“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining”.  -John F. Kennedy

You made it all the way to the end with me!  Thank you so much for coming along on this 7 Habits series!  (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you can find the introduction here.)

Habit 7 is “Sharpen the Saw”.  As said earlier, it is the habit that holds the first 6 habits together.  Sean begins with a little scenario:

Imagine that you’re walking along and see someone cutting down a tree.  You ask them how long they’ve been working on getting the tree down and they say several hours.  You can see that the saw is quite dull and you suggest they take a break and sharpen the saw.

They say “No way!  I don’t have time, I really need to get this done as fast as possible.”

But you can easily see that if they would only stop for 15 minutes to sharpen the saw, they could save themselves hours of work.

This is the importance of self-care.

You might think you don’t have time for it, but in reality, you don’t have time to not do it.

If you are too busy driving and never stop for gas, you’re going to find yourself stuck who knows where.

Likewise, if you are so busy running around in life that you don’t have time to take care of yourself, you will eventually become depleted to the point of being sick in bed.  (Your body knows it needs to rest, and it will find a way to get a time-out one way or another.)

“Habit 7 is all about keeping your personal self sharp so that you can better deal with life.  It means regularly renewing and strengthening the four key dimensions of your life:

• Body: The Physical Dimension (Exercise, eat healthy, sleep well, relax)
• Brain: The Mental Dimension (Read, educate, write, learn new skills)
• Heart: The Emotional Dimension (Build relationships -RBA & PBA, give service, laugh)
• Soul: The Spiritual Dimension (Meditate, keep a journal, pray, take in quality media)

While nothing will ever be in perfect balance, it is important to be aware of each category so you can have “moderation in all things” as much as possible.

I’m keeping this post short, in hopes that you can use your time reading some of my favorite posts I’ve already written on the matter.  I will list them after the baby steps!

Baby Steps:

Body:

• Eat breakfast
• Start an exercise program today and do it faithfully for 30 days. Choose something you really like:  Walking, running, biking, rollerblading, lifting weights, etc.
• Give up a bad habit for a week. Go without soda, fried foods, donuts, chocolate, alcohol, or whatever else may be hurting your body.  After the week, see how you feel.

Mind:

• Play an instrument you know every day for 1 week. Or learn a new one.
• The next time you go on a date, visit a museum or eat at an ethnic restaurant you’ve never been to before. Expand your horizons.
• Do a crossword puzzle or sudoku.

Heart:

• Go on a one-on-one outing with a family member. Catch a ball game, see a movie, go shopping, or get an ice cream.
• Begin today to build your humor collection. Cut out your favorite cartoons, buy hilarious movies, or start your own collection of great jokes.  In no time, you’ll have something to go to when you’re feeling stressed.

Soul:

• Watch the sunset tonight or get up early to watch the sunrise.
• If you haven’t already done it, start keeping a journal today.
• Take time each day to meditate, reflect upon your life, or pray. Do what works for you.

27 Simple Ways To Rejuvenate Yourself

5 Tips to Help Maintain Balance

3 Essentials for Your Emotional Toolkit

7 Things the Church Says We Should Do

5 Essential Steps to Show Up for Yourself

If you missed any of those when they were first published, I highly recommend you read them now.

I love you, and wish you a very happy New Year!!

Kayleen

SDG

You might also like some fun ideas for self-care, check out 27 Simple Ways to Rejuvenate Yourself.

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