There is an interesting story I heard about how the pioneers built log cabins in the early years in settling America. Most settlers came to America from Europe, especially England, where building materials were not as plentiful as here in America. The East Coast was lined with trees but the settlers lacked the knowledge on how to fully use the trees. It wasn’t until 1640 when the Swedes arrived that the thought of building their houses out logs became popular. This was the official birth of the American log cabin. This method of building saved time and labor.

The pioneers would take their axes and their saws and begin cutting trees and clearing out an area to live, farm and settle. Most had figured out to cut notches in the trees and stack them in such a way that it did not require nails or spikes to connect the logs. The average time to build a single log cabin was about 3 days. However, as the pioneers kept building day after day, they noticed it was taking longer and longer to cut down trees and saw logs. One pioneer noticed that continuing to use the axes and saws continuously cutting wood was causing the blades to dull. Therefore after building each cabin they would stop to sharpen their blades in order to keep up the pace of their first cabins.

Sometimes in our insurance agencies or small businesses we get so busy cutting trees, clearing land and building cabins, we neglect to stop to sharpen our saw. We get caught up setting appointments, helping customers and making sales that we neglect to stop to sharpen our saws. We have to work in the business but we also must work on the business. If we neglect to keep marketing, prospecting and trust building our saw gets dull and it becomes more difficult to keep up our normal pace and we notice sales and revenue start to slide. Not only do we have to take the time to work on the business but also continue to work on ourselves. We can be very complicated when it comes to reading positive inspiring books or listening to inspiring podcasts or webinars. We get so busy and caught up in our day to day clear the land and build my cabin that we neglect to stop to sharpen our saw.

Take out your calendar today and make the time to work on the business, meaning marketing, networking and thanking your good clients. But also write in the time to work on yourself. Just like walking, jogging or working out, we must exercise our minds to great inspirational books, listening to podcasts or CDs while we drive to and from appointments or joining a Mastermind group to share ideas and learn from fellow business owners in your industry and outside your industry. If you have the sharpest saw, you will build the most log cabins.

“Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have–you. It means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual.”—Stephen Covey

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Tim Wilhoit is owner/principal of Your Friend 4 Life Insurance Agency in Nashville, TN. He is a family man, father of 3, entrepreneur, insurance agent, life insurance broker, salesman, sales trainer, recruiter, public speaker, blogger and team leader with over 26 years of experience in sales and marketing in the insurance and beverage industries.