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 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 jar 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.
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, the BIG ROCKS first; otherwise you'll 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 or business?  When you are ready, put those in your jar first.