Boulders, Rocks, and Pebbles…Oh My!

It was one of those days. I found an absolute gold mine of blog posts from some of my favorite people and inspiration was appearing in droves! One article in particular discussed 10 different ideas on achieving that ever-elusive art of balance. There was a tiny sentence at the bottom of one of the tips that mentioned “dealing with pebbles when you should be moving boulders?” I was curious, and immediately clicked the read more here.

…my work weeks are like backyards full of rocks. some rocks are medium-sized, some rocks are pebbles and some rocks are boulders. each rock has to be picked up, moved from the backyard to a dumpster on the driveway labeled “complete.”  staring out my kitchen window, i survey the work to be done. i see 6 boulders, 32 medium-sized stones and 103 pebbles today. i swallow my last mouthful of coffee, place the mug in the sink and step outside to start my work.

141 rocks and no idea where to start. answer that email. that pebble looks good. i’ll take that. i bend down, pick up the small, speckled rock and walk to the front yard. i throw it in the bin. wandering back to my rocks, i’m distracted by the neighbour’s wind chime. pretty. i should buy a wind chime.140 rocks. what to do, what to do… yes. make that bank deposit. another pebble, carried from the backyard to the front. 139 rocks. those boulders need to get out of here. maybe i should move one today… nah. don’t know where to start. a-HA! i need more boxes from staples. alright, i got that pebble down. it’s tossed in the bin. by the end of the day, 34 pebbles and 5 medium sized stones have been moved. i return to the house, tired and thinking, productive day! i was going, going, going! 

~Jamie Delaine Watson

Several times in the past, I’ve heard the analogy of rocks, pebbles, sand, and water in a jar as it relates to priorities. The tagline being, “If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.” I’d never thought of how this continually appearing metaphor could also impact how I conquer to-do lists. As Jamie later said, “we’re pebble retrievers at heart. It feels good to be busy—to check things off the list.” This is so me. And I know I’m not alone.

Because let’s be honest, when I get home from a session, or a long day or work, or a massive run of errands, I’m tired. And when someone is tired, what looks more appealing–tossing a tiny pebble, or chipping away at a giant boulder that’s been sitting there so long it’s probably become part of the landscape in your mind? My honest answer is, tossing a tiny pebble. But I want my honest answer to be honest to my dreams, and not my circumstance. This means remembering that I dream of boulders, not pebbles. I dream of big wins completed through small, conquerable victories…not just several small wins. I dream of changing lives, of creating art that lasts, of giving clients my all, not simply getting by. I dream of actually doing the work! Not just saying I’m going to do it.  

Already this week, I’ve seen so much change. Instead of constantly moving pebbles from column to column, I’m tackling chunks of the tough stuff. I’m slowly moving the boulders; chipping away pieces so they become rocks and pebbles and seem more manageable. And now whenever I see a beautiful rock formation, it will be an even deeper reminder to prioritize my dreams, and I’ll be reminded to not only make sure to put them first in life, but also first on my calendar!