Stop. Sharpen the saw. Then move ahead. What does it mean too sharpen the saw? The concept arose from celebrated Author Steven Covey who wrote the best selling book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. He shared this story to clarify his point:
Suppose you were to come upon someone in the woods working feverishly to saw down a tree.
“What are you doing?” you ask.
“Can’t you see?” comes the impatient reply. “I’m sawing down this tree.”
“You look exhausted!” you exclaim. “How long have you been at it?”
“Over five hours,” he returns, “and I’m beat! This is hard work.”
“Well, why don’t you take a break for a few minutes and sharpen that saw?” you inquire. “I’m sure it would go a lot faster.”
“I don’t have time to sharpen the saw,” the man says emphatically. “I’m too busy sawing!”
So the concept to sharpen the saw highlights the point that when you have been going, going, going, and going …and you can’t seem to see any results. Acknowledge that it’s time to stop. It’s time to refresh. It’s time for a break to get the rest you need to start thinking so you can be productive again.
So stop. Sharpen the saw. So you can move ahead.
Cheers!
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