What are your big rocks?

A philosophy professor stood before his class with an extra-large jar and a bag of rocks. When class began, he picked up the empty jar and asked the class whether it was empty or full. They replied that it was empty. He agreed and proceeded to fill it with rocks about 3" in diameter.

Upon filling the jar with the big rocks, the professor again asked if the jar was empty or full. They said it was full.

The professor then pulled a box of pebbles out of this bag and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles settled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. Having caught on, they replied that it was not full.

The professor then pulled out a box of sand and poured it into the jar. The sand filtered into the spaces between the pebbles. Then the professor took his cup of water and poured it into the jar, and the water filled all the tiny gaps in the sand.

The professor then asked, "can any of you tell me the point of this demonstration?"

One eager student raised his hand and explained that however much one had going on, he or she could always squeeze in more.

The professor replied "No, I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children - anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first, there will be no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Figure out which are the Big Rocks in your life put them in the jar first."

Another version of this story entails the professor pouring beer, not water, into the jar. In that version, the moral is that no matter how much you have going on in your life, there is always place for some beer.