The Power of Renewal: Boost Your Creativity

Feeling stuck while chasing your goals? Discover how Dr. Stephen R. Covey's 'sharpening the saw' and Oprah Winfrey's insights can help you find balance and inspire growth. Join us to explore the power of renewal and small changes for big results!

7/29/20244 min read

Dr. Stephen R. Covey’s book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," features a habit that encapsulates all the others: Habit 7, "Sharpen the Saw." This may sound a bit abstract at first, but let me share my experience and why this concept is crucial.

Let's list the seven habits first:

1. Be proactive

2. Start with the end in mind

3. Putting first things first

4. Think win-win

5. Try to understand first, then to be understood

6. Create synergy

7. Sharpen the saw

There is a general prejudice in personal development and psychology books. In my opinion, the people who really started this prejudice trend are those who read the books, tried what was taught and were not successful. But are these respected doctors and wise people telling us something wrong or are we not implementing it well enough?

I have had prejudices from time to time, and when it did not match my personal views, I threw the book aside. For example, books that tie the subject of inner peace to religion too much and glorify a specific religious belief do not have much chance in my library. Now let's talk about the books written by great and successful people, that inspire individuals and really create an impact. My answer to the question is very clear, we cannot implement it well enough.

For example, the book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" was one of the most exaggerated books in popular culture for me. But of course, that does not mean that I will not buy and read this book. I bought it and started reading it, in my opinion, all the habits in order was representing being a good leader. Since this is my biggest priority in life and a subject that I always try to learn and improve, I started to think about why I had not read the book before. However, when I came to the last habit, which covers all habits, the chains broke.

The 7th Habit: Sharpening The Saw

The habit of sharpening the saw briefly explains the following. A wise man saw the stressful situation of a woodcutter who has been trying to cut a tree for hours without sharpening his saw, the wise man suggests that he should take a break and sharpen his saw. After resisting by saying "No, I need to finish my job quickly, I do not have time to sharpen my saw", eventually the woodcutter who sharpens his saw cuts the tree in minutes. This story is very wise, very inspiring. How many of the things we think we do right, how correctly do we do them, and what are our delusions? I have a routine, I enjoy life, but always in a routine, and if you ask me how much I have sharpened my saw since the beginning of my entrepreneurship, I can say none.

Because doesn't entrepreneurship mean working non-stop?

NO, I wrote it in capital letters because I have a very big no as an answer to this question. Every moment we continue on our way without sharpening the saw, we actually lose a little more. By unknowingly changing our creative mindset to a stressful mindset, we start writing our failure story instead of our success story. Isn't resting and enjoying life something that this journey that we will experience once deserves?

Of course, it is something that we deserve as human, the following sentences that I came across while reading Oprah Winfrey's book "What I Know For Sure", which inspired me to write this article:

"Being aware of, and creating, four- and five-star experiences makes you blessed. For me, just waking up "clothed in my right mind," being able to put my feet on the floor, walk to the bathroom, and do what needs to be done there is five stars. I've heard many stories of people who aren't healthy enough to do that.

A strong cup of coffee with the perfect hazelnut creamer: four stars.

Going for a walk through the woods with the dogs unleashed: five stars.

Working out: one star, still. Sitting under my oaks, reading the Sunday papers: four stars. A great book: five. Hanging out at Quincy Jones's kitchen table, talking about everything and nuthin': five stars. Being able to do good things for other people: five plus. The enjoyment comes from knowing the receiver understands the spirit of the gift. I make an effort to do something good for somebody every day, whether I know that person or not.

What I know for sure is that pleasure is energy reciprocated: What you put out comes back. Your base level of pleasure is determined by how you view your whole life.

More important than 20/20 eyesight is your inner vision, your own sweet spirit whispering through your life with guidance and grace-now that's pleasure.”

The day after reading these lines, I extended my morning coffee time a little longer and made a second coffee. I thought about the delicious experiences in my life and thought about which ones I could do today. Sitting down to write this article and working on my startup Reppatch, which I am trying to build with my efforts, and cleaning up my to-do lists are exciting for me, not stressful. The reason is that I have sharpened my own saw in my own way.

Our dreams and goals are things that are already highly probable to come true because we can visualize them, but instead of getting burn out on this journey, our minds and bodies should be writing the most delicious experiences into the book of life, if not, we will either sharpen the saw or move away from that experience that does not give us peace.

I realized that the experience that I thought did not give me peace actually just needed to take a breath and gather the strength again, perhaps by rereading the books I read and checking the notes i taken. Going back is never a loss for me. The person we are always changes, reactions like "I read this and how can I not remember" prove it to us. Maybe the thing that does not attract your attention and interest at that moment is teaching us big lessons in the new year. So this week lets continue to learn from old and new in a harmony.