The key to manifesting a fulfilling and prosperous life begins with having a clear vision of all we desire to be, have, and experience.
Have you ever driven your car with no specific destination in mind? Very likely not.
Well, life works in the same way. When we have a clear vision of where we want to get, we can avoid living life adrift and resist leading our lives according to other people’s agendas.
Manifesting your vision
In last week’s post, I gave you an exercise that teaches you how to envisage what a Perfect Day in your life would look like. This simple framework has helped me through the years and has allowed me to formulate, in detail, what my perfect life would be comprised of.
Today, I’d like you to list all the elements of your perfect day that are non-negotiable. Note the things you want from life, important things to you, and incorporate them into your ideal life’s landscape.
This can be anything from how you would like to feel, what you aim to become, and what you’re going to experience – to material stuff, like getting your dream house. You’re going to call all these desired elements your BIG ROCKS.
Over a decade ago, in his book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, Stephen Covey demonstrated how a paradigm shift could help us achieve the big things we want by managing the little things. This is the teachable and valuable concept that I’m going to share as it has stuck with me throughout my life.
Quiz time
Imagine you have a 3-liter glass jar and a dozen fist-sized rocks on a table. You carefully place all the rocks, one at a time, into the jar. The jar is now filled to the top, and no more rocks can fit inside. Now tell me – Is this jar full?
Really? What if I got a bucket of gravel and dumped some gravel in the same jar and then shook it so that the pieces of gravel worked themselves in the spaces between the rocks? Would you say that the jar is full now?
Nope. I could still funnel handfuls of sand into the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. So, let me ask you this: Is the jar full?
You’ve probably got it by now: the jar still isn’t full. If you were to pour water into the jar, it would find the spaces between the rocks, gravel, and sand. Now your jar is filled to the brim.
What is the point of this illustration?
This exercise teaches us this: If we don’t put the big rocks into the jar first, we won’t fit them in after the gravel, sand, and water have been added. We all have big rocks, sand, gravel, and water in both our business and personal life.
Our natural tendency in today’s world seems to favor immediate gratification, leaving little space for what’s essential: the BIG ROCKS.
In our hasty response to life’s urgent demands, we often put aside what’s truly important. Today, I ask you this: What are the BIG ROCKS in your life? A large project? Spending time with your family and friends? Your health? Your finances? Your personal development?
Make a list today of your BIG ROCKS. Then, make sure that you place your BIG ROCKS in your “jar” first. Carve out time in your schedule for these activities. Amazingly, you will find that the other stuff still gets done.
Consider this: Are you placing your BIG ROCKS first? Or do you find that the lesser things dominate your life?
If you find that your BIG ROCKS don’t occupy enough space, reflect on what needs to happen so that they can have a prime position.
When you next plan your month, week, or day, apply this tool. When you need to make a specific decision, use this tool.
Whatever you do, make sure you prioritize your BIG ROCKS. When you do what you need to do for yourself, you will find that your life will be good for you.
I would love to know what your BIG ROCKS are and how you afford them a prime position. Feel free to share with me via email, or via Instagram.
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