Summary Of Habit 7 of 7 Habits - Self Renewal

Have you ever come across the term ‘Sharpen the Saw’ ? What does it really mean? The answer is pretty straightforward - it’s about making the most of the one asset you really have to count on in life - that’s yourself! ‘Sharpen the Saw’ refers to setting up a balanced routine for keeping yourself at your best. Its all about making time to renew and look after yourself in four key areas: the way you take care of your body, the relationships you build, your mind & your spirit.

Now, in the book, Covey talks about a number of techniques to help get these four areas back in top shape, things like exercise, healthy eating, reading books, meditation, managing stress & all those other things we usually put off. He’s trying to show that taking care of yourself is key to really changing your life & setting yourself up for success.

Sharpening the saw is habit 7 for highly effective people. And the reasoning behind this habit is that you should take the time to put some of the best time out of your busy calendar to invest in yourself. Truth is no one else will do it for you - it’s something you simply have to do yourself.

In this habit, Covey stresses the importance of taking care of those special skills & abilities you’ve got, but which can easily get neglected. He says if you take some time to renew the four core parts of your life ( your body, spirit, mind and social connections ) then you’ll find it actually gets a lot easier to grow, handle tough challenges, and all in all make life changes that will have a lasting impact.

Abraham Lincoln once said ” Give me 6 hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend 4 hours sharpening the ax.” What this tells us is simple - when you’ve got a big job to do, the smart thing to do is take some time to get your tools in order first.

So lets take that as an example. Imagine two guys, both tasked with chopping down a tree in 6 hours. One of them dives in right away without even checking to see if his axe is sharp & the other one takes some time to sharpen it up before getting started.

After 6 hours, the first guy had barely started & the second had not only finished, but had time to go home early. Why did that happen ? Because his axe was in good condition, so he had all the power he needed to get the job done fast.

It shows just how important it is to look after your own self care. If you try to do the same thing with an axe that needs sharpening then you’re not just wasting time - you’re also putting more effort in for less results. Neglecting your own well being can leave you feeling flat & ineffective.

So, if sharpening the saw really can do such a great job, what does it take to make it work in real life ? These practices can really make a big difference - bringing growth & improvement into all different areas of life & helping you reach your full potential.

Now we just need to figure out how to apply it in our own lives. The answer is simple: we just have to make time for the four key areas of our lives, just like Covey said. Taking a few breaks to look after yourself and sharpen that saw can really make a big difference in the end.

Let’s discuss them one by one:

1 - The Physical Dimension

The physical dimension deals with taking care of our physical bodies. It is essential because if your body feels tired, it becomes tough to bring productivity, no matter how much effort you are putting in.

With a good physical body, you have all the strength and vigor required to take on life’s challenges. So, you must include taking care of your body in your priority list by focusing on three main areas:

  • Eating the right food

  • Doing exercise

  • Taking sufficient sleep

Even if you are busy, it is important to make the necessary time for self-care and prioritize your physical health.

As far as exercise is concerned, Covey said that the best exercise program could be something we can easily do in-home, such as aerobic exercise, stretching, and weight lifting.

He mentions that it would not be that easy to adopt this routine suddenly because your body is not used to it. But, if we remain persistent, then it can be done quickly.

The significance of exercise can never be underestimated. When Richard Branson was asked about his extraordinary productivity, he mentioned that he used to work out daily, which helped him boost his productivity. Still, many people sacrifice exercise and sleep for non-essential activities, which cost them heavily. Just like a person sawing a tree for over five hours without taking a break to sharpen the Saw, neglecting physical self-care can lead to exhaustion and decreased efficiency.

2 - The Spiritual Dimension

The spiritual dimension is expressed in the need for a greater sense of purpose and meaning. Without meaning and purpose, our lives feel empty, and we start to feel alienated.

Spending time on activities that nurture the spirit helps to understand life’s purpose, like who you are and why you do it, etc. It’s pretty hard these days because daily activities consume a lot of time to keep spirituality aside. However, you cannot expect spiritual growth or renewal without intentional effort and commitment.

But keeping yourself spiritually healthy is equally important as keeping yourself physically active. Many helpful activities help to keep your spirituality in shape like:

  • Spending some time in nature

  • Doing meditation

  • Listening to music

  • Praying

  • Attending religious services

You don’t need to spend all your time involved in these activities; if you take some time out regularly doing some of these activities, then it can be beneficial for you to lead a more fulfilling and purposeful life.

3 - The Mental Dimension

Wellness is not all about physical and spiritual well-being. It would help to concentrate on mental health to sharpen your brain more effectively.

The mental dimension can be improved straightforwardly by involving yourself in reading books. The best way is to read books above your comprehension so that you can grasp a new concept every time you read a book. Dedicating even a few minutes each day to reading or solving puzzles can significantly sharpen your mind.

You can also do the puzzle-solving activity. It is a cognitive activity that sharpens your brain and keeps you away from diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Another best way to enhance your mental dimension is to listen to stimulating podcasts, take an online course, join a discussion group, etc.

Engaging in these activities creates an upward spiral of personal growth and continuous improvement in mental health.

4 - The Social/Emotional Dimension

The social/emotional dimension is about creating meaningful social connections with others as a form of self care to enhance emotional well-being. Meaningful relationships not only reduce stress but also help us process our emotions, leading to greater mental clarity and resilience. Different studies show that socialization is quite effective in eliminating stress. It provides a way to learn new ideas and share your thoughts with others.

Improving the social dimension makes it easy to have positive interactions with others. It provides a platform to build close friendships, helps to practice empathy and effective listening, and lets others care for you.

The social/emotional dimension also plays a crucial role in interacting and working with others. Some of the excellent ways of sharpening the social/emotional dimensions include:

  • Cultivating healthy relationships

  • Making new friends

  • Enjoying dinner with family

  • Contributing to your community

  • Sharing your skills and talent

To get optimal results, we need to improve all four dimensions equally because if we work towards a single size, then we can’t get the best results.

Renewing ourselves successfully in all four areas brings actual change in our life. It helps us by boosting our capacity to handle all the toughest challenges in our life, which are impossible without this renewal.

Key Takeaways Of Habit 7

By sharpening the saw, you tend to be more productive because you spend time discovering the tools and tricks required to solve a problem instead of doing it without proper planning

  • Sharpening the saw makes you more skillful because you can produce far better results when you start working on your weaknesses than continuing with what you know. Prioritizing your ‘big rocks’ ensures that key activities like self-care and family bonding are scheduled first, making other commitments adjust around them.

  • Working on yourself helps you free yourself from mental prison and develop all the necessary skills to focus on success instead of worrying about failure. An ‘impatient reply’ to the idea of taking a break can lead to exhaustion and reduced effectiveness, highlighting the importance of self-care.

  • By sharpening the saw, you make improvements day by day, which helps you take one step further towards a successful future because you start to work on removing all the obstacles that were keeping you away from it.

  • By eating a good diet full of nutrition and focusing on regular exercise, you can easily sharpen yourself physically, reflecting on your work.

  • Reading books that increase your knowledge and participating in a course that relates to your work helps you become mentally sharp and boost your efficiency at work.

  • Socializing and creating meaningful connections mentally refresh you and sharpen your mental capabilities.

  • Taking time out for meditation, prayers, and nature helps you spiritually replenish yourself. It also adds a lot to your performance.

8th habit : From Effectiveness to Greatness

The 7th Habit is not Stephen R. Covey’s final or most recent idea. After The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey went on to expand his framework in a later book titled The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, in which he introduced an additional habit focused on finding one’s voice and helping others find theirs. This book builds on the original seven habits and reflects Covey’s continued thinking and evolution beyond the initial model.

7 Habits quiz

Many people know the theory but struggle with consistency — you can assess how well you apply the 7 habits with this quiz.

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