What does a jar have to do with achieving your health goals?

Have you heard of the story about the jar filled to the brim?

The jar represents our time, our life or even a representation of our day. The sand, pebbles and rocks inside of it can represent our ascending priorities.

Now if we fill it full of sand first (the least important stuff) we are going to have a hard time fitting rocks and pebbles (our highest priorities) inside of it.

So let’s reverse it.

Add in those rocks and pebbles first. Now these rocks, our highest priorities are all the things that are vitally important to us like family, children, partner, religion, our sense of wellbeing & identity.

Next we add the smaller pebbles into the jar, wedging them between the larger rocks. These smaller pebbles are our hobbies, acquaintances, for most of us our careers and jobs.

Lastly, the sand we pour in acts as the filler of the gaps between our rocks and pebbles. It fits and moulds around these bigger priorities, and automatically shifts and adjusts its position if a rock or pebble is moved.

Now the sand are the little, least important things in our lives like TV, commuting, answering emails, social media, shopping and for many cooking.

But what I’ve found is that clients who are committed to themselves and who achieve their health goals long term actually view their meals, the cooking of them, planning for them and the nourishment of their bodies, as a rock rather than the sand that needs to fit around everything else and is otherwise not given much conscious thought.

Food and nourishment is foundational to not only health goals, but to leading a happy and healthy life. And a long one! The old saying is so true, without your health you have nothing.

Are you currently looking at your meals as a rock or the sand?

Please share this along to someone who may need to reframe their own jar of priorities.