The Mayonnaise Jar Lesson

I recently read something that was simple, but profoundly inspiring.  I'm happy to share it here:


THE MAYONNAISE JAR

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 two 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 fills 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 a 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, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, 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.” he said.

“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...” he told them.

“So... pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. 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 and said, “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.”


I love this story!  The "pebbles" in our lives are things that matter, but if that is all we focus on, there is no room for our "golf balls".  How much time do we waste on the "sand",  and neglect the "golf balls"?  Sadly, I have even told myself in the past that there was no room for the coffee.   I am constantly trying to re-prioritize, and this visual lesson is a great tool.

I remember watching a presentation very similar to this several years ago at a homeschooling conference.  The speaker was Don Aslett, and he used different sizes of rocks and a large jar to make the same point about time management.  In order to get the most important things accomplished each day, we have to take care of the "big rocks" first, or there won't be time for them at the end of the day.  If we fill our day (or our lives) attending to less important things, we will never accomplish our most important goals.

Good stuff to ponder!