It seems like every day, there’s a new article or book on how to be more productive. Each one asserts that it has discovered some new secret, some breakthrough or technique that will allow us to accomplish every single thing we want to accomplish in the limited time we have. Guess what?

That’s impossible.

However, it is possible to accomplish our top priorities, the big things that give our lives richness and meaning, but only if we use our time wisely.

The method that Integrative Nutrition founder Joshua Rosenthal uses to accomplish this is called “Big Rocks,” and it’s a time management strategy that works regardless of who you are or what you hope to achieve. It’s also incredibly simple.

Many people go through life constantly busy, and yet never seem to accomplish the major goals they set out for themselves—to write a novel, or start a company, or travel the world, or raise a family. What “Big Rocks” recognizes is that it’s actually because people are so busy being “productive”—with answering emails or retiling the bathroom or whatever else—that they are unable to devote their energies to the things that really matter.

The solution is intuitive, even obvious, and yet somehow a complete revelation! Here’s what to do:

1. Identify five or six big things that you want to get done—the things that really matter. These are your Big Rocks.
2. Focus on getting those things done no matter what.
3. Accomplish all those other little things with the leftover room.

This laser-beam focus on your top priorities means that some other things won’t get done. Those lower priority items that had been filling up your days may fall by the wayside, and you may have to back out of some commitments or accept a messier house, but the trade-off is that you accomplish the things that truly define the life you’ve dreamed for yourself.

You’ll have to feel confident in who you are and what you want, and be comfortable with saying “I don’t have time for this,” which isn’t always easy. But by prioritizing the things that matter most to you, you’re actually doing the most essential thing for a fulfilling life: you’re prioritizing yourself.

What are your time management serets? We'd love to hear - let us know in the comments below!