“The greatest asset you ever had and will have is YOU!

The single most powerful investment you can ever make is investment in yourself.”

Sharpening the saw means mastering and renewing all main pillars of your life regularly and in wise, balanced way. We are our own instruments for achieving everything in life, and to be effective we need to take time regularly to sharpen saw in all four dimensions:

1. Physical. Exercise regularly: do aerobic exercises to rush the blood around the body and keep your heart healthy; stretch, do some yoga; do strength training. Stay on top of your nutrition: eat real food that nourishes your body; stay away from sugars and trans fats. Sleep well, don’t stay up late and rest for at least 8 hours daily. Let your mind and body to rest and release the stress.
2. Mental. Don’t let your mind atrophy. Read a lot, read daily, read broadly, read serious literature, explore new subjects, think analytically. Expose yourself to great minds. Set yourself a goal of at least one book a month, then two, three. Write, write critically or in a way that tests your mind, learn to express yourself clearly. Keep the journal of thoughts, experiences, insights and ideas. Education – continuing education, continuing expansion of mind. Plan and organize. Strengthen the power of your mind by practicing visualization. See the entire journey from the beginning, dream. Spend at least one hour a day sharpening your mental skills.
3. Spiritual. Meditate, listen great music or immerse into great literature. Learn and practice breathing techniques. Get outdoors and communicate with nature. Pray, keep the journal of gratitude. 
4. Social. Serve, help other people in a meaningful ways.

“If you want to live a long life, focus on making contributions”

Dr. Hans Selye

“Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth”

N. Eldon Tanner

Sharpening your saw needs to be balanced between all four dimensions. It is in fact synergetic – the more you sharpen one thing, the more impact it has on others dimensions. Your mental health is dependent on your physical condition as well as your spirituality depends on your social/emotional strength. 

Being physically sharp improves your personal leadership and discipline. You become more proactive, you get empowered to act instead of being acted upon.

Being developed spiritually allows you to recognize and change the personal paradigms and scripts that don’t serve you. It allows you to live your life in harmony with your core values, which results in greater personal security as you get your strength from within.

Being mentally sharp helps to maximize the use of your energy and time. It helps you to organize your life in effective manner and execute only the activities that have high priority.  If you continually invest in improving your mental capabilities you brake free from the influence of circumstances and situations. You don’t depend on your boss’s opinion of you, you become economically independent. Being sharp mentally improves your most important financial skill – your capacity to earn.

“Your economic security doesn’t come from your job, it comes from your own power to produce  – to think, to learn, to adapt”

“The true financial independence means having the power to produce wealth. It’s intrinsic”

Stephen R. Covey

References:

COVEY, S. R. (2004). The 7 habits of highly effective people: restoring the character ethic. New York, Free Press.