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Sharpening the saw is about renewing yourself - physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. On this page, Pearl Writing Services offers ideas, articles, and links to help you sharpen your saw to become a better writer and a more efficient professional.
The concept of "sharpening the saw" comes from Stephen R Covey's book, "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". This powerful idea is best described by Covey's word-picture:
Suppose you were to come upon someone in the woods working feverishly to saw down a tree. "What are you doing?" you ask.
"Can't you see?" comes the impatient reply. "I'm sawing down this tree."
"You look exhausted!" you exclaim. "How long have you been at it?"
"Over five hours," he returns, "and I'm beat! This is hard work."
"Well why don't you take a break for a few minutes and sharpen that saw?" you inquire. "I'm sure it would go a lot faster."
"I don't have time to sharpen the saw," the man says emphatically. "I'm too busy sawing!"
parapraxis
Definition:
A minor error, such as a slip of the tongue, thought to reveal a repressed motive.
Synonyms:
slip-up,
miscue,
slip
It’s easy to get caught up in administrative tasks - reading email, handling paper mail, filing information, managing accounts - that pull you away from writing and making money.
One principle to help reduce administrative tasks is to handle each correspondence and piece of paper as few times as possible. How do you do that?
Sort your […]
By Carole McMichaels
It almost makes me cry-that nice little word “an” slipping into an unmarked language grave even as I write this. So sad to be unappreciated. That gentle little word elides so gracefully into all those beginning-vowel words. It quietly and unobtrusively avoids the uncouth grunty “uh” sounds.
Only a few hours ago I was […]
By Robyn Whyte
More and more, we are bombarded with ads everywhere we go from buses to magazines. Those with a big budget can spell and even mix it up a little by purposely misspelling a word such as right as rite or kids as kidz. But what about you as the small business owner?
The truth […]
In planning for future Pearl Writing blog posts, I wrote down an idea for when a writer should use “I” versus “me”. Great minds truly do think alike, because Theda K over at Crayon Writer has written a similar post. Rather than re-creating the same topic, I urge you to have a read there.
She says, […]
My husband is currently in the 360 degree review process in his job. He’s been telling me that some of his people feel uncomfortable about giving feedback, and that all of them find the process a boring task.
I see it in a completely different way! Feedback is golden. Feedback will put more money in your […]
Character Naming Sourcebook, by Sherrilyn Kenyon
How To Write Irresistible Query Letters, by Lisa Collier Cool
Six-Figure Freelancing, by Kelly James-Enger
Ready, Aim, Specialize!: Create Your Own Writing Specialty and Make More Money, by Kelly James-Enger
The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency As a Freelance Writer in Six Months or Less, by Peter Bowerman
The Lake County Chamber of Commerce - a networking organization in Lake Co., IL.
The Association of Writers and Writing Programs - an excellent resource for writers, with job and market listings, as well as a clearinghouse for writing programs.
Worldwide Freelance Writer - another excellent resource for freelance writers.
WritersDigest.com - find tips, editors, jobs, and articles […]
Email: awd@pearlwriting.com
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Gurnee, IL 60031
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