Glass vs. Rubber: How to Manage Priorities

Need help managing your priorities? 

Check out this analogy!

Picture your tasks and responsibilities as balls that you are juggling. You're trying your best to keep everything in the air, transitioning smoothly from one task to another. You don't want to drop anything because it feels like everything is of equal weight and importance. 

However, everything is not of equal weight and importance. The truth is that some balls are made of rubber, and some are made of glass. 

Rubber

The "rubber" balls are the tasks and responsibilities that are not urgent or important. These tasks can be dropped and will not shatter. You can move these to-do items to another day or time, and there will be no lasting effect. 

Glass

The "glass" balls are the tasks and responsibilities that are urgent and important. If these tasks are dropped, they will shatter. These items are the roles, responsibilities, and relationships that must take priority. If we don't prioritize these items and fail to complete them, there will be lasting effects. 

Identify what items are glass and what items are rubber. Then, prioritize the "glass" tasks above the "rubber" tasks. Remember: What is rubber for you may be glass to someone else, and what may be glass to you may be rubber for someone else. Don't compare your to-do list and priorities with others. Identify what's most important to you, and prioritize those items!