How to Get Control of Your Schedule

LEAD DOMINOES and BIG ROCKS!

Sounds like we are going to play some kids games, but I assure you that today you are going to learn how to get control of your schedule by changing how you approach planning your time.
 
Big Rocks Go In First
Yesterday we introduced the OPRA - outcome-focused, purpose-driven, reward-motivated, action-oriented, approach to planning.  Today, let’s dive in deeper.
 
One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group 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, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?”

Everyone in the class said, “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 down into the space between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was 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 this jar full?”

“No!” the class shouted.
Once again he said, “Good.” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?” One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!”

“No,” the speaker replied, “That’s 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 in at all.” What are the ‘big rocks’ in your life? Your children; Your loved ones; Your education; Your dreams; A worthy cause; Teaching or mentoring others; Doing things that you love; Time for yourself; Your health; Your significant other? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you’ll never get them in at all. If you sweat the little stuff (the gravel, the sand) then you’ll fill your life with little things you worry about that don’t really matter, and you’ll never have the real quality time you need to spend on the big, important stuff (the big rocks). So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the ‘big rocks’ in my life? Then, put those in your jar first.”

SO — you must:
     >  first determine your big rocks - your outcomes and put those in your schedule first
     >  make sure you understand your driving reason why in your life - your purpose
     >  then create a list of rewards for how you will celebrate progress.  Any thought, feeling, emotion or behavior is that is consistently reinforced will become a habit.
     > determine your actions to achieve your outcomes (more on this below)
    
Find the Lead Domino - then Put it to Work
After you have gone through the OPRA planning approach you are likely still sitting and staring at a long list of actions.  So, you may be thinking what was the point - we went through this OPRA thing only to get back to the same place of having an endless to-do list.
 
First of all, your action list is different than a to-do list because it is a result of focusing on your outcomes and purpose, not just a big brain-dump of everything you can think of that you need to do.
 
Secondly, we are not quite done with implementing OPRA - there are 3-key steps of how to turbocharge your action list:
     1) prioritize the list based on asking - what is the 20% of these actions that would make the 80% of the difference in achieving your results (what are the lead dominoes, that if done first, if knocked over first, would likely knock over most of the other things needed to accomplish your desired outcomes;
     2) ask yourself how can you leverage yourself - what other resources do you have available to help, what actions could be done with a minimal amount of your time and brainpower; and
     3) group or chunk together the actions that relate to the same outcome, then determine which of those grouped actions are must do’s vs. would like to do — then attach the must do’s all the while you are keeping yourself keenly focused on your outcome.

Big Rocks & Lead Dominoes First - It will change your plan, your schedule, your life!”

DAILY PRAYER
Father, thank you for the gift of living at a time and place where we have so many opportunities.  Help us to identify and focus on our big rocks and lead dominoes.  Let the OPRA planning approach become a habit that we use to plan and schedule our day, week, month and life.  In Jesus name, Amen.
 
This message purposely has been scheduled to arrive during your lunch time (on the east coast).  Let it soak in first thing this afternoon.  Apply it beginning tomorrow morning.
 
Get out of the sand and gravel business and start with those big rocks and lead dominoes!
 
Grace and peace multiplied to you,