Sharpen the Saw

Let’s face it, we’re busy people. One thing’s for certain, being busy isn’t just limited to the work we do but it can also be experienced in our personal lives. It can be a challenge to create a good balance between the work we do each day and finding the time to improve on the skills we use that make us successful.

In episode 3 of The Relentless, Scott Miller talks about a habit called Sharpen the Saw.

“…you’ve got to see yourself as a machine that you’ve got to invest in…”

Scott Miller, Episode 3 of The Relentless

You are your most valuable asset. Great producers, or machines, have to find the balance between producing, doing the work, and finding ways to improve their skills. Even the greatest and most powerful machines need maintenance from time to time for them do their job well. If you are only working to produce and you’re not taking the time to be intentional about your rest, and ongoing development in the areas you need to use every day in your personal life and for your business, it can lead to burnout, or an un-sharpened saw.

A recent Gallup study of nearly 7,500 working adults found that 23% of them reported feeling burnout while working very often or always, while an additional 44% reported feeling burned out sometimes. That means approximately two-thirds of full-time workers experience burnout with the jobs they do each day.

Let’s think about a saw, for a moment. What is it that makes the saw most effective and what it’s supposed to do? If you’ve ever tried to use a saw without the blades being sharpened, then you know how difficult dull blades can make the job of the saw. Your cut will be uneven, you’ll have to work harder, and the overall outcome of the job won’t be as neat or polished. When a saw is sharpened, is most effective at the job it’s needed for.
We recently surveyed some of our most Relentless Agents to gain insights on how they to sharpen their saw.

Here are the top six ways they embody this principal:

Getting creative with the time you have every day will help you to implement personal investment time into your day to keep your blades sharp.

Being intentional about listening to a real estate podcast while you’re on your way to the office, allowing an audio book to play in the background while you prepare a meal, or taking a few moments to meditate while you stretch for your morning workout, are just a few of ways you can sharpen your saw daily. Combining times of personal and professional renewal with activities you do daily will give you time to invest in yourself without taking away from the time you need for your family and the other important things in your life.

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