Get Your Rocks In
Many of us have probably seen this before, but it’s a lesson worth sharing again and again. The above video shows Steven Covey as he demonstrates how prioritization can allow us to do everything we need to do in our lives, but only when the top priorities are handled first. The below video from IKEA shows much the same demonstration, albeit as the principle relates to interior decoration (and in much higher resolution).
Much like the lion starving on a diet of field mice, many of us often put the small rocks–errands, extraneous web-surfing, needless expenses–in the finite container that are our days. When we do this, the big rocks–relationships, health, vacation expenses–are often crowded out. As IKEA shows in their video, this principle can extent to design, where the inclusion of less important stuff can leave little room for essentials.
Today, let’s take a tip from Stephen Covey and IKEA and focus on the big rocks first.