Page 189 - Stephen R. Covey - The 7 Habits of Highly Eff People.pdf

"Sharpen the Saw" basically means expressing all four motivations. It means exercising
all four dimensions of our nature, regularly and consistently, in wise and balanced ways.

To do this, we must be proactive. Taking time to sharpen the saw is a definite Quadrant II
activity, and Quadrant II must be acted on. Quadrant I, because of its urgency, acts on us;
it presses upon us constantly. Personal PC must be pressed upon until it becomes second
nature, until it becomes a kind of healthy addiction. Because it's at the center of our Circle
of Influence, no one else can do it for us. We must do it for ourselves.

This is the single most powerful investment we can ever make in life -- investment in
ourselves, in the only instrument we have with which to deal with life and to contribute.
We are the instruments of our own performance, and to be effective, we need to
recognize the importance of taking time regularly to sharpen the saw in all four ways.

The Physical Dimension

The physical dimension involves caring effectively for our physical body -- eating the
right kinds of foods, getting sufficient rest and relaxation, and exercising on a regular
basis.

Exercise is one of those Quadrant II, high-leverage activities that most of us don't do
consistently because it isn't urgent. And because we don't do it, sooner or later we find
ourselves in Quadrant I, dealing with the health problems and crises that come as a
natural result of our neglect.

Most of us think we don't have enough time to exercise. What a distorted paradigm! We
don't have time not to. We're talking about three to six hours a week -- or a minimum of
thirty minutes a day, every other day. That hardly seems an inordinate amount of time
considering the tremendous benefits in terms of the impact on the other 162-165 hours of
the week.

And you don't need any special equipment to do it. If you want to go to a gym or a spa to
use the equipment or enjoy some skill sports such as tennis or racquetball, that's an
added opportunity. But it isn't necessary to sharpen the saw.

A good exercise program is one that you can do in your own home and one that will
build your body in three areas: endurance, flexibility, and strength.

Endurance comes from aerobic exercise, from cardiovascular efficiency -- the ability of
your heart to pump blood through your body.

Although the heart is a muscle, it cannot be exercised directly. It can only be exercised
through the large muscle groups, particularly the leg muscles. That's why exercises like
rapid walking, running, biking, swimming, cross-country skiing, and jogging are so
beneficial.

You are considered minimally fit if you can increase your heart rate to at least 100 beats
per minute and keep it at that level for 30 minutes.

Ideally you should try to raise your heart rate to at least 60 percent of your maximum
pulse rate, the top speed your heart can beat and still pump blood through your body.
Your maximum heart rate is generally accepted to be 220 less your age. So, if you are 40,
you should aim for an exercise heart rate of 108 (220 - 40 = 180 x .6 = 108). The "training

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