Pickle Jar Theory

The pickle jar theory is a theory about time management and how to make decisions of life.

The theory was developed in 2002 by Jeremy Wright and also referred to as the Jar of Life theory.

Do you ever feel like you worked through a long day at work but don't appear to be producing anything at the final hour of the day?

It's most likely the result of your improper job prioritization, which allowed unimportant chores to impede you from reaching your main objective.

This is where the pickle jar theory comes into play as a reflective tool for determining which decisions should be prioritized.

What's in the jar

Imagine a glass jar that represents life.

Imagine a bunch of big rocks that represent your most important priorities.

Imagine a bunch of pebbles that represent your smaller tasks and urgencies.

Imagine a pile of sand that represents your distractions and non valuable tasks.

Bad order

Imagine you put in the sand first and then the pebbles and finally the rocks.

This would create less room for the rocks (most important priorities).

Good order

Imagine you put in the rocks first and then the pebbles and finally the sand.

This would fit everything perfectly because the sand can be poured in between the room in the rocks and pebbles.