Sharpening the Saw

As coined in the famous book "7 Habits of Highly Effective People," I want to write about the importance of Habit 7: Sharpening the Saw. This has been the most important aspect of my new routine in the last nine months as I've been on a quest to recharge and strengthen my mental and physical self. We've all been through a lot over the last three years and undergone collective trauma that we all need to repair and heal from. For some of us, it may take longer than others, but it's important to remind yourself to sharpen your saw and take time to build that endurance back up. Here are a few things that I personally have done, and I hope these may help others on their quest to rebuild and refresh themselves from the last few years.

Where It Started

I found myself becoming more and more introverted. I didn't realize it until I started to assess my friend circle and the frequency of seeing them. I also noticed that I didn't participate in the activities I used to enjoy, like climbing, running, and woodworking. Once I realized this, the change started. I created a plan that was attainable, and it had very easy goals like going for a walk, talking to at least one person a day, doing a small house project each week, etc. These were so easy I could probably do them all in a day. It was intentionally easy so I could gain momentum.

Where It Went

I later found I enjoyed doing this little checklist every day and every week so much that I made more goals and added so many things to it that I had a hard time controlling my excitement and energy towards things. I leaned into my curiosity. I started doing things I meant to do but never had the courage to (like writing and sharing my experiences on the internet). Some of them (like this one I'm doing now) freaked me out so much that I never did them. When I saw things I wanted to do but didn’t, I asked myself, "Why aren't you doing it? Do it now! What's stopping you?" So, I'd do them and just be scared while I did them, or fail and have fun. I bought a drone, got into videography, started climbing again and trail running, tried DJing out briefly, started talking to more people, making friends, and just feeling a lot more comfortable being uncomfortable, I guess.

Where I Am Now

Now, I'm reading five different books (God, I know, I'm so bad), leaning into my curiosity every day. It's a part of my life now, and I'm pushing myself to become more and more battle-tested and fortified every single day. When I think of sharpening the saw, I think of constantly pushing yourself to your mental and physical limits, then resting afterward and taking time to accept and acknowledge what you had to give today in a meditation afterward. This is truly important to my journey because if I wasn't constantly pushing myself, my saw would remain dull. A quote that resonated with me recently is, "We must all either wear out or rust out, every one of us. My choice is to wear out." - Theodore Roosevelt. This is such an important message because the sharpening comes with use, not by sitting idle. I misunderstood what it meant when people kept saying self-care; I thought that meant go pamper and indulge yourself. It can mean that, but if you want to get back dividends, it means put in the work, feel good, and celebrate yourself, and enjoy the things that are true to your identity and values. To me, this means getting outside, running up some hills with the dogs, taking some photos, and eating a warm breakfast each morning.

What Can You Take from This

This is for all those people who are out there feeling deflated, overwhelmed, tired, underenthused about their interests, and in need of a quick pick-me-up. First off, you are not alone. Secondly, here are some things that helped me:

Lean into your curiosity. Ask yourself, "What am I curious about today? What do I love doing today? What did I love doing? Why did I stop? Why not start up again?"

Be action-oriented. Don't think about it; just do it! You know what you like; you just need to tap into that inner spirit. It'll get easier, I promise.

Put yourself first. I know it might feel selfish, but think of it this way: if you aren't feeling good, how can you help others? You can't, so put yourself first, and you'll be able to help and provide for others 10x more than you can exhausted and unmotivated.

Be your authentic self. This is maybe the most important one because only you know who you truly are. And remember, this identity changes every day or week, so don’t get stuck on things that didn’t work out. You know what YOU love and what makes you feel good, so honor that.

Final Note

None of us are making it out of this life alive, so you might as well enjoy it a bit while we are here. We are living on a planet spinning around in an infinite universe that’s miraculously fit for life. Each of our lives may feel like an incredibly serious endeavor as we try to meet the expectations of previous generations and rules created by people who are no longer here. But, sometimes, that's okay. Maybe, just maybe, we can create our own rules and change things a bit for the better, so the people after us have something to aspire to. You can be that person. Sharpening the saw is about more than just creating a person who can show up; it's about providing an example for others to aspire to and live by. We've lost our way a bit and need a reminder of what it means to be human.

Pancake shredding up some hills in the morning light.

Coconut, not enjoying the run as much as pancake (probably her inner bulldog talking).

Me suffering from the steep hill I can barely make it up and wearing far too much gear for a 6 mile run.

Incredible sunrise in the east bay

My wife painting on top of the hill I ran up, we always do a little fly by each morning