This past Wednesday, we were pelted with a significant amount of snow. I really can’t complain because it’s the end of January and we’ve only had 2 or 3 snow days this season. I live in Ontario so that, to me, is a blessing 😊.
Due to the road conditions yesterday, after school transport was cancelled and I had to pick up my kindergartner. It takes about 5 minutes to drive to the school so I knew I could make it in time. Until I saw the mound of packed snow blocking the driveway which my husband had dutifully cleared earlier – evidence the snow plough had been through 🤦🏽♀️. If you live in a temperate climate, be thankful you don’t know what that feels like. With no time to waste, I set off for the school at a fast trot.
A quarter of the way there, I felt a cold breeze sweep over my legs and remembered that I had no layers under my trousers because I hadn’t intended to walk. I paused momentarily but continued as I realized that my legs didn’t feel nearly as cold as they should have felt without a protective layer.
My upper body was properly outfitted and I had gloves, snow boots and my hood up (because most hats come in fabrics that shed – a no-no for my locks). With my core and extremities taken care of, the less protected parts of me – my legs – were better able to hold up against the cold.
That realization reminded me of Stephen Covey’s paradigm shifting illustration which you may know as the big rocks exercise. According to Dr. Covey, when we make time and room for the important things in our lives a.k.a. the big rocks, there’s a greater likelihood that we’ll be able to take care of the big things and even some things of relatively lower importance a.k.a. the small rocks.
I think most of us would agree that’s a sound approach to almost every facet of life but you’ll probably also agree that it tends to be easier said than done. The little things clamour for our attention and can be quite persistent. It doesn’t help that they’re not always inconsequential, just things that rank lower in priority.
You long to spend more time with your family but meeting your targets at work means you spend more time on the road, or courting clients after hours. You know you need to change your lifestyle for your well-being but you’ve earned your life of the party reputation and don’t want to disappoint. Spiritual growth is one of your goals this year but, between work, family and leisure, you’ve no time for activities that foster spiritual growth. Over time, you take comfort in your positive intentions while deferring positive action to that often cited someday that, for many, never comes.
The way I see it, we fall into one of three categories of people:
⭐️ Those who find themselves in a constant tussle between the big and small rocks
⭐️ Those who go with the flow and never give a thought to how they order their lives
⭐️ Those who consistently (or more often than not) put the big rocks first
Do you find yourself in a constant battle between the big and small rocks? Or is it something you’ve never really thought about? How’s that working for you?
If you’re content with your approach and the results you’re getting, you can decide that nothing needs to change.
If not, it doesn’t have to stay that way. In this moment, you have an opportunity to change course.
Your first step? Make the decision to change your approach. Then identify what makes up your core, your big rocks. You’ll need to know what they are if you’re to put them first.
Either way, the choice is yours.
If you’re already consistently putting the big rocks first, bravo 👏🏾! To keep the flag flying, consider a periodic review to ensure your big rocks still matter the most.
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