Learning a life lesson on managing time

One day, an expert was speaking to a group of students about how to manage their time. He____ an example those students will never forget.

He pulled out a wide jar and put it on the table. He also____about a dozen rocks and carefully____ them into the jar. One at a time. When no more rocks would ____inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?”

Everyone in the class answered loudly, “Yes.” The expert said, “Really? ” He ____ under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel (砾石). He put some gravel in and____the jar, causing it to go down into the____between the big rocks. He then asked the group once more, “Is this jar full? ” “____ not,” one of them answered this time.“Good!” he replied. From under the table he brought out a bucket of sand and started ____the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left ____the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question,“Is this jar full? ”

“No!” the class shouted. Once again he said, “Good.” Then he ____a cup of water in ____the jar was full. Then he looked at the class and asked, “What is the____ here? ”

Immediately one____student raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your ____is, if you try really hard you can always fit____things in! ” “No,” the expert replied, “that’s not the point. The point is if you don’t put the big rocks in____, you’ll never get them in____. What are the ‘big rocks’ in your____ ? Time with your loved ones, your education, or your dreams? Remember to put these big rocks in first or you’ll never get them in at all, ____you’ll never have the real quality time you need to spend on the big, important things.”