Create a decision making framework for the week

Learn to schedule your priorities rather than prioritizing your schedule which is filled with Quadrant I and III activities.

There is a story mentioned in the book that needs to be included because it really helps one understand the point of prioritizing the right activities. The following story has been copy-pasted from the book.

‘I attended a seminar once where the instructor was lecturing on time. At one point, he said, “Okay, it’s time for a quiz.” He reached under the table and pulled out a wide-mouth gallon jar. He set it on the table next to a platter with some fist-sized rocks on it. “How many of these rocks do you think we can get in the jar?” he asked.

After we made our guess, he said, “Okay. Let’s find out.” He set one rock in the jar . . . then another . . . then another. I don’t remember how many he got in, but he got the jar full. Then he asked, “Is that jar full?” Everybody looked at the rocks and said, “Yes.” Then he said, “Ahhh.” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar and the gravel went in all the little spaces left by the big rocks. Then he grinned and said once more, “Is the jar full?”

By this time we were on to him. “Probably not,” we said. “Good!” he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went in all the little spaces left by the rocks and the gravel. Once more he looked at us and said, “Is the jar full?”

“No!” we all roared. He said, “Good!” and he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in. He got something like a quart of water in that jar. Then he said, “Well, what’s the point?” Somebody said, “Well, there are gaps, and if you really work at it, you can always fit more into your life.” “No,” he said, “that’s not the point. The point is this: if you hadn’t put these big rocks in first, would you ever have gotten any of them in?”

Always remember that the Quadrant II goals are like big rocks, if you don’t prioritize them, you won’t be able to fit them in. It is important to understand that when listing priorities in your weekly planner, some activities can’t be scheduled but can only be prioritized. For example if your goal is to take care of your sick mother, you can not predict when she needs you most but you can decide that it is priority for you and you will follow through when you are needed even if you have other things scheduled.

Would you like to see the visual?

Read/Watch the above story/video and reflect on what are your big rocks?