Big Rock Planning: 10 Evidence-Based Coaching Practices
Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For Big Rock Planning, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.
About 1 minute
Try it here: plan when your big rock goes in
Pick when your most important work gets its time, before anything reactive fills the week.
Choose when your biggest rock gets scheduled.
Practices that may help
- Big Rocks First
Stephen Covey's "big rocks" framework argues that the most important activities must be scheduled first — before smaller, urgent demands fill the available time. The metaphor holds: if you put sand in the jar first, the rocks don't fit. The method is not about doing more; it is about protecting your most important work from being crowded out by activity that feels urgent but is not truly important. - Identify and schedule big rocks at the start of each week
On Monday morning (or Sunday evening), name three "big rocks" and block calendar time for each before anything else.
Big Rocks First - Schedule rocks in your calendar before anything else
Block time for your rocks in the first planning step — before reactive commitments fill the day.
The Pickle Jar Theory of Time Management - The Rockefeller Habits: Scaling Up with Rhythm and Focus
Verne Harnish’s Rockefeller Habits (updated in Scaling Up) distill John D. Rockefeller’s management practices into a system of priorities, data, and meeting rhythms that keep growing companies focused and coordinated. The framework is practitioner-developed and widely used in scale-up companies; the evidence base is primarily case-study and clinical rather than controlled trial. - Set quarterly rocks — the three to five priorities each leader must advance
Each leadership team member commits to three to five specific outcomes to deliver this quarter.
The Rockefeller Habits: Scaling Up with Rhythm and Focus - Chunk and schedule time for key results
Block specific chunks of time for the actions in your MAP and protect them as non-negotiable.
Tony Robbins’ Rapid Planning Method (RPM), Made Practical - Tony Robbins’ Rapid Planning Method (RPM), Made Practical
Tony Robbins’ Rapid Planning Method reframes planning around three questions: What do I want (Result), Why do I want it (Purpose), and What’s the most efficient path (Massive Action Plan). The "why before how" sequence is consistent with motivational research on purpose and implementation intentions. RPM is a practitioner framework rather than a formally studied protocol. - Build a Massive Action Plan (MAP)
Brainstorm every possible action that could move you toward the result, then ruthlessly prune to the ones that actually will.
Tony Robbins’ Rapid Planning Method (RPM), Made Practical - Apply the rule of three within large projects
When working on a complex project, identify the three outcomes that would most advance it — not the full project plan.
The Rule of Three for Productivity, Made Practical - Plan from roles and goals, not from tasks
Before listing tasks, list your key roles this week and name one meaningful goal for each.
Big Rocks First
Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?
- Another week just vanished and the few things I actually meant to do never happened
- I know what my priorities are, but they live on a list while my calendar fills up with everyone else’s meetings
- We set a company goal for the quarter but it just floats at the top and never lands on anyone in particular
- I’ve got a perfectly good plan sitting there, but the important stuff never has an actual slot on my calendar
- I have a goal but no path to it, just a mountain of things I could do that all feel equally important
Related concerns
- Big Rocks Planning
Stephen Covey's "big rocks" framework argues that the most important activities must be scheduled first — before smaller, urgent demands fill the available time. The metaphor holds: if you put sand in the jar first, the rocks don't fit. The method is not about doing more; it is about protecting your most important work from being crowded out by activity that feels urgent but is not truly important.
- Big Rocks Planning Template
Stephen Covey's "big rocks" framework argues that the most important activities must be scheduled first — before smaller, urgent demands fill the available time. The metaphor holds: if you put sand in the jar first, the rocks don't fit. The method is not about doing more; it is about protecting your most important work from being crowded out by activity that feels urgent but is not truly important.
- Big Rocks Framework
Stephen Covey's "big rocks" framework argues that the most important activities must be scheduled first — before smaller, urgent demands fill the available time. The metaphor holds: if you put sand in the jar first, the rocks don't fit. The method is not about doing more; it is about protecting your most important work from being crowded out by activity that feels urgent but is not truly important.
- Big Rocks Method
Stephen Covey's "big rocks" framework argues that the most important activities must be scheduled first — before smaller, urgent demands fill the available time. The metaphor holds: if you put sand in the jar first, the rocks don't fit. The method is not about doing more; it is about protecting your most important work from being crowded out by activity that feels urgent but is not truly important.
- Big Rocks Project Management
Stephen Covey's "big rocks" framework argues that the most important activities must be scheduled first — before smaller, urgent demands fill the available time. The metaphor holds: if you put sand in the jar first, the rocks don't fit. The method is not about doing more; it is about protecting your most important work from being crowded out by activity that feels urgent but is not truly important.
- Big Rocks Strategic Planning
Stephen Covey's "big rocks" framework argues that the most important activities must be scheduled first — before smaller, urgent demands fill the available time. The metaphor holds: if you put sand in the jar first, the rocks don't fit. The method is not about doing more; it is about protecting your most important work from being crowded out by activity that feels urgent but is not truly important.
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