We've all heard a story like this:
A man is struggling to chop down trees. Someone asks him, "Why don't you sharpen your axe?" He replies, "I have too many trees to cut, so I don't have time to sharpen it!"
From an outsider’s perspective, it seems obvious: sharpening the axe first will make chopping much easier. If the axe becomes dull, sharpen it again before continuing. It just makes sense. In fact, in this story, sharpening the axe for 10 minutes might allow him to chop for 30 minutes more efficiently—perhaps even improving his productivity by 30% or more. Clearly, it's worth it.
However, in reality, "sharpening the axe" can mean something entirely different. If we compare working a job to chopping trees, then we only have time outside of work to "sharpen the axe." Overtime or learning new skills for work might seem like sharpening the axe, but in many cases, it's only a short-term fix. After all, what we learn for our job might not necessarily be useful or valuable for the future.
True sharpening, I believe, should be about long-term growth—gaining skills and knowledge that continuously reduce the effort required to "chop trees" until, one day, you no longer need to chop at all.
