Are You Sharpening Your Axe?

by - May 08, 2020

 If I had six hours to cut a tree, I’d spend the first four hours sharpening the axe- Abraham Lincoln.

Experts across industries are saying that for most of us, 2020 is really just a year to survive and stay alive. It is indeed true. For most businesses, this year is not the one to have ambitious growth or profit targets. But at the same time, do not just put down your axe. I would say - let this year be a year to sharpen your axe.

When was the last time you sharpened your axe?

Dr. Stephen Covey, says that sharpening your axe means “increasing your personal production capacity by daily self-care and self-maintenance”. This applies equally to both salaried individuals, professionals as well as businessmen.

Leverage this time to- 1. Upgrade your Skills– Learning & more learning, 2. Strategize & Adapt - Think, Unlearn & Paradigm Shift, 3.Focus on Your Well-Being – Renewed & Energized You

Upgrade Your Skills

I am not afraid of storms for I am learning to sail my ship – Louisa May Alcott

Just as your mobile phone needs to be charged at regular intervals to keep it functioning, we need to charge ourselves through learning, with adequate focus on both functional skills and soft skills.

  • Enhance your domain knowledge through e-learning. Take up some online courses
  • Try to work towards getting any industry-specific certifications/memberships
  • Attend relevant virtual events/webinars
  • Approach your mentor to get some guidance on career/business advancement (You do not have a mentor? Make one)
  • Partner with industry peers for mutual learning & development
  • Identify your weaknesses and blind spots. Understand, acknowledge & and address them.
  • Learn from great leaders- focus on their effective traits, reasons for success and also learn from their failures and mistakes

In today's rapidly growing and ever changing world with unprecedented complexities, how can you even afford to let your axe lie idle and rust? And isn’t it easier these days with classroom being right on your handset/laptop and you having the flexibility to attend it at your convenient time.

So, be a lifelong student and keep sharpening your axe so that when the opportune time comes to strike, it should be able to make the deepest impact.

Strategize & Adapt

All failure is failure to adapt, all success is successful adaptations – Max Mckeown

One cannot remain ignorant and mindless of things that are evolving daily around us. Let us move from a state of being mindless to a state of being mindful. After all, successful living lies in constant readjustment to our surroundings, isn’t it?

Remember what Father of Evolution Charles Darwin said– “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”

And it’s so true. After all, our forefathers managed to survive on this planet because they kept on adapting and evolving.

1. Think and Reflect – articulate the future- What will be the new normal post covid-19? What changes you may need to embrace to adapt to the new normal? 2. You may do a virtual survey to get your consumers / industry peers /vendors views on what changes they perceive in times to come 3. Find out the views of the industry experts on their future course of action 4. Re-examine your present status in the light of the above & strategize

So, commit your hear t & mind to adapt today because every success story is a tale of constant adaptation, revision & change.

Focus on Your Well-Being

Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live in – Jim Rohn

This one requires a holistic approach. Healthy mind resides in a healthy body and these two together can lead to profound growth in your efficiency and productivity.

1. Exercise because if you are not able to take out time for exercise then sooner or later you will have to take out time for illness 2. Get adequate sleep, which is very important and yet highly neglected component of overall health and well-being. 3. Maintain a healthy diet. It is true. You are what you eat 4. Stay hydrated. Drinking water is like taking shower on the inside of your body. It is anyday the best naturl remedy. Drink your way to better health 5. Steal some fresh air & sunshine afterall isn’t it the most precious gold to be found on earth? 6. Stay indoors and take adequate precautions against covid-19

1. Read Books . This is the best way to renew your mind. During the current period of lockdown, this is the only vehicle that can make you travel around the world & meet & greet real & imaginary beings 2. Pick up a new hobby – something that always fascinated you but you never got around doing it – trust me it can act as a great stress buster & let you exlore an unexp,lored part of you 3. Learn to Meditate. It helps you plunge into your own inner pool of thoughts & emotions & swim through them getting more clarity. You will be amaed how it will pull out your latent power. enhances quality of decision making and increases productivity 4. Have a deep conversation with a friend. It’s priceless 5. Start each day with a positive thought and a grateful heart. Practise gratitude and it is bound to attract more things to be grateful for. 6. Love Yourself & ask for help when you feel overhwhelmed

Remember that every day is a brand new opportunity to recharge, renew, and refine yourself. Take out sometime to focus on it. Else, your axe will gradually become blunt and ineffective. Make sure that this doesn’t happen to you.

Stay Indoors. Stay Safe. Always remember – A self that goes on changing is a self that goes on living.

Neha Agrawal - Co-Founder, OPENMINDS
nehaagrawal@openminds.co.in | +91 9820402693 | www.openminds.co.in
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P.S- Even after the dust settles and regular life resumes, do apportion some time regularly to sharpen your axe.





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