The year has just begun and hopefully we have all set our goals and are working towards them. If you haven't, you are losing precious time, do it now!

As I was saying, hopefully our goals are set and so are we. As we embark on the glorious journey of life this year, we need to get a few tips from the woodcutters that will help us succeed. We will look at:
1. Sharpen your tools
2. Be accurate. Set goals and focus on them
3. Power does not equal progress. More skill = less effort, time and resources
4. Follow the crack/ choose your target wisely
Let's get started!

1. SHARPEN YOUR TOOLS
Every woodcutter knows the importance of keeping their axe sharp. This is why sharpening is a regular exercise.

Ecclesiastes 10:10

If the ax is dull
and its edge unsharpened,
more strength is needed,
but skill will bring success.

A dull axe requires more labour and wastes precious time. To succeed in life we need to sharpen our tools, and the most important tool you need to keep sharpened is yourself.

Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.

We all need sharpening to succeed in life. If you are not sharpened, you will work harder and produce less results. You will waste energy and time.

So, how do I sharpen myself?

1. Read self improvement books. Sharpen your character, personality and habits. Reading is a way of learning from someone you would in most cases not be able to meet. Read great books that will make you a better you as a person, spouse, parent, employee, boss or anything else you are.

2. Remove. When an axe is sharpened, some of the steel in the axe head has to be removed. Remove everything that is not productive in your life; to use a borrowed term, unclutter your life. Evaluate your life. What is it that you can live without yet is a part of your life. There are some people in our lives that we need to get rid off in order to sharpen ourselves; painful but it must be done. Anything that wastes time, energy, resources or is emotionally draining must be removed.

3. Renovate your life. Bring in fresh productive habits like sticking to time, budget and plans. What can you add to yourself to make yourself more productive? Maybe you need to add an extra hour in your normal day by waking up earlier and doing something productive.

4. Revise. When an axe is being sharpened, it undergoes a lot of checking, or revision, to see if it's sharp. Constantly 'revise' your life. Constantly check if is going in the direction you want it to go. Check for excess baggage you need to get rid of. Always check, check, check! Never allow your life to be on auto pilot, be the one to direct the course of your life.

5. Reward yourself. Once in a while, reward yourself for the progress you have made. Other people are too busy with their own lives to see the progress you have made with yourself and hence there will be few or no pats on the back. Don't feel guilty about rewarding yourself.

1 Samuel 30:6
And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

Life is full of battles and challenges and sometimes it seems we are all alone. This is when we need to be like David and encourage ourselves. Conversely, in times of personal victory, there usually will be no-one to pat our backs and celebrate our achievements. This is why you need to reward yourself. Spoil yourself as an encouragement to keep on going forward and win more victories.

Next time as we continue with our lessons from the woodcutter, we will look at being 'Accurate' in life. Don't miss it for anything! This will be a great year for!!!

Kato Nkhoma is a seasoned Pastor with circa 15 years under his belt. He is also a prolific teacher of the word, author and freelance writer. A husband to 1wife  and father of 2 amazing children makes him a happy family man.

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