The Woodcutter
Once upon a time, there was a very strong woodcutter. He asked for a job from a timber merchant, and he got it. The pay was very good and so were the work conditions and for that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his very best. His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area in the forest where he was to work.
On the first day, the woodcutter cut down 18 trees. His boss was extremely impressed and said, “Well done. Keep it up. You are our best woodcutter yet.” Motivated by his boss’s words, the woodcutter tried even harder the next day, but he only cut down 15 trees. On the third day, he tried even harder but only cut down 10 trees.
Day after day the woodcutter cut down fewer and fewer trees.
His boss came to him and told him that if he did not chop down more trees each day, he would lose his job. The woodcutter needed the job, so he tried harder and harder. He worked during his lunch breaks and tea breaks, but still, he could not cut down enough trees. “I must be losing my strength,” the woodcutter thought to himself. He worked overtime, but still, it was not enough.
Eventually, his boss came to him and told him he was fired. The woodcutter was upset, but he knew that he had worked as hard as he could and just did not have enough time to chop more trees. He sadly handed his axe back.
The boss took one look at the axe and asked, “When was the last time you sharpened your axe?”
“Sharpen my axe?” the woodcutter replied. “I have never sharpened my axe. I have been too busy trying to cut down enough trees.”
Habit 7 of Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: “Sharpen the Saw”.
We’ve all heard of Steven Covey and his book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. His 7th Habit is “Sharpen the Saw“.
“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”
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.
We can’t delegate this task of sharpening the saw to others.
•Diet, exercise, rest? No one else, not the most well-meaning partner, parent, or friend can do it for us.
•Social and meaningful connections with others? We must make it happen for ourselves, but BNI is a great place to make it happen.
•Lifelong learning? Up to us individually but again BNI is a great place to make it happen. It’s one of BNI’s core values.
•Spiritual? We must choose where we place ourselves on a spiritual scale and seek out what feeds our souls.
Summary
Abraham Lincoln lived and died before Mr. Covey, but he knew this notion. He said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
Let’s keep our physical, social/emotional, mental and spiritual tools sharp.
