Prioritization: The Mayonnaise Jar

The following was sent to me by a friend and I felt that it fit so well with the recent theme of Prioritization that so many have been focusing on recently that I have posted it in it's entirety (below). Enjoy!

The Mayonnaise Jar & A Cup of Coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, When 24 hours in a day is not enough; remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.  When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and started to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.  He then asked the students again if the jar was full.   They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.  He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided, The golf balls are the important things - family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car.  The sand is everything else -- The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.  The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, You will never have room for the things that are important to you.


So...
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.
Take care of the golf balls first -- The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.  The professor smiled.  'I'm glad you asked'. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

All the Best,
Whitney
© 2010 All rights reserved, Whitney Merrill 

Intention for a New Day

At the end of each day there is an opportunity to review what has transpired in our lives, specifically the Actions that we have taken or not taken.  On some days there is great movement - such as a job being accepted, moving into a home, a relationship started, a big transaction closed or a child being born.  It is easy on such days to reflect at the end of them and say "Wow, look what we have accomplished!"  On other days, there may be little movement or perhaps even some resistance that shows up for you in your world in the form of missed meetings, deliverables slipped, offers rescinded or quotas increased.  Although perhaps not as pleasurable, there is opportunity in all 3 states of Action (movement, stasis and resistance).

My daily review currently occurs each day when my 2+ yr old son is having his bath - whether it is my wife or me giving him the bath I will use this bath time to reflect on what has occurred during the day.  Where productive Action has occurred I will acknowledge myself for remaining in the Flow of energy that enabled me make progress along my journey.  Where there is stasis or resistance I will acknowledge that as well and take a deeper look.   Specifically, I will ask myself if have met my personal intentions - would I benefit from setting or resetting them again?

As an example, if I have not met my Intention to find a new job/career but I am still actively working towards this goal, I will resent the intention and remind myself that I am one day closer towards that new job/career that is coming my way.  If I find that I am missing meetings and appointments and this has just come to the forefront of my attention, I will set a new intention to be on-time (i.e. a few minutes early) to each meeting and to reground my calendar.  Perhaps this will result in me re-looking at the lack of wiggle room in my calendar or perhaps removing some commitments, but setting the intention is invariably the first step in the process.

Just for today, spend a few quiet minutes at the end of your day to review what has transpired and try the following exercise:

1)  Acknowledge what has occurred and give thanks
2)  Take a look at what has not occurred, pick one area of focus and assess whether you want to set or reset your intention
3)  Light a candle and as you are doing so, state your intention out loud with the understanding that you are communicating this intention to a 'broader audience' than just your self (i.e. the Universe)


Your intention has now been reset and your future is on it's way and will be here soon.  Tomorrow will be a new day with a new sunset - what 'lenses' and intentions that you will look at tomorrow's sunset are all up to you.  Rest up and enjoy - one day at a time.

All the Best,
Whitney
© 2010 All rights reserved, Whitney Merrill

'An ant on the move does more than a dozing ox.' - Lao Tzu