I was in a leadership class this past week. They quoted a lot of good speakers throughout it but one quote stuck out to me. Not just the quote but the explanation behind it. It was from Stephen Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and it goes as follows:
“Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have – you”.
So what does that mean?
It means if you are constantly using your saw – in other words your effort, your brain, your time, your compassion – it will dull. You can’t keep cutting with a dull blade. It needs to be sharpened to continue to work as it’s designed. To sharpen your saw you need to find time to do what makes you happy. What refills your cup? What recharges your batteries? If you give all your spoons away, you have none left for yourself.
What brings you joy?
What is the one thing that if someone asked you about today you would talk passionately about? Is it a pet? Is it music? How about art? Maybe it’s your latest gadget or something you’ve worked hard for. Maybe it’s the beach.
I have four.
My children bring me joy. Whether they are under the same roof, gallivanting around the world with me, or simply happy with the lives they are living, they always bring me joy. When I get a phone call or text message from any of them, it makes my day.
Sage, my cuddle-bug puppy (who isn’t a puppy anymore but shh – don’t tell her) brings me joy. She is a chihuahua/pit bull mix. She looks like a perpetual pittie puppy. She acts like a cat, though, and that girl can hold a grudge like no dog I’ve ever met. Regardless, she makes me happy.
Music grounds me. Music helps me express what I might not be able to. Music always has a song to match my mood. Music doesn’t judge me. Music understands.
Finally – my big recharge – travel. I love the ocean. I can visit the mountains or a desert but the ocean holds my heart. Well, water in general. I am down for a river cruise anywhere in the world. But the salt air is immediately relaxing. Getting on a plane is exciting. I swear I am still a child at heart. I have been on more planes than I can count. I still prefer the window seat because I want to watch us take off and land. It’s so fascinating to me. Then to land somewhere new – somewhere I might not know the language, somewhere the history is in the streets, and the beauty surrounds me – that brings me joy.
So why am I blabbering on about these things that bring me joy? Because they sharpen my saw. They keep me present. They add spoons, recharge my batteries, fill my cup, help me to help others.
You don’t need something big or expensive. You can even have one practical and one not so practical thing. Maybe it’s a bunch of little things. What brings you joy could be watching your favourite TV show. Maybe it’s playing video games. Maybe it’s even sitting in a corner and reading a book without interruptions.
The thing itself is less important. What is important is that you make time for yourself to do the things that bring you joy.
One of our instructors said that he is well aware he would most likely do what makes him happy anyway but he intentionally puts it in his schedule. That is a non-negotiable. That is going to happen. Seeing it in his schedule gives him something to look forward to.
Do you need to add it to your schedule? Maybe. Maybe not. I think that depends on how much priority you give yourself. If you keep giving away pieces of you without making time for something to make you happy – yes. You do need to schedule it. If you are capable of knowing every night at 7pm you are going to watch Jeopardy without question, maybe not.
The point isn’t to add more things to your schedule. The point is to make sure you are taking the time to sharpen your saw.
Oily Minded Medic 