{"id":1611,"date":"2008-06-12T12:37:00","date_gmt":"2008-06-12T02:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mrpitcher.wordpress.com\/2008\/06\/12\/sharpening-the-saw\/"},"modified":"2008-06-12T12:37:00","modified_gmt":"2008-06-12T02:37:00","slug":"sharpening-the-saw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.razchorev.com\/newme\/sharpening-the-saw\/","title":{"rendered":"Sharpening the saw."},"content":{"rendered":"

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening<\/b> the axe<\/b>.” (Abraham Lincoln<\/b>, 1809-65)<\/span><\/p>\n

Habit #7 in Steve Covey\u2019s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People<\/em> is called \u201cSharpen the Saw.\u201d Covey uses the common analogy of a woodcutter who is sawing for several days straight and is becoming less and less productive. The process of cutting dulls the blade. So the solution is to periodically sharpen the saw.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve found that in practice, however, most people fail to understand what sharpening the saw really means. If you\u2019re overworking yourself and your productivity begins to fall off, common wisdom says to take a break, maybe even go on vacation. However, that isn\u2019t sharpening the saw \u2014 that\u2019s putting the saw down. When you put down a dull blade for a while, the blade will still be dull when you pick it up again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sharpening the saw is actually an activity, just as the analogy suggests. Think about what it would mean to sharpen the saw of your life. Here are some saw-sharpening ideas:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Educate yourself (read, listen to audio programs, attend a seminar<\/a>)<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Learn a new skill<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Exercise<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Improve your diet<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Meditate<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Have a deep conversation with someone<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Set some new goals or review\/update your old goals<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Organize your home or office<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. Read this Blog <\/span>\ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Now the woodcutter can\u2019t just alternate between cutting wood and sharpening the saw indefinitely. Downtime is needed too, but it isn\u2019t the same as sharpening the saw. The woodcutter can become even more productive by sharpening the blade, studying new woodcutting techniques, working out to become stronger, and learning from other woodcutters.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Forgetting to intentionally sharpen the saw can lead to a feeling of burnout. If you merely alternate between productive work and downtime, your production capacity will drop off. You\u2019re still working hard, but you don\u2019t feel as productive as you think you should be. When you sharpen yourself regularly, you\u2019ll find that you can flow along at a steady pace week after week without getting burnt out.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Whenever I feel burnt out or overwhelmed, taking a day or two off helps a little, but not very much. What yields a much greater benefit for me is attending a weekend seminar<\/a>, reading an inspiring book, or having an interesting conversation. It\u2019s common to see people return from a conference <\/a>with a notable spike in motivation that lasts for weeks. But this isn\u2019t really a break or a vacation \u2014 going to a conference is an activity, but it\u2019s the kind that often increases energy and motivation.<\/span><\/p>\n

    How are your various blades doing? Your skills, your knowledge, your mind, your physical body, your relationships, your motivation, your commitment, your capacity for enjoyment, your emotions \u2014 are all of them still sharp? If not, which ones are dull, and what can you do to sharpen them?<\/span><\/p>\n

    Based on article by Steve Pavlina <\/span><\/p>\n

    Raz Chorev <\/span><\/b>E: <\/span>raz@continuityprograms.com.au<\/span><\/a><\/span> W: <\/span>www.continuityprograms.com.au<\/span><\/a><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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