A man was chopping down a tree with everything he had.
Sweat. Strain. Determination.
But the blade was dull.
So the effort went nowhere.
He didn’t need more force.
He needed to stop.
Sharpening feels counterintuitive when there’s work to do.
Pausing looks like laziness when progress is measured in motion.
But effort without leverage is just noise.
And systems matter more than stamina.
Fix the tool.
Improve the setup.
Then return to the work.
The pause isn’t wasted time.
It’s the highest return on effort you’ll make.
Who this is for?
Anyone pushing harder while quietly wondering why nothing is changing.
One action:
Stop mid-task today and improve the tool or system you rely on most — even if it costs you an hour.
🎵 Paul Bunyan
📘 Deep Work – Cal Newport
JANUARY 6, 2026