Sharpening the saw

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.  ~Henry Ford

Would you go to or recommend a doctor who had stopped studying his profession the moment he graduated from medical school? A doctor that no longer kept up with the latest medical advances? Would you consider him competent? What do you think would happen to a professional athlete who stopped training when he made the team? The one who said he/she gets all the training needed by participating in games or matches. How long do you think he/she would last?

So why is it that the vast majority of sales people stop learning or  for  that  matter anyone  in professional field reluctant to  learn new way  of  doing  things and  keep on doing  things  that  they  had  learnt

. I am constantly amazed at those who think they can get all they need from on the job training. This is utter foolishness. The best of the best never stop learning. They never stop training. They never  stop trying to get better. They understand that they do not know all there is to know. They understand that they are not  the most successful professional  in the world and thus they can still learn to be better. Ever wonder why there are very few High performers in  all  field ? Ever wonder why those that don't quit spend their careers mired in  mediocrity? The problem is, that learning, training, practicing...it all takes an investment of time, effort, and in many cases we  fail to understand  that some  times  Unlearning ,and  relearning  is  essential part  of  any  professional life I  mean  successful professional life  . Most are not willing to  make those investments, certainly not all at the same time. Oh ,they will always have an excuse. It won't work for me. My customers/business/product/service is different. Whatever the  excuse, it is just that...an excuse. Nothing more, nothing less .

Invest nothing in your future, get nothing back. Very simple. If you truly want to find success in your  chosen field , you will  understand right here, right now, that  you must never stop learning. Never stop getting better. Never stop Axing  your  saw .

 Yes Might  have  heard  this  story  many a  a  times but  I  feel  it is  ok  to  repeat Habit #7 in Steve Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is called “Sharpen the Saw.” Covey uses the common analogy of a woodcutter who is sawing for several days straight and is becoming less and less productive. The process of cutting dulls the blade. So the solution is to periodically sharpen the saw.I’ve found that in practice, however, most people fail to understand what sharpening the saw really means. If you’re overworking yourself and your productivity begins to fall off, common wisdom says to take a break, maybe even go on vacation. However, that isn’t sharpening the saw — that’s putting the saw down. When you put down a dull blade for a while, the blade will still be dull when you pick it up again ! then  what  is  sharpening  the  Saw?

.Sharpening the saw is actually an activity, just as the analogy suggests. Think about what it would mean to sharpen the saw of your life. Here are some saw-sharpening ideas: attend  training relevant  to  your  job  ,Learn a  new skill  that  is  Relevant  to  present  day need  of  your  Job where  earlier  skill  may  be  obsolete  or  need  changes Now the woodcutter can’t just alternate between cutting wood and sharpening the saw indefinitely. Downtime is needed too, but it isn’t the same as sharpening the saw. The woodcutter can become even more productive by sharpening the blade, studying new woodcutting techniques, working out to become stronger, and learning from other woodcutters. Forgetting to intentionally sharpen the saw can lead to a feeling of burnout. If you merely alternate between productive work and downtime, your production capacity will drop off. You’re still working hard, but you don’t feel as productive as you think you should be. When you sharpen yourself regularly, you’ll find that you can flow along at a steady pace week after week without getting burnt out. Whenever I feel burnt out or overwhelmed, taking a day or two off helps a little, but not very much. What yields a much greater benefit for me is attending a weekend seminar, reading an inspiring book, or having an interesting conversation.

 It’s common to see people return from a conference with a notable spike in motivation that lasts for weeks. But this isn’t really a break or a vacation — going to a conference is an activity, but it’s the kind that often increases energy and motivation. How are your various blades doing? Your skills, your knowledge, your mind, your physical body, your relationships, your motivation, your commitment, your capacity for enjoyment, your emotions — are all of them still sharp? If not, which ones are dull, and what can you do to sharpen them?

I am learning all the time.  The tombstone will be my diploma.  ~Eartha Kitt