The Habit:
The last habit, Sharpening the Saw is the core of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This habit, if well developed, is what keeps the others going, working, and functioning. As I learned about it, I thought about my sister and her knife set, that I’ve always wanted to bring home with me. Her knives are always well sharpened, and it takes no effort to cut anything. As compared to my knives that I struggle with, have to apply a lot of pressure to even begin to slice through and depending on what I’m cutting, I end up with a sore wrist. The difference is that she has the habit of sharpening her knives, regularly and frequently, so that she doesn’t struggle when using her knives and has taken care of them so that they have lasted for years. I don’t. This habit is developed and cultivated when one maintains their investments, reinvests, and recommits to their investments. If one is committed to “Sharpening the Saw,” they will always commit to be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek to understand, then to be understood, and synergize to maintain their interdependence.
My Habit:
This habit is the heart of this philosophy, and one that I need to work on. I must admit that I don’t sharpen the saw as often as I should; therefore, I have found myself in situations that require me to start from the beginning or work double. This was a result of not recommitting and reinvesting into a project, as a result, the benefits did not last. Another example that comes to mind is my habit of starting with the end in mind. In the past, I didn’t always begin this way. Due to time limitations or lack of resources, I would not consider the end in mind and begin working within the moment and only considering the next step, without having the focus on the ultimate goal. The result wasn’t as successful as planned. I didn’t plan and work with the end in mind. I stopped sharpening the saw. With this new perspective of the 7 habits and the importance of continually sharpening the saw, I know I can achieve more success.
My Commitment:
I commit to continue passing on my knowledge of the 7 habits to my daughter. I think this is a habit that she will easily be able to relate to, because she has been practicing it this past year without realizing what she is doing, and she has experienced a lot of improvement and success as a result. So, I want to help her make the connection to her performance and success on the court to her applying the habit of “sharpening the saw.” She made a concerted effort to improve. She started working out regularly on and off season, watching what she eats, and increasing her practice times. As a result, she has been very surprised with her improvements. I want to use this to connect her improvements and success to her reinvestment and commitment to the game.
The last habit, Sharpening the Saw is the core of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This habit, if well developed, is what keeps the others going, working, and functioning. As I learned about it, I thought about my sister and her knife set, that I’ve always wanted to bring home with me. Her knives are always well sharpened, and it takes no effort to cut anything. As compared to my knives that I struggle with, have to apply a lot of pressure to even begin to slice through and depending on what I’m cutting, I end up with a sore wrist. The difference is that she has the habit of sharpening her knives, regularly and frequently, so that she doesn’t struggle when using her knives and has taken care of them so that they have lasted for years. I don’t. This habit is developed and cultivated when one maintains their investments, reinvests, and recommits to their investments. If one is committed to “Sharpening the Saw,” they will always commit to be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek to understand, then to be understood, and synergize to maintain their interdependence.
My Habit:
This habit is the heart of this philosophy, and one that I need to work on. I must admit that I don’t sharpen the saw as often as I should; therefore, I have found myself in situations that require me to start from the beginning or work double. This was a result of not recommitting and reinvesting into a project, as a result, the benefits did not last. Another example that comes to mind is my habit of starting with the end in mind. In the past, I didn’t always begin this way. Due to time limitations or lack of resources, I would not consider the end in mind and begin working within the moment and only considering the next step, without having the focus on the ultimate goal. The result wasn’t as successful as planned. I didn’t plan and work with the end in mind. I stopped sharpening the saw. With this new perspective of the 7 habits and the importance of continually sharpening the saw, I know I can achieve more success.
My Commitment:
I commit to continue passing on my knowledge of the 7 habits to my daughter. I think this is a habit that she will easily be able to relate to, because she has been practicing it this past year without realizing what she is doing, and she has experienced a lot of improvement and success as a result. So, I want to help her make the connection to her performance and success on the court to her applying the habit of “sharpening the saw.” She made a concerted effort to improve. She started working out regularly on and off season, watching what she eats, and increasing her practice times. As a result, she has been very surprised with her improvements. I want to use this to connect her improvements and success to her reinvestment and commitment to the game.