Put more energy into what you value most instead of things that don’t really matter.
We fill our lives by putting energy and effort into what matters most to us.
There’s a popular demonstration to illustrate this idea called “Jar of Life.” A jar is filled with
When you fill the jar with the big rocks first, then the little rocks, and then the sand, everything fits in the jar. If you reverse the process and start with sand, then little rocks, then big rocks, not everything fits in the jar.
This process illustrates that when we fill our time with the most important things first, the little rocks and sand can be worked in. But, when our time is consumed by unimportant things, we run out of space for what really matters.
A twist on this idea is to exchange the big rocks for balloons. So, instead of trying to add more unimportant things into our jar, what if we decided to put more air into our balloons? In other words, what if we put more time, energy, and effort into the things that matter most? What happens when we stop jamming more unimportant sand into our life?
There’s nothing wrong with having some little rocks and sand in your jar. We need variety in our lives. We need opportunities to rest and rejuvenate so that when the time comes we can fully focus on what we value.
Next time you’re feeling like you don’t have time to focus on what you value, ask yourself:
Remember, when you feel like you’re falling short, or when there’s just not enough time in the day, don’t cram in more sand. Try putting more air in your balloons.