FranklinCovey-The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Sales Leaders

HABIT 7: SHARPEN THE SAW

the idea of fitness is in, not actual fitness. Only around 18 percent of the population pays for a gym membership. Despite good intentions, 67 percent of people with a gym membership don’t use it. Sixty percent of us don’t get the recommended amount of physical activity in a week. That leads to increased obesity rates, which have doubled from where they were thirty years ago. During that same time, obesity rates for children have more than tripled. One study projects that over half of the US population will be considered obese by 2030. ADDICTED TO URGENT? I love that the first aspect of Habit 7 is physical well-being. Sometimes you’re dedicated and disciplined. At other times, you give in to the easy path and opt out, usually because you don’t feel like it. What is the main reason people don’t feel like exercising? People say they’re too busy, but a closer look tells a different story. With countless priorities vying for attention, you tend to deal with those that are urgent including those that aren’t important. Without realizing it, you develop an addiction to urgency, which side-lines exercise because renewal is anything but urgent. When you get in a rut, exercise is a game changer. It’s easy to do and fully within your control. Exercise has other benefits as well. Scientific research shows that exercise strengthens the brain and is essential to mental capacity. Plus, a consistent exercise routine affects other areas of your life—for example, when you work out you tend to eat better. Surprisingly, it can even lead to better financial discipline by giving you the stamina to curb spending.

Perhaps you started with a house, cars, boat, or stocks. As far as assets go, it’s easy to list possessions you bought. But, as you look it over, did YOU make it onto the list? Clearly, your most important asset is you since you produce the other assets on your list. It follows that the best (and most vital) investment you can ever make is in yourself. To continue to produce, you need to feed your ability to produce, just as you need to change the oil in a car and put fuel in it. But often, in your pursuit to earn a living you forego investing consistently in ways that increase your capability. Habit 7 tackles the need to “sharpen the saw” in four key areas: 1. Physical, 2. Mental, 3. Social/emotional, and 4. Spiritual. Each of these is closely tied and together make up our very beings. Habit 7 is vital because it enables all the other habits. What can you do as a sales leader to encourage focus on Habit 7? Here are a few ideas that will help. ARE YOU IN? Make no mistake—fitness is in! Gym membership sales are at an all-time high. Millions of people pay for a gym membership each year. We buy the right gear and get ready to work out. We go to yoga, Zumba, or Pilates. We do spin classes on stationary bikes, step up to CrossFit training, or train for a half marathon. But even though gyms are happy about membership sales, there are other trends that factor heavily into the fitness story. To say it more accurately,

Make a quick mental list of assets you control or own.

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