In Stephen Covey’s timeless work “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” the seventh law stands as perhaps the most crucial yet overlooked principle: sharpen the saw.
This concept challenges us to continuously renew and improve ourselves across all dimensions of our lives.
Yet too many entrepreneurs and business leaders neglect this fundamental practice, believing that action alone will drive success.
The reality is that without sharpening our mental tools, we’re working harder, not smarter.
Table of Contents
Identifying Your Dull Saws
The seventh law of highly effective people is sharpen the saw.
What saws in your life have become dull?
Let’s say you’re a business owner. Is it your sales leadership? Is it your empathy? Is it your emotional intelligence?
These aren’t abstract concepts—they’re the practical tools that determine your effectiveness in every business interaction. When these skills become dull, your entire operation suffers.
Action vs. Learning Debate
Too many times do I hear people say, “I don’t need to read books. I just need to take action. I just need to do it.” If you’re saying that, then why don’t you stop reading this caption now? Go take the action, then comment on this post and tell me I am wrong.
But most of the time, 99% of people have blockers to taking that action. And books, which manifest deeply processed knowledge (when done right), make action-taking easier.
If you’re not reading books that make action-taking easier, I don’t know what you’re reading. That’s not how I read. That’s not how successful people read.
Strategic Reading for Success
Books that sharpen the saw can be about psychology, about leadership, about marketing, about sales.
Because if you read an hour a day, that’s only 4% of your day. So if you aspire to be the smartest and best version of yourself, you need to at least commit 4% of your time to sharpening the saw.
This 4% investment compounds exponentially. The knowledge you gain doesn’t just improve one area—it creates ripple effects across your entire business and personal life.
3 Saw-Sharpening Strategies
Here’s what works.
Increase Your Reading Speed
Increasing my reading speed has been transformative because what took me five hours to read, I now do in one hour.
This isn’t about rushing through content—it’s about efficiently processing information so you can consume more valuable knowledge in less time.
Improve Your Memory
Improving my memory is crucial because there’s no point in learning if I forget it, if I cannot recall it later, either in front of employees, in front of leadership, on a podcast, or talking to people.
Knowledge without retention is just entertainment.
Enhance Your Focus
Focus would be my third priority because books like Deep Work, books like Hyperfocus, and books like ADHD 2.0 change my life.
If you can focus, you can change yourself and change this world.
Conclusion
The most successful people understand that learning and action aren’t opposing forces—they’re complementary.
By dedicating just 4% of your day to sharpening your mental tools, you’re not taking time away from action; you’re ensuring that when you do act, you’re operating at your highest capacity.
I encourage you to find the dull saws in your life so you get more out of your time and move faster, smarter, and better. The question isn’t whether you have time to learn—it’s whether you can afford not to.