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From www.stephencovey.com:
Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have--you. It means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. Here are some examples of activities:
But just what does the term "sharpen the saw" mean? From http://www.livingontherealworld.org/?p=606:
Physical: Beneficial eating, exercising, and resting Social/Emotional: Making social and meaningful connections with others Mental: Learning, reading, writing, and teaching Spiritual: Spending time in nature, expanding spiritual self through meditation, music, art, prayer, or service
As you renew yourself in each of the four areas, you create growth and change in your life. Sharpen the Saw keeps you fresh so you can continue to practice the other six habits. You increase your capacity to produce and handle the challenges around you. Without this renewal, the body becomes weak, the mind mechanical, the emotions raw, the spirit insensitive, and the person selfish. Not a pretty picture, is it?
Feeling good doesn't just happen. Living a life in balance means taking the necessary time to renew yourself. It's all up to you. You can renew yourself through relaxation. Or you can totally burn yourself out by overdoing everything. You can pamper yourself mentally and spiritually. Or you can go through life oblivious to your well-being. You can experience vibrant energy. Or you can procrastinate and miss out on the benefits of good health and exercise. You can revitalize yourself and face a new day in peace and harmony. Or you can wake up in the morning full of apathy because your get-up-and-go has got-up-and-gone. Just remember that every day provides a new opportunity for renewal--a new opportunity to recharge yourself instead of hitting the wall. All it takes is the desire, knowledge, and skill.
A woodcutter strained to saw down a tree. A young man who was watching asked “What are you doing?”
“Are you blind?” the woodcutter replied. “I’m cutting down this tree.”
The young man was unabashed. “You look exhausted! Take a break. Sharpen your saw.”
The woodcutter explained to the young man that he had been sawing for hours and did not have time to take a break.
The young man pushed back… “If you sharpen the saw, you would cut down the tree much faster.”
The woodcutter said “I don’t have time to sharpen the saw. Don’t you see I’m too busy?”
Many of us are too busy to sharpen our saw...that is to take the time to take care of ourselves, but we'll be happier, healthier and more productive if we do.
Sharpening the saw is a Quadrant 2 activity, important but not urgent. But the results make it worth the time to program it into your schedule.
Monday - Habit 1 - Be Proactive
Tuesday - Habit 2 - Begin with the End in Mind
Wednesday - Habit 3 - Put First Things First
Thursday - Habit 4 - Think Win-win
Monday - Habit 5 - Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood
Tuesday - Habit 6 - Synergize
Wednesday - Habit 7 - Sharpen the Saw
Thursday - The 8th Habit - Find Your Voice and Inspire Others to Find Theirs
Interesting days
Tomorrow - Thanksgiving and Cake Day
Next Wednesday - Fritters Day
December 25 - Christmas and Pumpkin Pie Day Grab some pumpkin pie and lots of Cool Whip and settle down to a marathon of your favorite holiday movies. I have a lot of favorites..."It's a Wonderful Life", "Miracle on 34th Street", "White Christmas" and "Holiday Inn". What are your favorites?
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