Sharpen the Saw
The first non-fiction book I read was 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. This is the book that made me realize that “self-help” books where not snake oil. These books can act as mentors and there is so much out there for me to learn. You can get better faster by learning from others.
One of Covey’s habits is “sharpen the saw”. This means to always seek knowledge and be open minded. No matter how good you get at something there is always room to improve. There is always something to learn from somebody else.
In the gym this can mean so many things: focus on mechanics before intensity, learn from others, keep working towards better, etc.
There are two metaphors that I love that help explain this a bit more. I believe Covey shares both of these in this book.
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
“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!””
Sometimes it helps to slow down in order to go faster.
Cheers,
Berek
