The Goose and the Golden Eggs

Imagine living on farm.

A lovely farm.

One day, you wake up to find that your goose has laid an egg.

A special egg.

A golden egg.

What will you do?

Of course you will be over the moon and you will take care of your goose, because you love it.

Of course not.

Because of the golden egg.

But, as time passes and your greed builds up, you might be tempted to open the goose’s belly to get all the eggs at once, only to realize that there’s no more gold in your goose, and you’ve lost it .

You’ve lost it forever.

This is a famous parable, and I’m sure you’ve heard it before.

Stephen Covey, the author of “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” uses this story to illustrate the importance of taking care of the source (the goose) just as you would care for the results (the golden eggs).

He calls this habit “Sharpen the Saw.”

To get the maximum result from the goose, you need to take care of it.

This concept has helped me a lot in taking care of myself.

I’ve started setting aside individual time for myself in my calendar to look after my well-being.

This includes activities like playing video games, having a cup of coffee with a friend, and reading a novel — things that aren’t related to productivity but cleanse my soul.

This isn’t a new concept; it’s the foundation of techniques such as meditation, exercise, and journaling.

But what struck me about this rule. What I have missed before. What I didn’t pay attention to is that if I look at it differently, I can see myself as the golden egg, not the goose, for many other geese.

I am the golden egg for my family. My results and progress depend significantly on them. For example, I might cancel a meeting if my daughter is sick and needs me by her side.

I always thought of myself as a goose, believing I should take care of myself to prosper in life.

But that’s not entirely true.

The more my family is taken care of, mostly by me, the more I, the golden egg, will be taken care of, and it will be easier to succeed.

Think about it for a second.

Isn’t it true that the better your family is, the better you are?

On the same principle, I am also the golden egg for my company, my community, and my environment. The better these geese are, the better the golden egg, me, is.

This realization has changed my whole perspective on productivity.

While it’s true I can’t control everything, I can still do my best to take care of my geese, ensuring I’m in good hands.

You can do this by participating in your family, company, and community, ensuring they function well. By doing so, you can be sure they are taken care of.

This shows that it’s easier to succeed together than to struggle alone.

A famous quote that illustrates this principle is by Michael Jordan:

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” — Michael Jordan

Success is not just about you.

It’s not just about your individual achievements, but also about the relationships you build, the lives you touch, and the help you both give and receive along the way.