I am currently a first year doctoral student in Counseling & Counselor Education at UNCG. I like to think that I have a vision, a very specific plan for being in the doctoral program. I also like to think I am aware of and utilize resources to help me along the way. And, I’m still here, so I must somehow be committed. About a week before spring break I found myself floundering. I began questioning my vision, I had forgotten about my resources, and I was about to jump off the commitment train. I was so overwhelmed with all that was going on I couldn’t maintain focus on my vision. I was shaken.
I was about to take a week off for spring break and felt a deep sense of guilt. How could I take a week off when there was so much work to do? Well, I was fortunate in that I had a meeting with my supervisor a few days prior to spring break. I remember opening up and telling him how stressed and overwhelmed I was, how I didn’t think I could make it through the rest of the semester, especially if I took a week off. He then proceeded to share a story with me about two different lumberjacks working in a mill yard.
They were both required to make a quota of cross-sectional cuts in a given day. After meeting quota they would be free to leave for the day. They both began at the same pace and after about an hour they had made a similar number of cuts, though they had begun to slow down because the saw blade began to dull. One of the lumberjacks decided to take a break. He grabbed some water, a bite of food, and sharpened his blade. The other lumberjack, still hard at work, looked to the other worker in disbelief. “How could he be taking a break? He’ll never finish!” he thought. Though the lumberjack was tired, hungry and thirsty, and his saw blade was dull he kept working. After about 30 minutes, the other lumberjack went back to work. His cuts were quick, clean, and sharp. He began producing twice as many cuts as the lumberjack who forewent any kind of break. The lumberjack who had not taken the break looked over and saw what seemed to be effortless work. He began working harder, with his blade dull and feeling fatigued. Two hours later the lumberjack who had taken a break was finished making his cuts and the man who had not sharpened his blade was not nearly finished.
This story really hit home with me. I felt like I had been running a marathon all semester without “sharpening the blade” every so often. I needed a break. I went away for a week, back home to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. I fished, hiked, and relaxed in my place of fortitude. It was just what I needed. I came back to school and work with a different perspective and alternative approach to tackling the task at hand. In many ways I realigned with my vision and resources and I discovered a new kind of commitment to completing the semester. I decided that each week I would take time out of my schedule for myself and my family. I needed to sharpen my saw each week as to avoid using a dull blade. I still work long hours; I still work hard. But I work more effectively, I get work done in a shorter period of time, and I am back to enjoying what I am doing.
I hope you can relate my story to your position in your organization or work group. How can you sharpen your blade to be at your best for yourself and your group? As we approach summer, take time to recuperate and develop routines that include self-care. As I say to my coachees, you need to tend to your own needs and well-being before you can meet the needs of your organization and those you serve.
Author:
Ryan F. Reese
Nice Job Ryan!!
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