Working World

Here’s a little mind game for you. It might help you think more clearly about that great nonspatial continuum — time.

The game, known as the Pickle Jar Theory of Time Management, works like this. Take a jar, the biggest one you can find. Next fill your jar with several large stones. These represent all the important things that need to be done within your time frame, that is, your jar. Go ahead; pack 'em in. When the jar is completely full, add two more small stones.

Now throw in some marbles. You can toss in quite a few, especially if you shake the jar a little so they’ll slide down into the small spaces. These glittery balls stand for all the pleasures you need to feel that life is O.K. — the joy of hobbies, recreation and chums.

Game's almost over. Good thing, because there really isn’t much room left. But you can still drizzle in some sand. Surprising how much goes in, isn’t it? The sand represents all your other tasks.

Last, pour in some water and watch all the space fill up. You can’t add anything else because the jar can’t get bigger. Water stands for all the time stealers in our lives: email, netsurfing, water cooler conversations, you name it.

Now think about your jar. What if you had started with the water?

Time management is all about how you organize, not how much you have to do or how much time you have to do it.

Did you have fun?