Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (7)

Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is one of those books everyone’s heard of, many people own, and far fewer have truly applied. That’s a shame—because beneath the big ideas is a very practical framework for working better, leading better, and living with less friction.

1/21/20261 min read

7. Sharpen the Saw:

Maintain the System That Produces Results

This habit is about renewal - physically, mentally, emotionally, and professionally.

Burnout isn’t a badge of honor; it’s a system failure.

Sharpening the saw looks like:

  • Sleep and exercise that support performance

  • Learning that keeps skills relevant

  • Reflection that prevents repeating the same mistakes

If you don’t invest in doing the maintenance, everything else degrades and suffers.

The  7th habit is about renewal - physically, mentally, emotionally, and professionally.
The  7th habit is about renewal - physically, mentally, emotionally, and professionally.