Covey’s habit 7: Sharpen the saw

Sharpen the saw is the seventh and last habit that Covey defined in his original book. Habit 7 is a special habit, as this one is a perpetual habit, no matter how far you have advanced through the other 6 habits. Habits 1 to 3 form the Private Victory, and habits 4 to 6 form the Public Victory. Habit 7 tells us to “be fit for purpose”.The title of the habit is derived from wise craftsmen. You have to take care of your tools! If you’re cutting down trees and your saw is dull, it will take an agonizing long time. And since it took so long, you’re behind schedule, so you have to rush to the next tree.

But if you take the time to sharpen your saw, taking down the tree will be less strenuous and will deliver results faster. You will make up for “lost” time! Investing time to prepare your tools, pays itself back (and is in itself a quadrant II activity).

You are your tool in life!
Think about it! The single most important asset you possess…is YOU! Habit 7 demands that you take care of it. If you neglect this part, you can forget about the rest.

There are many ways to take care of yourself. Covey defines four areas:

• Physical
  Taking care of your body, staying healthy, focused on vitality
• Spiritual
  This is at the core, your life’s direction, your inner journey
• Mental
  Taking care of your brain and your acuity
• Social / emotional
  Investing in relationships and interdependence

I’m not going to tell you what Covey says about these dimensions in his book. The first part of what he describes is interesting, but then all of a sudden it shifts into another gear. The book is pretty timeless, but the chapter of habit 7 changes to a more time-constraint and personal interpretation in my opinion. I think people are wise enough to understand the message, and then venture into this world and give it a form and shape that suits their needs.

So take up the glove, and sharpen your saw! It’s an investment with double digit returns or even exponential returns if you combine it with the other 6 habits.

You can find the other six habits in previous posts:
Habit 1 Be proactive
Habit 2 Begin with the end in mind
Habit 3 First things first
Habit 4 Think Win Win
Habit 5 Seek first to understand then to be understood
Habit 6 Synergize

You can buy Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People at Amazon, or as an audiobook here. There’s also an audiobook on this habit alone.