Mental Performance Daily with Brian Cain Sharpening the Axe
Dec 4, 2025
Discover the valuable lesson from the classic lumberjack story, emphasizing the importance of sharpening your skills to boost productivity. Explore how mental performance coaching can help you pause, reflect, and regain your mental edge. Delve into the difference between mindless grinding and efficient effort, as well as the critical role of a coach in maintaining focus and composure. Finally, learn about the dangers of climbing the wrong ladder and the need to align your efforts with meaningful goals.
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Two Lumberjacks And The Sharp Axe
- Brian Cain tells a Vermont story about two lumberjacks to illustrate preparation vs. raw effort.
- The cutter who paused to sharpen his axe ended up outperforming the one who just kept swinging.
Sharpening The Mind Boosts Output
- Mental performance coaching functions as the act of sharpening your axe to improve output.
- When your mind is dull, your effort produces weaker results despite hard work.
Work Smarter, Not Only Harder
- Hard work alone is an incomplete strategy; pair intensity with smarter methods.
- Success requires swinging both harder and smarter, not just more effort.