In one of my favorite books, First Things First, written by Stephen Covey with Roger and Rebecca Merrill, is a story of the man in front of his class with a pile of rocks and a jar. He puts the rocks in the jar, and then asks the class "Is it full?" "Yes," they answer in unison. "Oh?" he replies, and gets out some pebbles, which he adds to the jar. "Is it full?" he asks. Catching on, they reply, "Probably not." And then he added sand. And, finally, some water. "What does that tell you?" he asked. Answers included comments like "You can always squeeze something else in" or "Just get started." "Oh, not at all!" he said. "If you don't put the rocks in first, there won't be any room for the them.
I used to feel that if I just got organized enough or managed my time well enough, or even prayed enough, I would be able to get everything done that I wanted or needed to. But I'm convinced it's a myth. A creative mind always has more ideas than the physical body can carry out. Our only hope of inner peace is identifying the rocks in our lives, and making sure we get those things on our calendar. And the rest will fall into place. But if we don't know what the rocks are, or we don't put them in our lives first, we will never find the peace we seek.
Recently I was asked by a magazine to write an article. I had the deadline on my calendar. As I was checking messages on my car phone between appointments I heard a message from the magazine editor saying, "I'm going into a meeting this afternoon at 3:00, and I need your outline." Oops! Somehow I had forgotten to get the outline in my calendar. I glanced at my clock. Thirty minutes before I needed to leave for the next appointment. I raced home, turned on the computer, and cranked out an outline.
I know that if I had blocked out two hours to write the outline, it would have taken two hours -- but what I did in thirty minutes was perfectly acceptable to the editor. Much of our life is like that. If we make up our minds as to what is really important, and put it in our calendar, we will get it done. The real challenge is identifying what is really important -- what are the rocks? Glenna Salsbury, a professional speaker from Paradise Valley, Arizona, whose company is called "An Enduring Influence," says that it is important to identify five key values in your life. All of us can come up with four very quickly, but it is the fifth one, which is often our "unique factor." The immediate values, which came to my mind, were "a peaceful home," "good health" "meaningful work" and "healthy relationships." But what about that fifth one?
I've given it hours of thought as I wait in airports and creep through traffic jams. I just couldn't put my feelings in words until I read the letter from my pastor in the Sunday bulletin last week, and he said it beautifully -- God's love through me. What a rock! The father of a friend of mine put it another way: "I always want people to feel glad they saw me." Certainly I'm not always successful, but it's a wonderful goal and I will put a reminder on my calendar every week.
What are your rocks?
? Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.productiveenvironment.com
"My job is an endless series of deadlines, I am... Read More
Keeping on task and getting organized starts with a basic... Read More
Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of organizing your home? Start... Read More
We are in a society where people are applauded for... Read More
The following procedures will insure an organized and well run... Read More
Parenting is always a challenge, but particularly so if your... Read More
Back-to-school time ? what does that mean to you? For... Read More
Do you use to-do lists? Do you find it satisfying... Read More
Time has flown. It's been six months since you came... Read More
"Do something every day that you don't want to-do; this... Read More
How many of us have enough time to do everything... Read More
"Organize" is a familiar word heard on many of today's... Read More
One of the most basic ways to find papers when... Read More
Collections are the outward manifestation of a deeply-felt principle or... Read More
To make room for new things to come into you... Read More
I recently read an article that had some interesting but... Read More
1. In terms of organization, what is the first thing... Read More
Studies show that 80 percent of what we use comes... Read More
EVERY HOME NEEDS AN OFFICEYes, it is true that every... Read More
After more than 20 years as an entrepreneur and a... Read More
Spring is here and its time to sweep away the... Read More
Chances are, most of you have a lot you need... Read More
Take a look around you right now. Look away from... Read More
Do you like storing your papers on top of your... Read More
The Mexican VillagerThe American investment banker was at the pier... Read More
"My job is an endless series of deadlines, I am... Read More
I have a good friend whom (also being in the... Read More
Has your polished mahogany (or modular plastic) desk been buried... Read More
Whoever thought you'd be able to get organized in just... Read More
The store reminded me of a well-worn slipper ? tattered... Read More
Our children are probably the biggest clutter creators we have... Read More
Individuals who are organized in their personal lives most generally... Read More
(This is the second in a series of three articles... Read More
I recently read an article that had some interesting but... Read More
After a long winter, this is the time of year... Read More
Life is really all about CHANGE. In order to make... Read More
Have you ever wondered how some people seem to have... Read More
When the things in your home start crowding in around... Read More
You can get a pretty good idea of the benefits... Read More
It takes effort to get results, and not just any... Read More
Some people seem to be born organized. You probably remember... Read More
The word "compartmentalize" means to separate into distinct parts. I... Read More
Professional organizers and helpful-hint sources often recommend storage solutions such... Read More
In many of the companies I have worked in, there... Read More
The true definition of an organization is one that is... Read More
You know, in psychology there is a rule, especially within... Read More
We are in a society where people are applauded for... Read More
Laundry. You sort, you wash, you fold, you blink ?... Read More
Are you overwhelmed by clutter wherever you turn? Here are... Read More
The summer is flying by for Cindy and her family.... Read More
Get Organized - Organization |