The Pickle Jar Theory illustrates how relatively unimportant tasks or commitments can easily

take up much of a person’s time. Filling one’s day with small trivial tasks that are not important
prevents one from using that time to complete larger or more important tasks and projects.

The contents of this ideal jar are mainly rocks and sand. This will be further discussed below:

 Rocks - represent the tasks that require immediate attention, and will produce the most
benefits.
 Sand - the small, trivial tasks but are also hugely time consuming, and produces little to
no benefits at all.

Many state that most people choose the sand, or the small tasks with the least fruitful outcome,
instead of the rocks, or those tasks that consume time but also the most profitable.

Pickle Jar
Theory

"Rocks" "Sand"

Chatting in Going out

Lectures Projects Exams
social media with friends

Thus, when time comes for someone to remove the rocks, or doing the tasks that are very
draining of one’s body, but harvest the most benefits, he/she will not be able to do so
proficiently. This delayed reaction to a certain task is called as procrastination, and effects into
what we call as cramming, or learning/doing large amounts of duties in a strenuous manner.