11 Mighty Ways of Highly Effective Teens - Sharpen the Saw

“Work smarter, not harder” – most of us are familiar with this saying. Similar to sharpening a saw to cut through wood with just a few strokes, as we set out to accomplish our goals in life, it is vital to renew and strengthen ourselves regularly to ensure that we are operating as effectively as possible. 

There are four key dimensions of our life that need regular sharpening: our body (The Physical Dimension), our brain (The Mental Dimension), our heart (The Emotional Dimension), and our soul (The Spiritual Dimension). 

Here are some ideas to keep each of those dimensions razor sharp:

Caring for Your Body

While it may be difficult to always eat healthy, two rules of thumb will help you to gradually improve your nutrition. First, listen to you body: pay close attention to how certain foods make you feel. Personally, eating fruits and staying hydrated makes me feel much happier and accomplished than eating pizza or drinking soda. Second, be moderate and avoid extremes. With the rise of teen obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and many other health problems, it’s important to maintain a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, protein, grains, dairy, and 6-8 glasses of water everyday. Exercise has an amazing way of giving you a shot of energy when you are feeling depressed, confused, or apathetic. There are many ways to exercise, so find something that you like - from dancing to long distance running, the options are endless.

If you ever feel pressured to drink or smoke, remember that “gateway drugs” such as alcohol and tobacco could lead to an addiction to more deadly drugs. The following steps could help you avoid a dangerous situation:

1. Ask tough questions that really make you think about what you’re doing - “Why would I want to smoke?” or “What will happen to me if I get stoned tonight?”
2. Name the trouble – Try to put a face on what you’re doing. “Drugs are illegal”.
3. State the consequences – Think through the consequences of your actions. “I could get arrested if I’m caught with drugs”.
4. Suggest an alternative – Have your own list of fun alternatives whenever you’re being forced. “How about we watch a movie instead?”
5. Take off - Don’t worry about what everyone thinks about you, just leave.

Caring for Your Brain

Reading is to your mind what exercise is to your body. It will sharpen your mind. You can also watch the news, plant a garden, research a topic you are interested in, or start a blog. Also, try to find your niche. Find the subject that you enjoy most in school and build upon that through your other activities. For me, my favorite subject is biology, which inspired me to shadow a local pediatrician. Throughout high school focus on ways to increase your chances at your dream college or university; get involved in extracurricular activities that you are passionate about; develop strong communication skills, while maintaining a high GPA and scoring well on the standardized tests.

Caring for your Heart

The best way to nourish your heart is to focus on building your relationships; make regular deposits into your Relationship Bank Account and Personal Bank Account by keeping promises or doing small acts of kindness. Ensure that all your key relationship accounts are in the positive. Laughter has been proven to promote good health and speed healing. If you are feeling upset, try to hang out with your friends or watch a funny YouTube video. 

Caring for Your Soul

Spend time outdoors as the peace of nature will help calm you down. Try meditating, gardening, or simply taking a walk. Try your best to go media-free to allow yourself to focus on what’s important to you. Also, addictions such as gossiping, shopping, and overeating only temporarily eliminate pain and become the primary focus of your life. Notice what you are addicted to and try to avoid it. 

All the best as you implement these changes to sharpen your saw and live a happier and healthier life, and progress towards becoming the best version of yourself…