Metaphor of the Rocks
Imagine a big jar sitting on a table and to the side of this
table is a pile of rocks of varying sizes, including a few cups
of sand signifying very small rocks. We want to put the rocks
in the jar. If we put the sand in first and then proceed to try
to put the bigger rocks in after the sand has filled the jar,
we will not have any room for the big rocks.
But if we put the big rocks into the jar first, we can then add
the smaller rocks and even the sand.
Quadrant 2 activities are the big rocks.
If we don't plan those first (putting first things first) they
will not make it into our daily activities because we get so busy
doing the less important, but oftentimes urgent things.
When we plan the quadrant 2 activities into our weeks and days,
we then find ourselves doing the most important things first.
As a result, we enjoy inner peace, our self-esteem goes up and
we find ourselves being more productive.
Exercise Integrity in the Moment of Choice
Integrity is the ability to carry out a worthy decision after
the moment of making the decision has passed. It is very easy,
when we are in the silence of our planning sessions to design
our days and weeks according to our conscience and according
to the things that we feel are most important.
The real challenge happens when we get to a moment of real
decision, a choice point. As we are proceeding through our day
according to our plan, someone comes up to us and encourages
us to do something that is of far less importance, though it
may seem very enticing.
The challenge is to keep the first things first in this moment
of choice.
Are we going to sacrifice the best for the good in that moment?
Or will we remain true to our plan and continue focusing
on the best.
Goethe said, “Things that matter most must never be at
the mercy of things that matter least.”
