In a normal week, there is a lot of work that I need to get done. Practicing piano, homework, writing an article, and chores are things that I have every week. However, every once in a while, I have a week where there are a few more things that I want to get done. It’s on these weeks that I really need to think about my priorities.
Our school’s guidance counselor once taught us students how to prioritize. Except she used an interesting analogy that has stuck in my mind ever since. Imagine that you are holding a jar, and you need to fill it with rocks, pebbles, sand, and water. If you put in a bunch of water, then sand, then maybe a few pebbles, there won’t be any room for the big rocks. However, if you put the rocks in first, then pebbles, then sand, and water last, then you find that the jar will hold all of them. In the same way, if you get the big, important things done first, you have time for everything.
If the rocks represent the things that you should get done first, and the water represents the kinds of things that just like to do for fun, then I like how it shows that there is only a certain amount of time for everything. If you sacrifice some of that time by watching TV, you may not have time to get your homework done. That’s something I think about when I have a busy week. I try to consider what I need to get done and when I’ll have the time to do it.
I think it’s always important to get your work done first, but I don’t think you should get everything done at once. If you truly put in all your big rocks first, that would mean days of tirelessly working on everything. I don’t know about other people, but that would just stress me out. I would end up feeling like I had too much to accomplish, and I wasn’t getting enough done.
My mother once told me that you eat an elephant one bite at a time. I remember this because it introduced me to the idea that some things don’t need to be done at one time. They can be worked on, bit by bit, until you finish them. I think that priorities should be like that. To some degree, you need to get them done first, but they shouldn’t be worked on all at once.
Getting your priorities done is important, but it’s also good to keep in mind that taking care of yourself is also a priority. If you put a rock in the jar, then a little bit of water, then another rock, you’ll have time for everything. As long as you remember to keep putting in the rocks. See you next week!
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