Sharpen the Axe
Abraham Lincoln famously said, “If I only had an hour to chop down a tree, I would spend the first 45 minutes sharpening my axe.”
I thought of this recently as I submitted my workout photo to my accountability group. When I sent in my “glamourous” sweaty shot, I put the caption “Axe is sharpened”. Meaning that the most important part of my day is getting mentally and physically prepared to set myself up for success.
There were several times in the past, especially when work got really busy, that I would question the time I was taking to work out. Then it dawned on me, that it was one of THE most important things I needed to be doing to show up as my best self!
How do you go about sharpening your axe? First, take an assessment on what dulls your axe. What dulls your senses? Is it video games, scrolling, wine, weed? We all have vices that may not be serious addictions but when we evaluate them, may be derailing or slowing our progress.
The simplest way to sharpen your axe and to show up fully engaged, charged and ready to take the day by storm is to work out.
Besides the rush and sense of pride, the happy endorphins fire you up for the rest of your day. In addition to a physical workout, sharpen your axe by replacing talk radio or scrolling with an inspirational podcast as you get ready for the day. Swap out your morning drive from listening to radio banter and sub in an audio book that will accelerate your success and lift your mood.
Be mindful of your associations. Your friends, family and associations will either make your axe rusty or gleaming with shine ready to take down that proverbial “tree” Lincoln talked about. Rust is created by old habits, talking about the good old days, recounting the same stories, and complaining and excuses.
Associations that sharpen your axe are achieving at a higher level than most. They are committed to personal development. They are probably trailblazers and when you’re together, want to talk about a vibrant future. There’s little complaining and a ton of dreaming followed up with action steps to make success a reality.
Proverbs 27:17 proclaims: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
Learning something new can also sharpen your axe. Reading a book that is WAY above your paygrade, in this gal’s case, tackling “The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing” by Benjamin Graham. As difficult a read as it was, it opened my mind and eyes and sharpened my skills and knowledge in this space. Level up your learning to sharpen your axe.
Not sure where to start? Focus on your physical health and wellness. Get a sweat on each morning and then habit stack the next best move that will get you primed and ready to win the day!
