Years ago I came across Stephen Covey’s concept of “Sharpening the Saw,” and the basic idea has been helpful over the years. The premise is that in order to be most effective in life, we have to invest time in keeping ourselves sharp.

The classic image used to illustrate this principle is that of a woodcutter trying to cut down a tree. If he doesn’t take time to sharpen his saw on a regular basis, it’s going to be harder and take longer to get his job done. Now, he may be in a hurry, and think that he’s too busy to take time to stop and sharpen his tool. But often the reality is that the time “saved” by skipping over sharpening his sharp is subsequently lost in the extra time and difficulty he experiences by letting his saw grow dull.

The same thing is true in our lives. When we’re worn out—when we’re not at our best or not operating on all cylinders—it’s going to be more difficult to do the things we need to do with the excellence and effectiveness that we’d like. We may get things done, but it ends up taking a lot of extra effort—just like using a dull saw to cut through a log.

For Covey, the goal was to be intentional about keeping the saw sharp. And this was done by regularly investing time in the following areas of our lives:

  • Physical
  • Social/Emotional
  • Mental
  • Spiritual

By blocking out time on a regular basis to invest in these areas, we set up ourselves to better handle the rest of our lives. Keeping these areas sharp could includes things like regular exercise and rest, ongoing social activities and meaningful connections with others, continual reading and learning, and practices like solitude, prayer, or meditation.

If these key areas are in good condition, we’ll be more effective in the other areas of life. If they’re out of whack, it’s going to be much harder. In a sense, they provide a foundation for everything else.

The goal then, is to make a habit of investing in these areas on a regular basis. Yes, it will require time—time that we may not think we have—but the effectiveness gained is well worth the investment.  In the end, we can either spend a little time keeping ourselves sharp, or we can spend even more time trying to use a dull blade.