I've had a pretty rough couple of months, one way and another, with my health, enthusiasm, self-worth and energy taking a beating in a number of areas in my life, all at the same time. So when this parable was related to me by a colleague who has experienced more than his own share of setbacks, it certainly struck a chord. Apparently it is known as "The Pickle Jar Theory of Time Management", but I think it has a wider application in terms of keeping balance in life, and "not sweating the small stuff" (another useful cliche).
Here's how it was explained to me:
A teacher places a large empty pickle jar on his desk at the front of the class, and puts in as many rocks as he can.
He asks the class if the jar is full, and of course they reply that it is.
He then picks up several handfuls of pebbles and adds as many as he can to the jar. The class again agrees that the jar is now full.
Next, he pours in some sand. Quite a lot of sand, in fact, until it reaches the top of the jar. "Is it full now?" "Yes!!"
But no, because he picks up a big jug of water and proceeds to empty it into the jar.
I'm sure you get the point: make room for the big things in life first (health, happiness, family, friends etc). Less important things will just have to fit around them, and if there ends up being enough room for some of the really unimportant stuff, fair enough.
But if you start with the sand, there simply won't be room for all those rocks.
And now those cartoons I promised, either or both of which may or may not apply to me.
3 comments:
Lol - no comment from me re the cartoons. I'm sure Oliver would find sympathy with both of them (apart from the possibility of my having a large internet following - that's so far from the truth that even he would be able to spot that lie!). I'm off now to chuck out the sand from my pickle jar. I need to leave room for those bulkier problems ;-)
By the way, I assumed that in the 2nd cartoon the dog represents his entire fan base. ;-)
And yes Kate, I must admit your interpretation of the Pickle Jar Theory is more akin to my own LOL.
That undoubtedly puts important things into perspective, does it not? When wondering about what's important and vital enough to fill up your entire day with, it really is hard to ignore this particular idea.
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