“Schedule the big rocks, don’t sort gravel.” Stephen Covey
This quote popped out on my iphone recently.
I love the twitter feeds from Franklin Covey, the master of prioritization and organizational skills. It’s all about scheduling in time for the things you must get done and making sure they align with your priorities. The gravel, the peripheral tasks, can easily cloud your view! For me, this is a weekly challenge!
We all know to focus on the priorities, but how do you do this when you have incoming texts, kids tapping on your shoulder, emails, voicemails and oh yes, an empty refrigerator. It’s so much easier to sort gravel and accomplish the little tasks….laundry, sorting through the mail, returning phone calls, running those little errands, etc. It’s the major projects, the prickly situations, the time intensive projects that are much harder to dive into.
Scheduling the time makes a huge difference to me. When I have a task that MUST get done where I can’t keep starting and stopping, I block the time and commit to not answer calls, check emails or make a facebook post during that time! I love making that block of time in my Outlook calendar, I just wish everyone in my life had access to that, and we all know that isn’t possible! You have to make a conscious effort to stay focused on the big tasks, and let the other things wait their turn.
So the next time you find yourself cleaning out your junk drawer or going through the mail again instead of diving into that really important monster project, remember to focus on the big rocks and the view will be much better when you are done!
I never liked gravel anyways, too many childhood memories of wiping out on my bike when turning corners that were filled with those tiny stones mixed with with the seemingly slippery sand!
Note: The PEACE, LOVE, MOM shirts can be found locally at The Wardrobe in Springfield!
