This story not only reminds us that we need to keep our priorities right when we learn to manage our time, but how we need to begin the process. Over the years, I've studied dozens of time management systems, filled in the Day-Timers, and tried the software programs - in fact, I sometimes think I spent more time planning to work than I got work done.
Then one day, I read an article that told me to throw all of the systems away if they aren't working for you. Instead, each day, pick out the two or three most important things that you need/want to accomplish that day. Then let everything else just fall into pieces of time between them. It reminded me about the story of the Big Rocks.
So I started only scheduling the two or three things I needed to accomplish each day. I didn't block the time out or deadlines that it had to be done by. I just told myself, if I accomplish this today, it will be a good day. If nothing else got done, that's okay also. The difference was amazing. By only concentrating on a couple of things a day, I ended up doing better work and was enjoying doing it more.
Now, this disagrees with most of the time management systems out there, as we'll discuss. But for anyone who has a problem with procrastination, (as I have), will find this the easiest way to begin breaking yourself of that habit. By telling yourself that your goal is to just do these two things today and whatever time you have left you can spend doing anything you want, you will start feeling a sense of accomplishment. In time, you will learn how long it takes to do a quality job of different tasks, may begin scheduling less important tasks also, and eventually may begin using more conventional time management techniques.
Whichever time management system you use, however, always remember the big picture and schedule your Big Rocks first.