When is the last time you took time out of your business to sharpen your saw?

I'm spending the week in our Client Generation Centre in Sheffield so I can learn some of the most effective marketing and sales techniques from our ActionCOACH team and colleagues.

I am investing that time, to sharpen my saw - improve my business and learn even more strategies to help my clients and share with business owners.

Steven Covey, in his best selling book - 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, said, "Balance and renew your resources, energy and health to create a sustainable, long-term, effective lifestyle." He focuses on both regenerating the mind but also re-learning an old or developing a new habit that will improve your business or your life.

I love doing this with my clients in our business planning days, where each client can reflect on their last 3 month's goals and develop the next 3 month's strategies.

Everyone is more effective when you take time out to sharpen your saw. Some people spend the year cutting down their trees with a blunt saw, while others sharpen their saw and cut down more trees in less time. Some see their coach on a regular basis, take time out of the business, to reflect and plan. Others just plod on, with no breaks, with no time to plan and find they are not getting all they want from their business.

So are you working smarter or just harder? What are you doing in the next few weeks to 'sharpen your saw'?