Last week I ran a Breakthrough Productivity & Time Management workshop with a group of dedicated professionals looking to regain focus in the noise of busy weeks.
We explored a dozen practical tools — from managing distractions to building better focus habits — but the moment that truly landed wasn’t about apps, models, or frameworks.
It was a simple glass jar filled with rocks, pebbles, sand, and water.
The Moment the Jar Overflowed
I asked one of our attendees — we’ll call her Tamara — to describe a typical day.
Within a minute, she painted a familiar picture:
-
Urgent emails.
-
Client deadlines.
-
Helping team members.
-
Last-minute requests.
-
Checking in with customers.
-
Trying to make time for big projects that never seem to fit.
As she spoke, I filled the jar — sand for admin, water for constant context-switching, pebbles for deadlines, and a few medium rocks for leadership tasks.
Then came the big rocks — the things she said really mattered: time for strategy, coaching her team, a few morning runs, and family dinner.
When we tried to add them last, they didn’t fit. The jar overflowed. The water spilled onto the table. Tamara looked down and said quietly,
“That’s my week.”
Starting Fresh
We emptied the jar and started again. This time, the big rocks went in first — the things that create real progress and connection.
Then came the pebbles (deadlines), sand (admin), and finally the water (the distractions).
Everything fit. Same jar. Same contents. Different order.
That moment hit the room. You could see the recognition — not guilt, just awareness. The sense that maybe we don’t need to work harder, just reorder what matters.
The Simple Map
Here’s how I explained it:
-
The Jar = your week. It’s finite — treat that boundary as real.
-
Rocks = the few important, not-yet-urgent things that move life and work forward (strategy, family, health, growth).
-
Pebbles = urgent and important tasks with consequences (deadlines, deliverables).
-
Sand = lower-value noise (admin, emails, pings).
-
Water = the drift — all the “quick looks” and interruptions that soak up space.
When you start with the big rocks, you:
-
Choose by value, not by arrival order.
-
Allocate attention on purpose.
-
Turn vague hopes into visible commitments.
Try It for One Week
Here’s a simple framework we use in the workshop:
-
Pick 3 Rocks. One life, two work — or vice versa.
-
Put Them In First. Block them before anything else.
-
Give Pebbles a Home. Two time-boxed windows per day.
-
Batch the Sand. Two short admin bursts.
-
Guardrail the Water. Boundaries, not willpower.
-
When Life Happens, Swap — Don’t Cancel. Move rocks, don’t drop them.
For Leaders
At your next stand-up, ask your team:
-
“What are our three rocks this week?”
-
“Which pebbles are real deadlines?”
-
“What sand can we batch or drop?”
You’ll see focus, calm, and alignment rise within days.
We All Overflow Sometimes
If you feel like the jar’s been overflowing lately, you’re not alone. Most of us don’t need more time — we just need a clearer order.
The fix isn’t perfection. It’s a small, weekly reset:
Big rocks first. Everything else finds its place — or finds its way off the list.
If you’d like the one-page worksheet we use in this exercise, reach out and I’ll happily share it.
About Breakthrough Corporate Training
At Breakthrough Corporate Training, our workshops don’t just teach productivity or communication — they create a space where teams start having real conversations, often for the first time. The experience stays with them long after the session ends.
