Productivity Hack- the Big Rocks 🪨 Approach
Let’s talk about time management. If you feel like you need extra hours in a day to accomplish the goals that you’ve set for yourself, both business and personal than you are in the right place. In this blog post we discuss how to be more productive every day despite unexpected events, interruptions and derailing of plans.
Work Flow
This is the third weekend that I’m working on the launch of the On-Camera Confidence course. In 48 hours the course goes live and I’m feeling satisfied about the work I have put in and I’m excited for the course participants to get started. I normally don’t work on the weekends, but it’s been a wonderful time to get lots done. It’s quiet, no new emails come in, there are little to no distractions and I have the headspace to learn to work with all the features on the new platform that hosts the course. It feels like I just flow from one task to the next, not feeling stressed or overwhelmed, my productivity is high- I wish the majority of week days would feel more like this.
Isn’t it a great feeling to get things done, to make progress and feel the satisfaction of crushing 💪🏼 your to-do list a at the end of the day?. To me those days fee like a natural high, and who doesn't want to feel like that every day? Yet, life throws unexpected curveballs – derailing plans and turning well planned days into a whirlwind of busyness, leaving you feeling tired and overwhelmed.
On days like that you may work late or move the things on your to-do list 📝 over to the following day. Those days are busy but not necessarily productive and that can be frustrating. And the next day starts with another to-do list mountain. You tackle the small tasks, savoring quick wins, but those big, crucial tasks loom, intimidating and time-consuming. Resistance kicks in, and suddenly, the day becomes a series of distractions, leaving the important tasks in the dust. Does that sound familiar?
We often underestimate the time spent on small tasks and overestimate the effort required for the big ones.
Rethinking Your Strategy
But there is a way to make even those crazy days more productive and satisfying. How? By setting priorities. Becoming more productive can be as simple as rethinking the ORDER in which you complete your to-do list. And the things that feel most satisfying to get done are very likely the things that you feel resistance to doing. They may be more times consuming, require undivided attention or may just be not fun thing do.
Successful people always find a way to keep their focus on the most important things. Many books have been written about time management and a frequently used metaphor for prioritization is the example of trying to fit pebbles, big rocks and sand into an empty jar.
Imagine a huge Mason Jar that you start filling. When you first add the sand, then pebbles, you will not have room for rocks. But if you start with the big rocks and then add the pebbles and lastly pour the sand it, everything fits.
The lesson? If you don’t put the big rocks in the jar first, they won't fit in later. And you probably already guessed it, the big rock represent your priorities.
Your Priorities
🪨 Big Rocks = Most Important items on your list
🔘 Pebbles = Medium Importance
🏖️ Sand = Not important or urgent
When we procrastinate on substantial tasks, opting for smaller ones, we sacrifice time for what truly moves the needle. Take control by scheduling the big tasks first, then slotting in the less urgent to-dos.
Daily Practice Tip: Plan your to-dos the day before, and highlighting the top 3 prioritie
Step 1: Identify your big rocks – non-negotiable tasks for today.
Step 2: Spot your pebbles –, less critical than big rocks but it would be nice if these get done.
Step 3: Recognize your sand – the non-urgent, non-important distractions to address only with extra time.
Do you make your lists on your phone or computer? Or are you old-school like me? I write my lists on a dedicated note pad and use a highlight pen and color code the importance of the tasks. If I get to complete my 3 big rocks in the morning I make a new list with a few big rocks for the afternoon. There is something so satisfying about crossing things of my list.
The "Big Rocks" concept, popularized by Stephen Covey, underscores the importance of tackling major tasks first. You may enjoy his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
Whether you are setting goals for this new year, quarterly/monthly/weekly work (and personal) goals, they will only become accomplishments if you design action steps and schedule the work that needs to get done daily to arrive at the final destination.
Remberer that by prioritizing your big tasks, identifying the non-negotiables, and navigating the sea of distractions with strategic focus, you can transform busyness into true productivity. Have a fun and productive week!
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