Manage the important small rocks in your jar of time for a happier, fuller life.

As I tamed my impatience at street crossings, I concluded that these two characteristics- jolliness and waiting for the crossing light- are related.

There is a popular time management story about the teacher who started class with a big glass jar. He filled the jar with rocks and asked the class if it was full. When the class said yes, he took out some gravel and poured it into the jar and asked the class if it was full. He repeated the cycle with sand and water. The moral of the story is that your time is like the jar and if you want to put the most in possible, you need to add the big rocks first- your top priorities and time consumers.

I did this exercise for myself and got a different result. I found that the big rocks often prevented the gravel from getting to the bottom of the jar and to get in all the sand and water took a lot of shaking and made a big mess. In my life, as in the jar, I have found that I have less when I put ALL the big rocks in first. It works best when I fill the jar in layers.

When I am happy, I have the time and patience to put my safety and the smooth running of city streets ahead of my need to rush to get every drop of potential from my life. I show appreciation and gratitude for the life I have by taking the time and attention to extend it. I contribute to the greater good when I follow the rules that help everyone get where they need to go quickly and safely. I am happier when I express appreciation and gratitude and when I give of myself for the good of others. It is part of an upward spiral of mood.

Appreciation, gratitude and contributing to the good of others are often such small gestures that they look like gravel or sand or water in the big rock jar, and yet, our lives are enhanced more where we make sure these are mixed in around all our big rock priorities and projects.

Manage the important small rocks in your jar of time for a happier, fuller life.

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