Sharpen the Saw First - A Wisdom Story
A timeless story about why taking time to improve yourself is more important than working harder without direction.
When Will You Sharpen the Saw?
A man was struggling to saw through a pile of wood. Before he could finish the old wood, new wood kept being delivered, causing the pile to grow larger and larger.
With no other choice, he could only keep extending his working hours again and again.
A kind person reminded him:
“Because your saw is dull, your efficiency is very low. As long as you sharpen the saw, you can improve this increasingly worsening situation.”
The man did not even turn his head and replied:
“I already have too much work to finish. How could I possibly have time to sharpen the saw?!”
The kind person still did not give up and asked:
“Then when will you have time to sharpen the saw?”
The man replied weakly:
“I will talk about it after I finish cutting this pile of wood.”
It Sounds Like a Joke, But It Happens Everywhere
This may sound like a joke, but similar situations are everywhere in enterprises.
A company’s general manager lamented that many current managers were not competent enough and that training needed to be strengthened. Therefore, he instructed the human resources department to organize training.
The HR department worked intensely and quickly prepared the courses, instructors, and schedule, then submitted them for approval.
However, the general manager responded:
“It is currently the peak production season. To avoid affecting production and sales, it should be postponed until the off-season.”
When the off-season arrived, the HR department submitted the same plan again.
Unexpectedly, the general manager only wrote:
“Postpone discussion.”
No reason was given.
Later, the HR department vaguely learned from senior management that the real reason was:
“Business is not good, profits are declining. Where would we get extra money for training?”
It turns out that many enterprises treat employee training merely as a temporary slogan. How, then, can they complain about a lack of talent or talent shortage?
Another Example in Reality
A factory constantly delayed deliveries. However, orders did not exceed production capacity, and actual monthly output was only a little over 60% of capacity, which made the boss very dissatisfied.
The factory manager always gave the same reason:
“The machine failure rate is too high.”
Finally, the boss could not hold back and questioned:
“Why not thoroughly repair and maintain the machines to reduce the failure rate?”
The factory manager spread his hands helplessly and said:
“We can barely keep up with orders. We even work overtime on holidays. How could we possibly stop the machines for maintenance?”
The boss then asked:
“Can’t you use the time at night after work to repair them?”
The manager replied with grievance:
“Even working overtime during the day has already exhausted everyone.”
To be honest, even if the machines had to be stopped during the day for maintenance, it would still be worthwhile.
The key issue is whether there is determination to fundamentally solve the problem of delayed deliveries.
Otherwise, all explanations are just excuses to deceive oneself.
The Same Pattern in Personal Life
Many people, in order to improve themselves, buy many good books and hope to find time to read them carefully.
So they place them on bookshelves and make a promise:
“When I have time, I will read them properly.”
As a result, more and more books are bought, but less and less time is available, and they never actually find time to read.
The Final Question
What could be more important than sharpening the saw first?
Reflection
Dear readers, when you finish reading this story, it means you are constantly learning and improving yourself, keeping yourself in a state of a sharpened saw at all times.
This learning newsletter has been running for half a year now. From a few simple pages at the beginning, the website structure has gradually expanded, the content has become richer, the number of readers has increased, and traffic has continued to grow.
Seeing this makes me truly happy every day.
Here, I sincerely thank all of you for your support. I will continue to prepare more and better stories, articles, and jokes to share with everyone, hoping to bring you more inspiration in life.
I wish everyone success and happiness in life.
Moral of the Story
If you never take time to improve your tools, your effort will only become harder and less effective.
True productivity comes from continuous improvement, not endless effort.
Why This Story Still Matters Today
In today’s fast-paced world, people are constantly busy but not necessarily effective.
This story reminds us:
- Being busy does not mean being productive
- Investing time in self-improvement is essential
- Without sharpening your skills, you will struggle more over time
Taking time to grow is not a waste—it is the most important investment you can make.
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