The Tale of Rocks in the Jar

In an age when running around like a headless chicken is conveniently referred to as "multitasking", I find comfort in a simple story about rocks, pebbles and sand in an old mayonnaise jar.


I suppose it's one of life's ironies that as you advance in age, your physical capacity to handle multiple tasks begins to diminish--while your responsibilities increase, forcing you to place heavier demands on yourself. I'm turning 40 in a few weeks' time, and admittedly I'm starting to feel it. Gone are the days when I can work 20 hours straight, grab a quick power nap, freshen up and come back as if it were my first day on the job. These days, energy is a bit of a rare commodity--literally. Strangely, with a growing family, this is the time when I need to be most productive. Blame it on the fact that I started late on the family way, but that would be a waste of time. Instead, whenever I find myself in the proverbial "so-much-to-do-so-little-time" predicament, I turn to a story that I read many years ago, about a philosophy professor's "demo" of how to live a full life.

This story has circulated the worldwide web so much that its original source can no longer be verified. Many different versions have appeared, and different twists have been added to the ending. But the essence has remained the same. Here's my favorite version:

A Philosophy professor one day brought to his class a large empty mayonnaise jar, some rocks, a box of pebbles and small bag of sand. At the start of the class, he picked up the jar and filled it with rocks. He then asked his students if the jar was full; they unanimously agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up the box of pebbles and emptied it into the jar, shaking the jar lightly so that the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the rocks. Once again, he asked his students again if the jar was full. Again, they unanimously agreed that it was.

Then the professor picked up the bag of sand and poured it into the jar. The fine grains found their way through the gaps between the rocks and pebbles. The same question was posed, and the same unanimous answer was given.

"Now," the professor said, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things: your family, your partner, your friends, your health, your children, and things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else. If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your 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."

Just before ending his class, the professor poured himself two cups of coffee and emptied them into the jar. As the liquid seeped through the sand in the jar, the professor added, "No matter how full your life may be, remember that there's always room for coffee with a friend."