Sharpen the saw
A hunter was walking through the woods when he came across a lumberjack struggling to cut through a fallen tree. The man was bent over his saw, working with all his strength, but the blade barely seemed to move through the wood.
Sweat poured down his face, his muscles were tense, and every stroke looked more exhausting than the last.
The hunter stepped closer and quickly noticed the problem.
“Your saw is completely dull,” he said. “Why don’t you stop for a few minutes and sharpen it?”
The lumberjack looked up in disbelief.
“Stop?” he replied. “I don’t have time for that. I still have twenty more trees to cut!”
Then he lowered his head and went right back to struggling with the same dull blade.
Hard work matters, but effort alone does not guarantee progress. Sometimes we become so focused on staying busy that we never stop to ask whether there is a better, faster, or more effective way to reach the goal.
A small investment of time, money, training, or better tools can often save hours of frustration and produce far better results.
Do not confuse exhaustion with productivity. Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is pause long enough to sharpen the saw.