Sharpen The Saw

I just returned from a five-day Novel Intensives writing workshop with Writing Legend (and former Texas Rangers relief pitcher), Larry Brooks and Story Coach, Jennifer Blanchard in Portland.

I've been developing my story for book two for what feels like a lifetime very long time. The search for story and development of a story is a lonely, excruciating and, exciting process. 
It starts with an initial spark of an idea that seems to come out of no where. For me it was about five years ago while hiking in the San Jacinto mountains in California. 
Since that fateful morning I put it on the back burner where it has been simmering, bubbling and boiling over at times but I just haven't sat down and hammered out the concept and premise into a workable story. 
Because it takes time. 
A lot of time. 
And it's a painful process.
But it's time to sharpen the damn saw and get 'er done. So that's what I'm doing. Sharpening the saw, honing my craft, learning what I need to learn to make it better. Spending the time with bottom in chair, developing the story and the characters who are bored to death just waiting for something to do.

The point of this post is to say that too often we know what we need to do (exercise, pre-make healthy meals, foster better relationships with our loved ones, get down on the floor and play with our kids even if they keep breaking the crayons and asking us to do impossible things like color the glue pink and put it on our eyes!). 
We don't do what we need to do to make our lives better, to make us better people, to reach our goals, because it takes time. 
Stephen Covey says one of the habits of highly successful people is that they sharpen the saw, unlike your neighbor who wastes hours trying to cut down a tree with a blunt saw and won't just go sharpen the saw because, it takes time. 
So sharpen the saw.