This has been doing the rounds for many years, i like it because it makes sense.
A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items in
front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty jar and
proceeded to fill it with rocks about 2" in diameter.
Then he asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that
it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into
the jar of rocks. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into
the spaces between the rocks. The students laughed.
He asked his students again if the jar was full. They said yes, it
was. The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of
course, the sand filled up everything else.
“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this is
your life.
The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner,
your health, your children - anything that is so important to you that if it
were to be lost, you would be nearly destroyed.
The pebbles are the other things in life that matter, but on a
smaller scale. They are things like your job, your house, your car.
The sand is everything else - the small stuff.
If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no
room for the rocks. The same goes for your life.
If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, material
things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important.
Pay attention to the things that are critical in your life. Play
with your children. Take your partner out dancing.
There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a
dinner party and fix the car.
Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. Set
your priorities. The rest is just pebbles and sand.”
