There was an old lumberjack well known for his speed at cutting down trees. One day he was challenged by a younger, stronger lumberjack who knew he could beat the older guy in a head-to-head contest and earn glory for himself. Smiling to himself, the experienced lumberjack agreed.
The day of the contest arrived, and the two competitors began to work. The younger lumberjack started immediately and worked tirelessly all day without stopping, cutting down tree after tree. While working, he noticed that the older lumberjack took a 15-minute break every hour. The younger man smiled as he continued to work, confident that he would be the victor this day!
Yet, at the end of the workday, the experienced lumberjack had felled nearly one-third more trees than the younger man! The young lumberjack was incredulous! How could the old guy have possibly cut more trees than he did when he worked 25% less time than he had? It made no sense! So, he swallowed his pride, approached the older lumberjack, congratulated him on his victory, and asked him the question.
“How did you beat me? How did you work less time and cut down more trees? I didn't stop all day, but you stopped every hour!”
The wise, older lumberjack smiled and told the youngster, “I stopped for 15 minutes every hour to sharpen my ax, so the work I did was more productive.”
Are you taking the time to sharpen your ax?
As Stephen Covey mentioned in “First Things First,” the most productive people spend a little time at the end or beginning of each day and make a plan. Top producers devote time each day doing things that pay off long-term, such as reading, working with a coach, researching their product and competition, eating healthy, and exercising. Never forget to stop and sharpen your ax!
About the Author
Don Smith
Happily married with five kids, Smith owns a technology company, is the founder of this site, has served on the board of directors for multiple companies, and loves playing soccer, hiking, and mentoring.
Book of the Month, Business, Finances, Life Lessons, Relationships
Best Personal Development Books: 20 Books to Skyrocket Your Success
Use the links below to navigate our picks for the best personal development books for each of the following topics. FinancesBusiness Relationships
Life Lessons
How Does the Wealthiest Comedian on Earth Teach You to Be Creative?
Me and my wife enjoy seeing live stand up comedians perform in the NYC/NJ area. One of my thrills was seeing iconic
Life Lessons
What is the Tombstone Test?
“They say such nice things about people at funerals that it makes me sad I am going to miss mine by just
Life Lessons
Looking to Buy More Books?
I am guessing that most people reading this have a good supply of books. And that every new personal development book that
Life Lessons
Are You Sure About That?
What makes you think you are right? Have you ever gotten into an argument with a person who believes they are always
Life Lessons, Relationships
How to Deal with Failures in Your life?
What do you consider to be a failure? And do you know how to deal with failures? For me, failure is directly
Finances, Life Lessons
Parable of the Investors
From Matthew 25:14-30 comes a story about those who choose to use the gifts they have wisely, and those who do not.
Life Lessons
5 Outstanding Self Improvement Skills You Should Start Using Today
Self-improvement or personal development is a conscious effort that is focused towards getting yourself out of the mundane banalities of life. This
Life Lessons
How to Pick Good Business Partners
I have aligned with good partners over the years through my blog. Picking good business partners is a skill to hone for
Business, Life Lessons
In Soccer or Life, Take Your Shot!
I'm still an avid soccer player, although I'm well past my prime. One difference that has become obvious to me over the
Life Lessons
How Often Do You Clearly Hear Your Intuition?
I drove for 8 hours from North Carolina to Pennsylvania yesterday. An 18-wheeler drove by during a portion of our trip in
Life Lessons
How Did You Unwind Today?
Near the tail end of a 10 hour car ride yesterday I entered a tight curve with a large truck to my