Don't Sweat the Small Stuff or... Critical Path Project Management

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff or... How to Accomplish Your High Priorities

Pages:
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
The Critical Path

Downloads:
Critical Path Master Form (pdf file)
Microsoft Excel Worksheet

Related Trade Secret:
Lights, Camera, Action!
Get SMART
Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

For more of Bill Main's great Trade Secrets and tools, take a look in the Archives!

Here's an "Oldie But Goodie" to help you keep on top of the daily grind.

One day, a time management expert was speaking to a group of business students. To illustrate a point, he pulled out a one-gallon jar and set it on the table in front of him next to a pile of large rocks.

One by one, he placed the rocks into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top, he asked the class, "Is the jar full?"

"Yes," they answered in unison.

The instructor reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped the gravel into the jar and shook it several times, causing pieces of gravel to fill the spaces between the big rocks. Once more he asked, "Is the jar full?"

"Probably not," they answered.

The instructor then brought out a bucket of sand. He poured the sand to the jar. It settled into the spaces between the rocks and the gravel. Again he asked "Is the jar full?"

"No!" the class shouted.

Finally, the instructor reached under the table and brought out a pitcher of water and began to pour it into the jar until it was filled to the brim. "Is the jar full?" he asked.

Yes, the class concluded. The jar was full.

"What is the point of this illustration?" asked the professor.

One student ventured that , "No matter how full your schedule is, you can always jam something else into it."

"Not exactly," the instructor replied. "The point is, if you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all."

What is the point of this illustration for you as a restaurant operator?

If you fill up your day with the small stuff, you'll never have time or space for the big stuff -- the important stuff.

The trick is prioritization. We've developed a simple time management tool for Trade Secrets Members to help you keep your priorities in line, and your goals on track. It's called the Critical Path. Read more about it then download a Critical Path to get started today.