It’s the last day of the year, and you may be thinking ahead to the goals you want to achieve in 2026. Before you rush into resolutions, try pausing and asking a smarter question: What actually deserves your time? The rocks, pebbles and sand concept offers a simple way to reset priorities and start the new year focused on what truly matters.
In a post on the Ninety.io blog, Brandon Woods explains the concept like this: You have a large empty jar in front of you along with a pile of big rocks, pebbles and sand. The rocks represent your most important priorities, the pebbles are important but not mission-critical, and the sand is everything else. By prioritizing the rocks, you can always find space for the smaller tasks.
In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we share Woods’ tips for rolling out this concept with your team.
Start at the leadership level. Woods recommends gathering your leadership team and walking them through the rocks, pebbles, sand analogy. Make sure everyone understands that the “rocks” are not just individual tasks but critical company-wide priorities.
Define your team’s quarterly rocks. He says it’s a good idea to identify 3-7 major priorities for the company each quarter. These should be clear, measurable outcomes that will significantly impact your business.
Support with pebbles. Clarifying your “rocks” is the first step. Then, you can define your “pebbles,” or your supporting projects that help achieve the major outcomes. Woods says everyone should understand how their work ties into the larger priorities.
Manage the sand. Next, you should train your team to recognize the “sand” tasks and manage them wisely. These activities still matter but should never crowd out the more important work, he says.
Protect rock time. When you want to see your team focus on rock-related work, model it yourself. Set aside dedicated time each week to work on these big priorities. If the leaders don’t protect time for priorities, Woods says no one else will.
Review and adjust regularly. Woods advises holding weekly or biweekly check-ins to track rock progress. Celebrate wins and recalibrate quickly if your team members get distracted by sand.
When thinking about your goals, don’t focus on doing more. Instead, focus on doing the right things first. If you start with the big rocks — the big priorities — the other items will find their place.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Brandon Woods is an SEO marketing manager at Ninety.io with over a decade of experience in search engine optimization and content strategy.
