While I don’t think it’s very appealing to think of my most important tasks as big rocks, it’s a very graphic analogy. If I drop one of those rocks on my foot, it’s gonna hurt. The Pickle Jar Theory of time management describes how to manage those rocks to lessen the pain.
Everyday, you’ve got a new pickle jar. You’ve also got big rocks (your high priority work), pebbles (secondary priorities), sand (low priorities) and water (stuff from the urgent but not important quadrant). For optimum productivity, you load up the jar starting with the big rocks, then pebbles, then sand. If there’s room left over, you can add some water.
This metaphor makes several good points:
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You only have room for so many rocks on any given day.
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Lower priority activities should fit in around the higher priority ones.
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If you don’t put the rocks in first, they won’t fit at all.
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If you start with the water, you’ll fill up the jar in no time with only water.
Nice way of visualizing it, Claire. I wouldn't want to put pickles in those jars ever again, though :).
Posted by: Easton Ellsworth | May 13, 2006 10:28 AM | Permalink to Comment