Sharpen the Saw
Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
This week we are going to look at one of our favourite Habits…Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw.
You might ask? What is that?!
It is why you are here, I hope. It is the process of enhancing and preserving your greatest asset…YOU!
It is what makes all the other habits possible.
Covey describes 4 dimensions of renewal:
Physical
Social/Emotional
Spiritual and
Mental.
Physical
This week we will look at the physical dimension.
This involves caring for your body by
exercising
eating the right kinds of foods
getting sufficient rest and relaxation.
Exercise is on of those Quadrant II activities. It is important and high-leverage. It is urgent but if you do it, it eventually will be when you have to deal with health problems.
The usual recommendation is that we exercise around 30 minutes 5 times a week. While for some this may sound like a lot, I liken this to an episode of TV. I always seem to be able to squeeze in an extra episode of TV. So why not 30mins of exercise.
Not only that, but this 2.5 hours serves to improve the rest of the 165.5.
As we’ve looked at before, exercise helps to reduce stress and sleep better. It also improves our thinking and memory.
Covey also argues that exercise helps you improve your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Next week, we will look at the social and emotional dimension.