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Joe the Lumberjack

Joe was looking for work, so he asked a timber trader friend of his if he had any openings… and Wes, his friend, put Joe on the payroll as a lumberjack. Happy with the break his friend gave him, Joe vowed to do his best every day.

Wes said, “Just show up ready to work at 6:00 am next Monday and we’ll see what you can do.”

On Monday morning, when Joe arrived at 5:45 he received an ax from his new boss, who led him to the wooded area that needed harvesting. Joe had a good day and brought down a total of 15 trees. Wes was thrilled with the performance of his friend and told him so.

The second day was a little tougher for Joe, but he still cut down 13 trees – not a bad day’s work! However, Joe’s production dropped off steadily in the following days leading him to question his strength. Wes figured he would wait until the end of the week before approaching Joe about his declining output.

Friday at quitting time, Wes called Joe into the office to discuss the situation. Joe apologized and said he would work harder.

Wes said, “Joe I don’t think that’s it. I can see you are working hard.” Then he asked, “When was the last time you sharpened that axe of yours?”

Joe responded, “I haven’t had time to sharpen my axe because I’ve been too busy chopping down trees!”

…Sound familiar?

Bottom Line:
Work smarter not harder – To stay effective and efficient, you have to stop to sharpen your axe every now and then. Sometimes stepping away from a task also helps us to see it more clearly. And make time for yourself – maintaining your physical and mental health will help you to stay productive.

Thanks for the share WK!