Sharpen the saw

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Sharpen the saw is a metaphor and story to remind us to refresh and recharge ourselves.

When you're deep in, it may feel like you have no time to pause. No time to take a break, there's too much to get done. Perhaps no time to stop and think about how you're working. No time to step back and improve your processes or work on your tools. Maybe even no time to look after yourself, to recharge, to reflect, to take a walk.

As the metaphor goes, you may feel you have no time to stop and sharpen the saw. Until you do it, and then you may realise you have no time to not stop and sharpen the saw.

Sharpen the saw is habit 7 of Stephen Covey's classic The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Related Ideas to Sharpen the Saw

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Published 4 Dec 2022

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I will study and get ready and perhaps my chance will come — Abraham Lincoln

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Primary metaphor

Abraham Lincoln stands among the most admired US presidents. Apart from his deeds and what he stood for, from what I’ve read, he also appears kind and wise. As a model for behaviour, Dale Carnegie points out Lincoln’s humble and kind approach several times in his awkwardly titled book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Apart from highlighting the value of a sharp axe to cut down trees efficiently*, my favourite words from Lincoln are: “I will study and get ready and perhaps my time will come.” —Abraham Lincoln This quote, or at least sentiment, was also a favourite of the legendary basketball coach John Wooden. He would use it to help players stay focused on training even when they weren’t playing. If a player isn’t ready when the chance comes, they may not get another anytime soon. Lincoln’s simple statement echoes some of my other favourite advice, that is surprisingly hard to follow, in: “The time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining,” the Chinese proverb to “Dig the well before you are thirsty,” and Louis Pasteur’s wise words, “Chance favours the prepared mind.” My experience has taught me that I can’t predict my future. I also don’t know what chance meeting will lead to my next opportunity, or what bit of work will turn out to be the one that I’m most grateful for later. I take from Lincoln’s quote: Work hard. Do my best. Stay humble. Prepare if I can. Look out for opportunities. Don’t rush it. Be patient. Don’t be too hard on myself if things come slowly or not at all. The universe doesn’t owe me anything. But if I study and get ready, if something does come my way, I’ll hopefully be able to make the most of it. Or at least I’ll try to. What do you take from it? Related Ideas to Study and Get Ready Also see: Sharpen the saw Everything is aiming The Pomodoro Technique and the importance of breaks Hitched to everything else in the universe To scale, first do things that don’t scale Replicate then innovate The upward spiral And above all, never give up Unknown unknowns Notes on the quote As with most old quotes, it seems to exist in myriad slightly different forms. I like the one here, but I’ve also seen it as: I will prepare and someday my chance will come. I will study and prepare myself, and someday my chance will come. I will study and get ready and someday my chance will come. I will study and get ready and maybe my chance will come. I will prepare and some day my chance will come. According to Wikiquote, this quote was cited in “Steps Upward in Personality: What Kind of Person Do I Want to Be?” (1931) by Laura Haddock, though I have failed to get hold of the original. Lincoln died in 1865, so I guess the precise words he used may be lost to time in any case. If you know of a reliable source, please let me know. *Another famous quote from Lincoln: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”Abraham Lincoln stands among the most admired US presidents. Apart from his deeds and what he stood for, from what I’ve read, he also appears kind and wise. As a model for behaviour, Dale Carnegie points out Lincoln’s humble and kind approach several times in his awkwardly titled book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Apart from highlighting the value of a sharp axe to cut down trees efficiently*, my favourite words from Lincoln are: “I will study and get ready and perhaps my time will come.” —Abraham Lincoln This quote, or at least sentiment, was also a favourite of the legendary basketball coach John Wooden. He would use it to help players stay focused on training even when they weren’t playing. If a player isn’t ready when the chance comes, they may not get another anytime soon. Lincoln’s simple statement echoes some of my other favourite advice, that is surprisingly hard to follow, in: “The time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining,” the Chinese proverb to “Dig the well before you are thirsty,” and Louis Pasteur’s wise words, “Chance favours the prepared mind.” My experience has taught me that I can’t predict my future. I also don’t know what chance meeting will lead to my next opportunity, or what bit of work will turn out to be the one that I’m most grateful for later. I take from Lincoln’s quote: Work hard. Do my best. Stay humble. Prepare if I can. Look out for opportunities. Don’t rush it. Be patient. Don’t be too hard on myself if things come slowly or not at all. The universe doesn’t owe me anything. But if I study and get ready, if something does come my way, I’ll hopefully be able to make the most of it. Or at least I’ll try to. What do you take from it? Related Ideas to Study and Get Ready Also see: Sharpen the saw Everything is aiming The Pomodoro Technique and the importance of breaks Hitched to everything else in the universe To scale, first do things that don’t scale Replicate then innovate The upward spiral And above all, never give up Unknown unknowns Notes on the quote As with most old quotes, it seems to exist in myriad slightly different forms. I like the one here, but I’ve also seen it as: I will prepare and someday my chance will come. I will study and prepare myself, and someday my chance will come. I will study and get ready and someday my chance will come. I will study and get ready and maybe my chance will come. I will prepare and some day my chance will come. According to Wikiquote, this quote was cited in “Steps Upward in Personality: What Kind of Person Do I Want to Be?” (1931) by Laura Haddock, though I have failed to get hold of the original. Lincoln died in 1865, so I guess the precise words he used may be lost to time in any case. If you know of a reliable source, please let me know. *Another famous quote from Lincoln: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

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