Overview
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan is a best-selling productivity and success book (over 3.5M copies sold ) that emphasizes the power of focus. The core idea is that by identifying and concentrating on the one most important task—the task that makes everything else easier or unnecessary—you can achieve extraordinary results in work and life.
Key Concepts:
- The Focusing Question
“What’s the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”
This question helps prioritize tasks and direct effort toward the highest-impact activities. - The Domino Effect
Success builds momentum like a row of dominos. By knocking down the right first domino (your most impactful task), you create a chain reaction of success. - The 80/20 Principle (Pareto Principle)
A small percentage of activities drive the majority of results. Identify the 20% of tasks that generate 80% of the impact. - Time Blocking
Protect your ONE Thing by scheduling dedicated, uninterrupted time for it. The authors recommend at least four hours a day focusing on the most important activity. - The Myth of Multitasking
Multitasking reduces efficiency and effectiveness. Instead, focus on one thing at a time to achieve mastery and progress faster. - The Success Habit
Success isn’t a one-time event but a habit. By consistently prioritizing and executing your ONE Thing, you create sustainable success. - Work-Life Balance is a Myth
Instead of striving for balance, embrace purposeful imbalance, where you focus on what matters most in the moment. - Four Thieves of Productivity
- Inability to Say No – Prioritization requires turning down distractions.
- Fear of Chaos – Focusing on one thing means other areas may be neglected temporarily.
- Poor Health Habits – Energy and clarity require proper sleep, diet, and exercise.
- Environment Doesn’t Support Goals – Surround yourself with people and spaces that reinforce focus.
Main Takeaway:
Success is not about doing more—it’s about doing the right thing. ONE Thing – at a time. Identify the ONE Thing that will make the biggest impact in each of the seven primary areas of life, commit to it, and protect time to execute it consistently.
It’s more than just a book
The ONE Thing has grown into a world-wide community as well as a coaching a training company. Multiple tools and resources come into play as people use the ONE Thing principles in their lives.
My Journey
Plugging in
Although I read the book shortly after it was released in 2013, the life-changing effects did not happen until I plugged into the ONE Thing community in 2020. That was when the principles became more than knowledge and theory. Being around people who were on the same journey at the same time made a huge difference in my being able to gain traction and build momentum in making some key life changes.
Today, I can confidently say that The ONE Thing has saved me from me; the tools allowed me to become a better version of myself and others have noticed. It may also have quite literally saved my life in a physical sense as well since one of the first habits I built in 2020 was a daily walking habit. That habit continues today and led to walking the Camino de Santiago across northern Spain. Buen Camino!
I am also a Certified Trainer and Coach
This has been an amazing journey! Now, I get to share what worked for me with others as well through workshops, events and personal coaching.
