The Wholesaler’s Jar of Life

As sent to us by an employee in 1999 and recently unearthed.

The internet cites a host of different sources, whom we’d be delighted to credit, if the real original author was clear. 

One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget.

As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, “Okay, time for a quiz” and he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth Mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar.

When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?”

Everyone in the class yelled, “Yes.” The time management expert replied, “Really?”

He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.

He then asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?”

By this time the class was on to him. “Probably not,” one of them answered.

“Good!” he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel.

Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?”

“No!” the class shouted. Once again he said, “Good.” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”

One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!”

“No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point.”

“The truth this illustration teaches us is if you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.

What are the ‘big rocks’ in your life; time with your loved ones, your faith, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others?

Remember to put the BIG ROCKS in your “jar of life” first or you’ll never get them in at all.”

Along the same theme of this message was our recent Sunday Night Email – which, if you don’t receive, makes for some terrific reading to start your week. Subscribe here.

Non-stop dull roar.

Like the endless din of traffic on a freeway, only quiet in the dead of night.

It’s the constant, never ending stream of business thoughts cascading through your head.

You find it nearly impossible to turn off the barrage of to-dos that live on paper, in apps and in your mind.

Unlike the 9-5 worker, our jobs lifestyles have this built-in occupational hazard.

And if you’re not careful it will overtake you.

And you’ll become frequently overwhelmed.

Unless you take time.

Time to stop.

Time to listen.

Time to just be.

We were reminded this week of Headspace – check it out.

At Wholesaler Masterminds® we are committed to the art, science, and lifestyle of wholesaling. How may we assist you?