Go Ahead, Take That Break
The phrase, “sharpen the saw” appeared in a best-selling book written over twenty years ago by Stephen Covey. His book was titled, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. It summarized seven practices or principles that if implemented, would generally yield healthier relationships. My library is filled with these kinds of books but to be honest, my behavior hasn’t changed as much as I would have thought. Still, in spite of what I don’t practice, many of the principles I’ve read about are still valid and true. I’m convinced this is one of them.
In explaining the seventh practice, “sharpen the saw” Covey uses an analogy of a wood cutter who continues to cut wood day after day without taking time out to sharpen his saw. The wood cutter’s blade was becoming duller over time requiring him to work longer hours to get the same result. The result was a drop in productivity.
“Sharpening the saw” isn’t the same as “going off the clock” as I suggested previously. It’s not the same as taking a vacation from textbooks, learning, classes, etc. which I also recommend. It’s an actual activity which I’ll explain a little more next week. For now, acknowledge that “doing it, doing it, doing it” is not an option for any of us. We all need a break, and we all need to “sharpen our saws.”
That’s the tip of the week!
Curt Bumcrot, MRE
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