I read a book called The 7 habbits by Stephen Covey and today I read a post reminding me of habbit no 7. Regardless of your occupation or location, you've undoubtedly utilized some form of tool. Whether you're a craftsman, law enforcement officer, sex worker, salesperson, educator, or homemaker, tools have played a role in your life. Tools are pivotal to human progress, with some of the earliest ones, dating back over 3.3 million years, being simple sticks and stones. Our advancements from these primitive tools to the sophisticated ones we use today are monumental.
When people think of tools, they often picture hammers, screwdrivers, and similar items. However, in reality, anything we use to achieve a task qualifies as a tool. This includes your phone, computer, car, notepad, shoes, watch, door handle, and even the door itself. Our bodies and minds also fall into this category and, like any tool, require proper maintenance.
This thought struck me during a long drive for work, a trip covering hundreds of kilometers instead of my usual flights, after attending several meetings. I pondered why I was performing so effectively.
I realized I had utilized the tools from my personal toolkit—my brain—comprising the skills and attributes accumulated over the years. These tools enabled me to navigate a potentially negative situation towards a positive outcome. As I drove away, I felt a sense of satisfaction and gratitude for having discovered, refined, and retained these valuable tools. In my view, these three steps are crucial.
We must be open to acquiring new ideas, processes, mindsets, and skills (discovering them), then work on improving and adapting them to our unique circumstances (refining them), and finally, remember them (retaining them) for future use. Practice is essential as most human skills degrade over time if not regularly employed.
Would you leave a chainsaw out in the elements to rust and then expect it to function well? Probably not, and the same logic applies to your skills, mind, and body.
I make a conscious effort to maintain my skills, a process I call "sharpening the saw." This applies to both my professional and personal life, as well as to my physical well-being. Keeping myself in good physical, mental, and emotional shape leads to better outcomes, which is a constant goal of mine—continuous improvement. What about you?
What skills (tools) have you acquired over time? How have they benefited you? How do you keep them honed? Have you passed any along to others? Feel free to share your thoughts, whether about skills (tools) used professionally or personally—the principles remain the same.