Rocks, Pebbles, Sand

I haven't blogged in over 3 months. But, while I haven't blogged in over 3 months, I also haven't really done any decorating projects, exercised, or even cleaned my house for that matter. Teaching is hard. Being a new teacher is hard. Teaching, grading, lesson planning, eating, sleeping, and watching some TV (because I don't have the energy to do anything else) has been my life since August.

I've decided, though, to take back some of my old life. I know that this first year teaching is going to be hard with long hours and lots of stress, but I have to leave a little room in there for myself too. There's a story I heard recently that I've really taken to heart:

A teacher places a glass jar on her table and faces her students. “This is your life,” she says. “It is yours to fill with whatever you wish.”
The teacher takes a bag of rocks and carefully places them one by one in the jar until it is full. “These rocks are the big important things in your life that you will be the most proud of at the end of your days.”
The teacher then scoops out several handfuls of pebbles from a second bag and lets them fall into the jar, shaking the jar slightly so the pebbles fall into and fill the space between the rocks. “These are the secondary things in your life that gives it meaning, but perhaps are not ‘your life’s work’.
The teacher then takes a third bag containing sand and pours it into the jar, filling the space between the pebbles. “Finally, the sand is the little stuff that fills our days, like watching TV or playing games.”
The teacher looks out over her students and asks, “Can you see what would happen if I started with the sand or the pebbles?”

With this story in mind, I've decided to prioritize my own life . . .

Rocks

• Teaching. duh. It pays the bills and is what I've always wanted to do. Plus, I kinda like it : )
• Family. We're not starting a family, I just need to be more attentive to my family.
• Friends. I need to be better about seeing and talking to them.
•  Health. I need to start eating healthier and working out.

Pebbles

• Decorating. I have not done any home decorating in months and that's just plain sad. Granted, I won't be able to do as much decorating as before because time (and money) is more scarce, but it does make me happy so I need to start doing more of it. Next post, some of the ideas that have been floating around my head . . . 
• Reading. I read all of the time for work, but I miss reading for me.
• Cleaning. Yes, cleaning is a "pebble" for me. I'm one of those people that needs a clean, and organized, space.

 Sand

• TV, Facebook, Pinterest, and, yes, this blog. I'm going to try my darndest to keep up and share my projects and life with you but it can't be a top priority. Especially with how lengthy my posts get ; )

So, what do you think?