood between him and the listeners, the professor pulled out a big glass jar and gently placed it on the table. Next, he pulled out from under the table a bag of stones, each the size of a tennis ball, and placed the stones one by one in the jar. He did so until there was no room to add another stone in the jar.
Lifting his gaze to the managers, the professor asked, "Is the jar full?" The managers replied, "Yes". The professor paused for a moment, and replied, "Really?" Once again, he reached under the table and pulled out a bag full of pebbles.
Carefully, the professor poured the pebbles in and slightly shook the jar, allowing the pebbles to slip through the larger stones, until they settled at the bottom. Again, the professor lifted his gaze to his audience and asked, "Is the jar full?" At this point, the managers began to understand his intentions.
One replied, "Apparently not!" "Correct", replied the old professor, now pulling out a bag of sand from under the table. Cautiously, the professor poured the sand into the jar. The sand filled up the spaces between the stones and the pebbles. Yet again, the professor asked, "Is the jar full?" Without hesitation, the entire group of students replied in unison, "NO!" "Correct", replied the professor. The professor reached for the pitcher of water that was on the table, and poured water in the jar until it was absolutely full.
What great truths can we surmise from this experiment?
Life Is A Finite Resource, Use It Wisely
The jar in this experiment represents a resource in general, and time specifically. What is true about time is also true about most resources especially life itself. The jar has a certain fixed or finite capacity. It could not be stretched or enlarged. Similarly, our days are all 24 hour cycles. They can neither be shortened nor elongated. However, as amply illustrated by this experiment we can all do more with the resources that we already have. The professor did not have to buy another jar in order to fit in the stones, the pebbles, the sand and the water. His solution was to be creative with what he already had. Often we make the mistake of looking for solutions elsewhere when we already have the solutions within reach. We will all have one life, and the truth is that there are so many outstanding achievements that we can fit into that life. There are many accomplishments that can be fitted into a day, week, month or year.
Success In Life Requires A Strategy
What is your life strategy? For the professor to fit in the stones, pebbles, sand and water into a jar he had to have a viable strategy. Many people aspire to be more and become more; to achieve more and become counted, but their greatest let down is that they do not have a strategy. For everything you wish to achieve you need to take time to think through a strategy and a plan for its accomplishment. Achievements rarely happen accidentally or coincidentally. They are made to happen.
Life Demands Priorities
The professor was alert to the fact that he had stones, pebbles, sand and water all clamoring to be fitted into a jar of finite capacity. Such is the nature of life. There are seemingly too many competing demands being made daily on our limited resources. Too many expenses to be serviced by a limited budget; too much work to be done by too few people; too many things to be done in a limited time; too many people seeking help from so few philanthropists-the list is endless.
The big stones are a representation of the most important things in our lives. The great truth that we can conclude from this experiment is: If we don't put all the larger stones in the jar first, we will never be able to fit all of them later. However, the great question is, "What are the large stones in your life? Health? Family? Friends? Your goals? Doing what you love? Fighting for a Cause? Taking time for yourself?"
What must be remembered is that it is most important to include the larger stones in our lives first, because if we don't do so, we are likely to miss out on life altogether. If we give priority to the smaller things in life such as the pebbles and sand, our lives will be filled up with less important things, leaving little or no time for the things in our lives that are most important to us. Because of this, never forget to ask yourself, 'What are the Large Stones in your Life?' And once you identify them, be sure to put them first in your 'Jar of Life'". There is no one who does nothing during his lifetime. The difference is that some concentrate on the more important issues, while others focus on the minor and peripheral issues and only wake up to their folly when it is too late. Worse still some people have never defined and differentiated the stones from the pebbles, and the pebbles from the sand and the sand from the water. For this reason, they are busy like other people, but they have nothing but frustrations to show for their efforts.
Fill The Spaces In Your Life
After putting the stones in the jar the professor noticed that there were spaces between them. Likewise after the pebbles and the sand there were still spaces. These spaces represented opportunities to do more. No matter how busy or successful we think we are, there are still opportunities out there waiting to be exploited. There is a space for one more big achievement. Go for it.
Be opportunity minded.
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