LESSONS LEARNED: BIG ROCKS PART 2
By Gail K. Kachnycz 27 August 2026 What are Big Rocks? They are the important things in life. Examples would be how we prioritize our
relationships: to God, to our families, to our friends, to our communities. They usually involve an
investment of time. However, we find ourselves doing other things that don't have lasting importance, but
cry for attention, like: mowing the lawn, washing the dishes, doing laundry. Granted, these tasks must be
done, but not at the expense of activities that have lasting impact and value. For a more complete
background on Big Rocks, see this past post:
Big Rocks for Chronic Illness 11/1/23
The lesson of Big Rocks is that “they need to go in first.” Making room for relationships and other
priorities requires planning, and planning requires time. In some cases, devoting a weekend, day or
several hours of planning means that smaller tasks related to the Big Rock might fit in with other
activities of daily living. For example, while I was living with friends I thought that not having a house
or yard to care for meant that I could devote more time to Bible reading, prayer, and improving my
Spanish. However, I did not increase my time in any of these areas, because I did not plan for it. Now
that I am back in my own house, I have made some steps toward these goals. Here are some suggestions
based on my experiences:
Divide the task into smaller blocks. Unpacking the house was overwhelming to me. My friend Kate,
who has known me for over 40 years, recommended that I plan a manageable time frame, possibly
starting with 30-45 minutes, to devote to the task of unpacking. I was not to worry about unpacking “X”
amount of boxes, just work for 30 minutes and be satisfied. Having achieved this goal, a small reward
could be enjoyed. As I felt able, I could increase the time devoted to the task. This also works well with
yard work. Taking before and after pictures boosts that sense of accomplishment.
Make a plan and define the daily attention to it. Take advantage of plans that are already prepared.
There are many Bible reading schedules that can be downloaded onto your phone. Operation World has
a plan for praying for all nations over the course of a year. I do at least one Spanish lesson per day with
Duo Lingo (I am a Streak Freak with 1724 days & this really motivates me). The Topical Memory
System from Navigators is an organized way to approach memorizing Bible verses.
Enlist friends or family. I pray with two prayer partners on Tuesday evenings. We use conference
calling so there is no travel involved. If the weather is good, I might combine this with an exercise walk
through the neighborhood. My sister sends a Zoom link once a month to invite my siblings to catch up
with each other. Technology is helpful, but five siblings in three states have to agree on a mutually
convenient time. We make the commitment and reap the benefits of stronger relationships.
Find a way to make time for planning part of your routine (in other words, plan to plan). I make a 2
week schedule every other Sunday afternoon. I have the space and quiet time to do this at home. If your
house is busy or you might be interrupted, I would suggest doing your planning at your local free public
library. They are quiet spaces and have free internet (however, it is not secure so don’t do online
purchases or banking). Since they are municipal services, they usually can be reached by public
transportation if that is needed.
If you cannot leave the one you are caring for, look for a time in the routine of care when you can be
available but not necessarily required for hands-on assistance. This might be during a nap or a TV show
that occupies them.
