To stay sharp, you must take care of yourself.

“We must never be too busy to take time to sharpen the saw.” — Stephen Covey, an American educator, author, businessman, and keynote speaker

Stephen Covey says that one of his habits of highly effective people is “Sharpen the saw.” He says that you must preserve and enhance the greatest asset you have:

You.

Covey tells the story that sums up what Sharpen the Saw is all about:

Suppose you were to come upon someone in the woods working feverishly to saw down a tree.

“What are you doing?” you ask.
“Can’t you see?” comes the impatient reply. “I’m sawing down this tree.”
“You look exhausted!” — you exclaim. “How long have you been at it?”
“Over five hours,” he returns, “I’m beat! This is hard work.”
“Well, why don’t you take a break for a few minutes and sharpen that saw?” you inquire. “I’m sure it would go a lot faster.”
“I don’t have time to sharpen the saw,” the man says emphatically. “I’m too busy sawing!”

Sharpening the saw means you have a balanced program for taking care of yourself. You must take time to stay sharp, like a saw.

It’s about self-care.

It is beneficial to take care of yourself. This helps you succeed in both your professional and personal life. It matters in the long term.

7 simple yet powerful tips to keep your saw sharp every day

Here are seven simple yet powerful tips to help you keep your saw sharp. Let’s dive in.

1. Exercise

Exercise will help you overcome job burnout and depression. You’ll also become more productive. Exercise is as much about the mind as it is about the body.

Research has shown that regular exercise is essential for maintaining good mental health. It is more important than the amount of money you have. 

In other words, exercise can boost your happiness more than money can.

Regular exercise keeps you healthy and boosts your energy. If you are not getting enough exercise, there are some subtle warning signs that you should be aware of. 

Additionally, if you are torn between sleep and exercise, focus on exercise. 

In fact, 30 minutes of exercise is more impactful on your health than 30 minutes of extra sleep.

Key takeaway

Don’t be one of the 80% of adults who don’t get at least 30 minutes of exercise.

2. Drink enough water

Water is essential for life and our bodies. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), approximately 70% of the human body is composed of water. 

Not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration, leaving you sluggish and tired.

You should drink water even if you are not thirsty. Make sure you drink water throughout the day. 

Researchers have found that drinking enough water is crucial for maintaining good health. It is recommended to consume 4-6 glasses of water daily. This amounts to 32 to 48 ounces.

Drinking water can help reduce hunger cravings and improve the quality of your sleep.

Key takeaway

Water helps you stay energized throughout the day. You are made up mostly of water. So, don’t forget to drink enough water.

3. Get enough sleep

To stay fresh and productive, it is essential to get enough sleep. Our bodies need high-quality sleep to work optimally. 

Getting enough sleep is underappreciated, and it shouldn’t be because sleep helps our bodies repair.

“I want to sleep but my brain won’t stop talking to itself.” — Anonymous

Some of us don’t know how to shut off our brains before bed. We take pride in not getting sleep.

Sleep helps us feel energized and alert the next day. It controls our metabolism and weight. It boosts our immune system. Sleep helps us improve our knowledge retention.

It also helps us improve our memory and reduce stress.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, most adults need about 8 hours of sleep per night. Sleep enables your body to recharge its batteries.

If you are wondering if you are getting enough high-quality sleep, your body will give you warning signs beyond yawning.

Key takeaway

Sleep improves our ability to learn. It helps us make better decisions. It also increases the length of our lives. So, make it a priority.

4. Strive for excellence, not perfection

Don’t pursue perfection; seek excellence. We often get caught up in making sure everything is perfect.

When we strive for perfection, it’s tough to say things are good enough. Good enough is okay. You should chase growth, not perfection.

“I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence I can reach for; perfection is God’s business.” — Michael J. Fox, a Canadian actor

You become more efficient and productive when you focus on excellence rather than perfection.

Perfectionists seek the approval of others, while those who strive for excellence seek approval from themselves. When you aim to perfect everything, you slow down and reduce your output.

Remember that perfection is results-focused, while excellence is process-focused. Perfection is the enemy of growth because you can only learn from your mistakes. Satisfy yourself, not others.

Key takeaway

Produce excellent work, not perfect work. Don’t self-impose stress. Others might harshly judge you if things are not ideal, but that should not be your concern.

5. Balance your energy, not your time

Your day is not about how much you have to do. It’s about how much mental energy you have to get things done. When your mental energy is drained, you won’t be productive. The key is to balance your energy, not your time.

“Where our focus goes, our energy flows.” — Tony Robbins, an American author, coach, motivational speaker, and philanthropist

There are only so many hours in a day. We all have a long to-do list. It’s essential to find out what drains your brain.

Fix those energy drainers. We become frustrated when we balance our time, not our energy. 

Time management is about allocating energy to what needs to get done.

Focus on how much energy you can assign to different aspects of your life. Reduce areas that are draining your energy too much. You must still have energy at the end of the day.

Key takeaway

Manage your mental energy daily, not how much time you have to get things done.

6. Adopt a more is less mindset

We all fall into the trap of adding more things to our plates than we should. There is a time and place for adding something.

Yet, adding more items to your to-do list as a “default” won’t help you.

Sometimes, less is more because there is something for a minimalist mindset. Our lives can quickly get out of control, so we must simplify them.

There is significant untapped potential if you remove many unnecessary meetings and tasks.

There is considerable value in the ‘less is more’ concept. Remove the mental barriers holding you back from subtracting things from your life.

Set expectations for yourself and others. Write down that “less is more” or “elimination of the unnecessary” and make sure it is visible daily.

Key takeaway

Make subtraction visible in your life. Tap into the power of ‘less is more’. Make subtraction a professional or personal goal this year.

7. Embrace meditation

Meditation can help you relax and declutter your thoughts. To stay fresh, take time to go deeper with yourself through meditation.

Meditation can enhance your decision-making, emotional intelligence, and memory.

Meditation can help you stay focused for longer, especially on tedious tasks. It lets you deepen your concentration while lessening the effort needed to stay focused.

Meditation can help you train your mind to redirect your thoughts to positive things. It teaches you how to respond, not react.

Meditation takes time and discipline. It’s about blocking out the world’s noise and quieting your thoughts. It can help you become happier with different parts of your life and bring some sanity back.

Since meditation helps clear your mind, it can enhance your concentration, improve your memory, and foster greater creativity.

Key takeaway

Meditation can help you unlock the potential of your mind. It makes you feel rejuvenated. It can change your life for the better.

Bringing it all together

There are seven simple yet powerful ways to keep your saw sharp every day. Exercise, drink enough water, get enough sleep, and strive for excellence, not perfection.

“We are the instruments of our own performance, and to be effective, we need to recognize the importance of taking time regularly to sharpen the saw.”— Stephen Covey

Additionally, adopt a ‘less-is-more’ mindset and incorporate meditation into your routine.

Focus on taking care of yourself. This will help you stay sharp in your professional life. It will also help you in your personal life.

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