When you have spent 6 hours sharpening the ax remember, when the ax is ready, use it!
In episode 89 we talked about the Abraham Lincoln quote: If I had 8 hours to chop down a tree, I would spend the first 6 sharpening my ax. So if you recall (and if you haven’t listened to episode 89 go check it out!), we should be spending 3/4 of the time preparing for action. Most people do too little prep work and the tree never falls because they weren’t ready. In business terms, the business never moves forward because the work required in advance wasn’t completed.
Conversely, I know several people who have 20 beautifully prepared axes that they have taken months to sharpen and prepare, but they have never used them! They fall so in love with sharpening the ax, or the action of preparing for execution, that they never move forward and execute. Don’t do all of the prep work and not execute!
Today’s challenge is to set a deadline within the month of April to swing the ax you have been sharpening for months. Finish your 6 hours of prep work and get ready for those 2 hours of execution. Remember, when the ax is ready, use it!