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.

Sometimes it helps to slow down in order to go faster.

Cheers,
Berek