Put the big rocks in the jar first

I was putting my youngest daughters Play-Doh away the other day and she has several different pots of different sizes. As I was in a rush I threw all the pots somewhat haphazardly into the obligatory plastic bucket we store them in and then found I couldn't get the lid back on! I realised the only way to get all the pots to fit was to put the largest ones in first and then fill the gaps with the smaller ones. Not rocket science I know, but it made me think about my life in general. Sometimes I feel like I have too many plates to spin and just too much to do. I can lurch from trying to be superwoman, super wife and super Mum to giving up and moaning.

 Then I realised the solution was really quite simple- I had to reassess my world and discover what the Big Rocks (or large Play-Doh pots!) are for me, make sure these got put in first and then fit the smaller things in around them. If you imagine the big rocks are principles and values and not necessarily 'stuff' then this gets easier. Quite simply, was I being kind? I may have been ticking off my 'to do' list but was I a grump while I did it? Did the rest of the family sense my irritations and frustrations? If these core characteristics like kindness, peace, self control and smiling a lot go in first, then the other things will fit in much better.
It also becomes easier to un-blur the line between how much I work, how much I play and how much time I invest in my marriage and my kids.

If you imagine there are also smaller rocks and sand to fit into the jar then the need for priorities and honest assessment becomes vital otherwise I really can't fit the rest in! So that's what I'll be working on this New Year (with vintage style glamour and grace too of course!)

Amazing what a few pots of Play-Doh can lead to!
           x