Sharpen the Saw Time Period:

Sharpen the Saw

Time Period: June 7, 2005: 7am-12am

June 8-9, 2005: 7am-1am

am-11:30am

am-11pm know an 80-year-old woman by the name of Irene who began "sharpening her saw" decades before Stephen Covey's "Habit of Highly Effective People" list came out. He says that continually sharpening the saw entails regularly identifying areas of life being neglected and giving them time and energy, so batteries are recharged and one can be more effective in all the areas of one's life. Irene always tells me life is short: It is necessary to continually assess your weaknesses and strengths as well as learn something new every day.

Irene is right. That's why I always try to enhance my personal, educational and professional traits, abilities and skills. It is not easy, but it is necessary. Typically, I go to school Monday through Wednesday of each week. I am improving my intellectual capacity each of these days by reading educational material and learning new information from my professors. This week, I spent seven hours on Monday, six on Tuesday and seven hours on Wednesday either in class, reading or studying.

Every morning after I wake up, I spend an hour exercising. I either go running or work out at a local fitness center. That accounts for four hours over four days. This also gives me a spiritual high, since I find myself energized in many ways after working out.

On Thursdays, I work for eight hours at (?). Although work is mostly the same every day, I do try to learn a little more about the business and how I can improve my interaction with the staff and customers. This surely is not going to be my lifelong career, since I am getting my degree in (?) and hope to (?). However, it does not hurt to "sharpen my saw" here as well. It gives me a challenge in a mostly non-challenging position, plus builds up skills I will need later.