Habit #7 – Sharpen the Saw

You could be a very hard worker, but you may be trying to cut down a tree using a dull saw. You are in a hurry, so there is no time to sharpen your saw. Meanwhile, somebody else is not working so hard, yet is able to cut down a tree in less time and with less effort than you can, because they took the time to sharpen their saw first.

Did you ever notice that many times you have your best ideas in the morning rather than the afternoon? That may be because in the morning your mind is fresh (sharpened) from a good night’s sleep, while in the afternoon your mind may be a bit cluttered (dulled) from all the things that have happened to you that day.

Over time, if you spend most of your time focusing on only one area of your life, your mind can become like a dull saw. To sharpen it, take more time for other areas of your life, whether they be physical, mental, spiritual, or recreational.

If you need more time in the physical area, take up a sports program, an exercise program, or bike riding, or jogging. What this can do for you is to flood your body’s system with endorphins, a body chemical which really makes you feel good. This also flushes blood through your brain at a faster rate, which helps you think more clearly.

If you need more time in the mental area, read more books and watch less TV, unless the TV shows are educational in nature. Libraries are full of things where you can learn something new every day, or learn a lot more about what you think you already know.

If you need more time in the spiritual area, find a quiet place where you can let your mind relax gradually. Picture a lake whose waves slowly get smaller and smaller until it is as smooth as glass. Then talk to your Creator, and thank Him for all the fantastic things that He has created, all the small details of plant life, animal life, human life, and any other area that could not have happened by accident.

If you can, take trips to see what other areas of the country are like. Sometimes you need to get away from it all, and when that’s over, you might find you appreciate how nice it is to be back home.

Give compliments to others as often as you can, because every time you do, you are sharpening their saws also.