I can’t recall my father ever showing me how to drive a nail or swing an axe.

He was a businessman who often did his best work or got his next great idea by scribbling numbers on a napkin while sipping tea at his favorite diner. A pen, napkin, and a sharp mind for his tools…pretty simple eh?

Let’s admit it…some of us are tool junkies, always looking for the latest and greatest app or resource which could be that silver bullet to help propel our lives and work further, faster.

Sometimes it feels like an endless search for something that doesn’t exist. While I’m all for equipping oneself with new and useful tools (key word: useful), the reality is tools are only part of the equation.

I came across this verse today in my scripture reading…

“Remember: The duller the ax the harder the work; Use your head: The more brains, the less muscle.”
- Ecclesiastes 10:10 MSG
“If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.”
- Ecclesiastes 10:10 NIV

I recently found myself struggling to split firewood. Upon close inspection of my maul, I realized the edge was dull. It needed to be sharpened. But I determined to not let that stop me from getting the job done. So I kept at it. In the process I discovered that my success at wood splitting only partly depended on the sharpness of the maul. It also depended on other factors like determination, skill in my swing, and correct positioning. So I kept swinging, leveraging what I had to my advantage rather than focusing on what was missing. And I got the job done.

Strength and skill, says wise King Solomon, will bring success. This is important for us to hear for a few reasons…

Over-tooling leads to distraction and loss of focus. Strength and skill are crucial get-the-job- done attributes developed over time with consistent use. In the wild west of the coaching world, I’m constantly being hounded by well-meaning and some not-so-well- meaning marketing gurus and platform developers, inviting me to try out their latest and greatest strategy or tool. If I were to say yes to every offer, I’d be living below the poverty level! I would also feel extremely scattered and unfocused. Instead, I’m learning to channel my desire to succeed into good old discipline while surrounding myself with just enough tools to sharpen my duller edges.
Over-tooling weighs us down. Consider a carpenter’s tool belt. It has a certain number of slots and compartments. Similarly, you and I have only so much capacity. You may have more space in your tool belt than I do, but we’re all limited to some extent. Therefore we must pick and choose our tools wisely, matching them to the job at hand while asking questions like, Does this complement and/or free me up so I can lean into my strengths? Are my skills being enhanced when I use this tool?
Less clutter reduces stress. When it comes to decluttering, we often think in terms of our homes and material possessions. But what if we were to use the same approach as entrepreneurs toward effectively managing our digital space? Clinical Psychologist Brenna Renn, PHD states, “If we can make our home environments (more) predictable environments, it might support our mental health…Add a messy cubicle or a home office that’s 10 feet from a pile of dishes and laundry that needs folding and it’s no wonder you’re having trouble getting anything done.”

No time seems more important for this kind of “decluttering” than the present, when our home and work environments have become one and the same!

I recently glanced around my home office and began dreaming about giving it a complete overhaul. New furnishings, new equipment, a new look and feel. I figured this would inspire me and help me do my best work. I’ve reconsidered. I’m going to wait. First of all, it’s not in the budget. More importantly, I think God is telling me to work with what He’s given me for now. To faithfully steward what I have by focusing on my unique skill set and exercising the stamina required in the work. More shiny new tools are not what I need in this season.

To summarize, having too much of a good thing can become a problem, leading to distraction, loss of focus, extra baggage, and more anxiety. The answer: Go ahead and try some new resources, tools and strategies. Discover what works for you, what’s helpful and what’s not. Then ditch the extra weight, declutter, and take action.

As a 9 on the Enneagram, I struggle with staying focused and completing a task. What I need most is not additional tools. I need to exercise the muscles of stamina, discipline and accountability. How about you? Get clarity here: Enneagram — Encompass Life Coaching

Quote from: How to Keep Decluttering Realistic | Right as Rain by UW Medicine