Lesson from a Chinese Butcher

o"Work smarter, not harder" is a popular saying these days.

But the idea behind it is not new.

It's actually older than most modern civilizations.

And it originates in ancient China.

I haven't found its exact origins, but some experts say that it comes from the Chinese philosopher and author of the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu.

If that's true, it would mean the idea of working smarter is more than 8,000 years old!

Anyway, I first heard about this idea in a form of a story.

A traditional Chinese parable.

Here's how it goes...

Once upon a time, there was a butcher who served a village as their meat carver.

His knife, even though he never sharpened it or changed the blade, was still sharp and able to easily cut meat after many years of use.

One day, his customer asked him...

"Where did you get your magical knife that doesn't need sharpening?"

And the butcher answered...

"But my knife isn't magical."

The customer was surprised by the answer.

So he asked him again...

"Then how it's still so sharp even after many years of use?"

To which the butcher replied...

"Before I cut the meat, I observe it for a few moments...

And when I start cutting it, I follow its natural crevices, I cut around the bones, joints, and ligaments...

So that my knife never meets any resistance...

And thus it never needs sharpening."

As I said, the butcher from the story knew how to work smarter instead of harder.

How?

First, by making preparations.

He wasn't just jumping into the business without a second thought.

He would first observe the piece of meat.

Second, he was applying the Chinese concept called Wu-Wei.

Wu-We is translated as non-action.

Non-action in this context doesn't mean passivity.

It's better understood as lack of force.

You see, he wasn't forcing the knife through joints and ligaments as that would make the knife dull over time.

Instead, he was looking for ways to avoid any resistance.

If you want to spend less energy and get better results, you should follow the Chinese butcher.

Always make preparations.

Always play to your strengths and seek the most efficient way of doing things.

If you do that, your mind and body will be like his blade.

Sharp – even after many years of use.

And you'll never be going to need any "magic", any trick to get you going.

You're going to roll like a ball on ice.

That's what I call the Self-Sustaining Motivation Engine.

Jayadeva de Silva for Humantalents International