You know the drill. Meetings. Emails. Little tasks. By the end of the day, you’ve been busy, but you’re left wondering: Did I actually get anything done?
That’s because you’re not focusing on the big stuff. You’re playing small. You’re juggling the little things and missing the big moves.
Let me show you how to flip the script. It’s a simple shift, and it starts with a few big rocks.
The Big Rock Experiment
A professor stands in front of a class. He’s got a clear bowl and four things: a jug of water, some sand, a few pebbles, and a couple of big rocks.
He doesn’t say much. Just fills the bowl to the brim with water.
“Is the bowl full?” he asks.
Everyone nods. Of course, it’s full. Right?
Then, without saying a word, he grabs the sand. Pours it in. The sand finds its way into the cracks, slipping through the water. And as it does, the water overflows.
“Full now?” he asks.
The students hesitate but say yes. It looks pretty full.
Next, he grabs some pebbles and drops them into the bowl. More water spills out. But the pebbles fit. The bowl looks packed.
“Full now?” he asks again.
This time, they’re sure. Yes, it’s full.
But then the professor picks up the big rocks. Tries to fit them in. No luck. The bowl’s too full. There’s no space left for the rocks.
“What does this mean?” he asks.
Silence. The students don’t know.
Put the Big Rocks in First
The professor empties the bowl. Starts again. This time, he does something different.
First, he places the big rocks in the empty bowl.
“Is it full?” he asks.
The students shake their heads. Not yet.
Next, he adds the pebbles. They fall into the spaces between the big rocks.
“Full now?”
They’re still not sure. “No, not yet.”
Then, he pours in the sand. It filters down into the gaps, filling the cracks around the rocks and pebbles.
“Now is it full?”
“Almost,” some of them say.
Finally, the professor picks up the jug of water and pours it into the bowl. The water seeps into the tiny spaces left. Now, the bowl is full.
“If you don’t put the big rocks in first, they won’t fit,” he says. “But when you do, everything else can fit around them.”
What’s the Lesson Here?
That experiment isn’t about rocks, pebbles, or sand. It’s about how you spend your time.
In the first experiment, the professor filled the bowl with water first—the little stuff. The distractions. The things that make you busy but don’t really matter. Then came the sand and pebbles—the slightly more important tasks. But by the time the big rocks showed up—the things that actually move you forward—there was no space left.
Sound familiar?
Most of us go through our day like that. We start with the small stuff—emails, meetings, minor tasks. And by the time we get to the big stuff, we’re out of time. The day is gone.
But in the second experiment, the professor put the big rocks in first. The things that really matter. Then the pebbles and sand fit around them. And even when it looked full, there was still room for everything else.
Big Rocks = Big Priorities
So, what are your big rocks?
They’re your A-Game tasks. The things that will have the biggest impact on your life or business. The stuff that, if done, will push you forward. But here’s the kicker: If you don’t start with the big rocks, your day will fill up with the small stuff—the pebbles and sand—and there won’t be any room left.
It’s Not About Working 8 Hours on Big Rocks
Here’s the thing: putting the big rocks first doesn’t mean you’re spending your whole day on them.
It means that once you’ve taken care of the most important things, there’s still space for the rest. The pebbles (your smaller tasks) will fit. The sand (your routine work) will slip into the gaps. And yes, even the water—the distractions, the little things—can still fit around the edges.
But the key is this: you put the big rocks in first.
How to Play Your A-Game Each Day
Here’s how you put the big rocks first:
1. Know Your Big Rocks
First, you need to figure out what your big rocks are. What are the key tasks that will make the biggest difference? What’s going to actually move you forward?
Look at your to-do list right now. What’s the one thing that, if you focused on today, would have the biggest impact?
That’s your big rock.
2. Schedule the Big Rocks First
Start your day with the big rocks. Not with emails. Not with meetings. Not with the little stuff. Start with the big things.
If you wait until later, the pebbles and sand will take over, and you’ll never get to the big rocks.
3. Let the Small Stuff Overflow
Some things won’t fit—and that’s okay.
When you put the big rocks first, some of the small tasks will have to wait. Some emails won’t get answered right away. Some meetings won’t happen.
And that’s fine. You’ve focused on the stuff that really matters. The rest? It’ll fit if it needs to, and if it doesn’t, you won’t miss it.
The Takeaway
Your day is like that bowl. You only have so much time. If you fill it with pebbles and sand, there’s no room for the big rocks—the things that truly matter.
But if you put the big rocks in first, everything else can fit around them. And you’ll finally start making the progress you’ve been chasing.
So, here’s your challenge: What are your big rocks?
Find them. Focus on them. The rest will take care of itself.
That’s how you stop playing small and start playing your A-Game.
Read: First Things First
