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You know the story about putting the big rocks in the container first? In case you don't, here it is (Dr. Stephen R. Covey, First Things First):One day this expert was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration I’m sure those students will never forget. After I share it with you, you’ll never forget it either.
As this man stood in front of the group of high-powered over-achievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz." Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then he 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 said, "Yes." Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.
Then he smiled and asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time the class was onto him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went into all 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 up 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 into 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? A project that you want to accomplish? Time with your loved ones? Your faith, your education, your finances? A cause? Teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these Big Rocks in first or you’ll never get them in at all.
Having gone through Carrie Lindsey's book last week, I had made my list of priorities and decided to write them down on "big rocks" to remind me. My "big rocks" for the next 12 months or so are Family, Spiritual, Home, Health, and Friends.
This week I enjoyed a coffee with a mom I've been wanting to sit down with. In spite of our cultural and religious differences we have much in common as we navigate parenthood and life with a "large" family - we each have four children.
Mid-week church programs started up for the kids and I oversaw the check-in and check-out process for 100 kids, making sure they were safely matched up to the correct guardian at the end of the night. The evening consists of a large group activity with a Bible lesson, followed by going off to the various electives - my kids chose the Athletics (DD) and Adventure (DS3) electives.
My Coordinated Service Planner and I had a check-in meeting with the Head of Special Education and the Instructional Program Leader, Special Education at DS1's high school. I was relieved to hear that DS1 is doing well socially and academically. He is participating in group work, mostly staying on task, and turning in most of his work.Another HUGE relief was hearing from the Instructional Program Leader (who is on the Autism Spectrum herself) that DS1 doesn't require the 30+ hours of ABA I thought he did. According to her 2-4 hours a week would be appropriate for him.
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