HOW TO KEEP YOUR EDGE IN THE DAILY GRIND

Life will dull your “edge” – that’s why it’s called “the daily grind.”

Activities that once felt like a “knife through butter” can feel like cutting steel with a piece of wood.

You’ve lost your edge.

How To Keep Your Edge

There is an ancient proverb that says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

To keep your edge you need to be with people who have an edge.

For almost a decade I’ve been a part of a small group of women and men who are committed to personal development. We meet every week. Our group is made up of corporate executives, business owners, service professionals, financial consultants, and entrepreneurs.

Each of us have gone through career changes, organizational revisions and health challenges.

We call our group “Ironman” because we’ve helped each other keep our edge.

4 Practices To Beat The Grind

1. Your odds of success go up dramatically when you commit to growing with others. There is something powerful about groups and shared experiences. People may be skeptical about their ability to change if they’re by themselves but a group will convince them to suspend their disbelief. You can look around a group and see others who have succeeded and think, “If it worked for them it can work for me.”

2. We grow in maturity when we can test our thoughts and ideas against another person.  A good friend is not someone who necessarily agrees with everything you do and say–it’s somebody who challenges you to be a better person. That can be uncomfortable at times. Sparks fly when you are being sharpened up. When we’re on track, the affirmation is energizing. We need to be open to a course correction when we’re off. That’s where trust comes in.

 3. We get wiser by learning from people who are further down the road on which we are traveling. Mentoring doesn’t have to be formal or personal. Our group has learned life-changing lessons from Nelson Mandela, Patrick Lencioni, Malcolm Gladwell and John Maxwell – without ever meeting them. We read, discuss, understand and apply.

4. A community of like-minded people will give you awesome results. There is nothing comparable to the support of people with shared values, mindsets and goals to keep you sharp.

Our group read, The Power of Habits by Charles Duhigg. He shares a story about cadet training at West Point. The rigorous treatment is intended to grind people down. One successful cadet said, “Without being a part of a group of guys that met every morning to insure everyone else was feeling strong, I wouldn’t have lasted a month.”

Do you have a Mastermind group? A reading club? A home Bible study group?

APPLICATION: How has a group helped you keep your edge? Please leave a comment below.

I write to inspire people to be real, grow an authentic faith in Jesus, enjoy healthy relationships and discover their life purpose. If this material is helpful to you, please follow me.