I first came across the metaphor of the field mice and the antelope in an old book by James Carville and Paul Begala. They shared a story about Newt Gingrich using the field mice and antelope analogy to apply to politics. Tim Ferriss recently re-shared this story as well on his website. I’ll be honest, I’ve thinking about this metaphor ever since.
Here’s a brief summary of the field mice and the antelope metaphor:
- Every day, a lion goes out to hunt field mice.
- But the lion can’t live on field mice. She spends all her energy hunting mice and eventually starves to death.
- Instead, a lion needs antelope. Hunting antelope requires more speed and strength, but they can feed the lion and the entire pride.
So, ask yourself at the end of each day:
Did I spend today chasing mice or hunting antelope?
I’ve been asking myself this question at the beginning and end of every day. I thought it would be helpful to turn the metaphor into a fable for kids.
The Field Mice and the Antelope Fable
A young lion went out to hunt for food. She spotted a field mouse scurrying through the grass.
She chased it down, she caught it, and she ate it.
She saw another field mouse.
She chased it down, she caught it, and she ate it.
And then another. And another.
She spent the entire day chasing field mice.
At nightfall she lay down exhausted and still quite hungry. She had eaten dozens of field mice, and none seemed to satisfy her hunger.
She looked up and saw another lion running past the field mice to hunt an antelope.
The lion chased it down, she caught it, and she ate it.
With a smile and a full stomach, the other lion walked away happy.
Did you spend today chasing mice or hunting antelope?
Reflection Questions
- What are the small projects and tasks you should stop wasting time on today?
- What are the big projects and goals you should pursue instead?
- What are the distractions during the day that take you away from what is important?
Download a PDF of the Story for Kids
Download a PDF of this story along with the questions for reflection or discussion.
