|
Get Your Priorities Straight by Maria Gracia Once at workshop, a time management expert stood in front of the group he was presenting to and said, "Okay, time for a quiz." He pulled out a one-gallon, wide mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then he produced a dozen large 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 group answered, "Yes." He replied, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he proceeded to pour the gravel into the jar. He shook the jar, causing the pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the rocks. He continued to do this until no more gravel could fit. Then he asked once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time, the group was onto him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he replied. He reached under the table, brought out a bucket of sand and started dumping the sand in. 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 group 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. He looked up at the group and asked, "All right, what is the point of this illustration?" One business professional raised her hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit more things into it!" "No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The point is that 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? More time with your loved ones? Advancement in your education? Business growth? Greater wealth? Something else that you've always wanted to accomplish? If you don't take the time to prioritize (put your major goals in first), then all your time will be used up by less important things. Make an appointment with yourself today to think about and reflect on this story. Ask yourself the question: What are the major goals in my life or business? Then, remember to put these major goals in first, or you'll never get them in at all. by Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now!™ Want to get organized? Get your FREE Get Organized Now!™ Idea-Pak, filled with tips and ideas to help you organize your home, your office and your life, at the Get Organized Now!™ Web site http://www.getorganizednow.com Editors and publishers are free to reprint this article as long as it's reprinted in its entirety and the signature line remains intact. Maria Gracia Get Organized Now!™ 611 Arlington Way Watertown WI 53094 Click to Return to Article Index 
Click Here for Contact InformationCopyright 1998 - 2009 Effective Business Systems Get Organized Now!™ 611 Arlington Way Watertown, WI 53094 |
Free Get Organized Now!™ Idea-Pak The free Get Organized Now!™ Idea-Pak is filled with more than 50 tips to help you organize your home, your office and your life!
Free Get OrganizedNow!™ Newsletter Want hundreds of little-known tips to help you organize your home, your office and your life? Get our free, weekly Get Organized Now!™ E-mail Newsletter. It's read by thousands of subscribers, each month. We respect your privacy. Your e-mail address will never be shared with or sold to anyone.
|