My Organized Biz

Sharpen your saw soon

by Becky on August 14th, 2008

(www.myorganizedbiz.com) - If you’re at all familiar with Franklin Covey, then you’ve probably heard of sharpening the saw.

Basically, when using a saw, you must occasionally stop and sharpen it. The longer you wait, the duller the blade will get. And the duller the blade, the longer the cutting will take. It turns into a vicious cycle.

So while it seems like you don’t have time to stop and sharpen your saw, that’s exactly when you should. Taking a small bit of time will prevent wasting a lot of time later.

It can be applied to projects. A little planning up front, plus re-evaluation periodically, will prevent you from wasting time by getting off track and forgetting your original goal.

It can also be applied to you. If you don’t occasionally stop and take stock, how do you know you’re headed in the right direction? If you put off vacations or even just a bit of rest, you risk wearing yourself down. And don’t you lose more time when you’re sick than you would if you just stopped to relax once in a while?

I need to do this soon. Too many projects, too many demands on my time. My load will lighten at the end of the month and while I’m a bit nervous about what it entails, I’m also relieved. It should free me up to give more focused attention to the projects I’m keeping, and hopefully allow me to get caught up. And if I’m really lucky, even get some much-needed rest.

If I can manage for just two more weeks, it should get better. But what about you? Do you stop to sharpen your saw? How often? And has it been enough for you, or is it time to rethink or even change it?

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POSTED IN: Motivation, Rest your eyes, Time Management, Time off