One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students. He used an illustration that the students will never forget.

As he stood in front of high-powered overachievers, he said, "Okay, time for a quiz."  Then he pulled out a one gallon, wide mouthed Mason jar and set it on the table in front of him.  Then he produced about a dozen fist sized rocks and carefully placed them in the jar.  When the  jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is the jar full?'

Everyone in the class replied "Yes".

Then he said. "Really?"  He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel.  Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves into the space between the big rocks.  Then he asked the group once more "Is the jar full?"

By this time the group was catching on to him. "Probably not", one of them answered.

"Good!" he replied.  He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand.  He started dumping the sand in the jar and  it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel.  Once more he asked the question, "Is the jar full?"

"No!"  the class shouted.

Once again, he said, "Good".  Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began pouring it in until the jar was full to the brim.  Then he looked at the class and asked "What is the point of this illustration?"

One eager student  raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you really try hard, you can always fit some more things in."

"No", the speaker replied, "That is not the point.
The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don't  put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them all in at all.  What are the Big Rocks in your life?  Your children .... your loved ones ... your education ... your dreams ... a worthy cause ... doing things you love ... your health... your significant other? 
Remember  to put those Big Rocks in first, or you'll never get to them at all.  If you sweat the little stuff (the gravel, sand), then you'll fill your life with little things to worry about that don't really matter,  and you'll never have the time to spend on the big, important things (the  big rocks)."
So, tonight or in the morning, when you are referring to this story, ask yourself "What are the Big  Rocks in my life?  Then put those in your jar first.... 

Author unknown