Big Rocks First

Inspired by Stephen R. Covey · The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and First Things First Go to the source ↗

The rocks go in before the sand, or they never go in at all. Every card here is one thing you place in the week on purpose — a role remembered, an important thing that nothing is forcing, an hour that produces nothing — before the week fills itself with whatever asked loudest.

Choose from 7

What am I actually here for?

Write the Sentence

I will write one sentence about what I want this part of my life to be for.

I write one sentence about what I want this part of my life to be for, then picture it finished and work backwards from there. I read it before I decide what the week holds.

Plan by Role

I will name the roles my life actually has right now, and give each one thing.

I name the handful of roles my life actually has right now and give each of them one thing this week, rather than everything to one. The role that has had nothing from me lately gets something too.

What goes in before the week fills?

Place the Big Rock First

I will put the important thing nothing is forcing into the week before anything else claims the space.

I name the important thing nothing is pressing me to do, and put it into the week before anything else claims the space. One urgent but small thing waits while I do it.

Sharpen Before It's Blunt

I will spend time on the thing that makes everything else easier.

I give time to the thing that makes everything else easier, before it is blunt rather than after — an hour to my body, my mind or my spirit, with nothing to show for it.

How do I go into a hard conversation?

Understand Before I Offer

I will understand the problem in their terms before I offer anything at all.

Look for the Third Option

I will look for the answer that works for both of us rather than splitting the difference.

Make the Deposit First

I will do one small thing for someone long before I need anything from them.

You get your own editable copy — change anything, drop what doesn’t fit. They land in your Intentions, tagged Planning; you pull in what each day is for.