Sharpen Your Saw With Life Balance

Have you heard the parable of the woodcutter straining to cut down a tree? His blade is dull, he is exhausted, but he is too busy to stop to sharpen his saw.

Stephen Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People talks about the need to Sharpen the Saw – to preserve and enhance the greatest asset you have – YOU.

Sharpen the Saw means having a balanced approach for self-renewal in four areas of your life:

Physical—Beneficial eating, exercising, and resting

Social/Emotion—Making social and meaningful connections with others

Mental—Learning, reading, writing, and teaching

Spiritual—Expanding self through music, art, service, meditation, or nature

As you renew in these areas, you create growth and change. You stay fresh, so you can increase your capacity to bring about the positive change you seek to create.

Sharpen the Saw not only applies to individuals but to nonprofits and government agencies too. Every day provides a new opportunity for renewal and recharge.

As 2018 draws to a close, we encourage you to take time for reflection and renewal. We are sharing with you the Harvard Business Review article, The 3 Things Employees Really Want, to help you think about what motivates you and your work teams and how to get more of that in your life.

Wishing you a peaceful holiday season!