Get the Habit – Habit 7 – “Sharpen the Saw” – Look after Your Wellbeing
The last in a series of articles based on Stephen Covey’s acclaimed book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” – to view the other articles click the links below:
Habit 2 – Begin with the End in Mind (goals and vision)
Habit 3 – First things First (time management)
Habit 5 – Seek First to Understand (listening skills)
Habit 6 – Synergise (know your strengths and those of others)
What a strange title for the last of the 7 Habits. Covey uses the metaphor of a man struggling for hours to cut down a tree with a blunt saw because he ‘hadn’t got time’ to sharpen it. The learning being that a short time invested in keeping your tools sharp saves you time in doing the job.
The real message of this Habit is about keeping ourselves in shape – if our bodies or minds are not up to the job then we are on a downward spiral.
Covey identifies four dimensions that we need to take care of – I’ve chosen to illustrate them in an overlapping diagram because getting one right can feed the others – for example physical exercise is also good for the spirit and can involve social interaction – more about each below:
Physical
Looking after our bodies so that we have the capability to do the things we want and need to do for work and play:
- Exercise for endurance, flexibility and strength
- Rest
- Eating well
Spiritual
Attending to the core of our being – our values, principles and guiding energy. For different people this involves different things – the essence is that it leads to an uplifting feeling:
- Prayer
- Meditation
- Immersion in literature or music
- Being close to nature
Mental
Taking time to continue to grow your mental capacity – diverting some of that TV time to activities that enrich your understanding and develop your skills:
- Continuing education
- Reading
- Writing – a journal, letters, articles or even a book
- Organising and planning stretching projects
Social/Emotional
Paying attention to our relationships using Habits 4 (win/win) and 5 (the skill of empathic listening)
Tips to put this habit into practice:
1 Consider the four areas of wellbeing – physical, spiritual, mental and social/emotional. Where do you most need to sharpen your saw? What benefits would you gain? How committed to doing something about it are you?
2 Now consider what realistic actions you could take and when. What might stop you from doing these and how you might overcome these barriers.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen Covey (1989)is published by Franklin Covey Co ISBN 0-684-85839-8