When Gary and Jay wrote The ONE Thing, they defined success as “getting what you want.” But most of us chase goals we didn’t truly choose. In this episode, author and creator Sahil Bloom shares how he reset his scorecard, left a lucrative path, and built a life aligned with his values—starting with time.

Sahil explains why the worst distractions often look like great opportunities, and how to run cheap, fast experiments to discover your highest point of leverage. He breaks down the “no unforced errors” mindset, distinguishes planning from preparation, and explains how batching management tasks (thanks to Parkinson’s Law) protects time for deep thinking and creative work. You’ll also hear how to build a high-agency team so you spend more of your week in your zone of genius.

If you’ve been pulled in too many directions, this conversation will help you get clear on what matters—and defend it.

Challenge of the Week:

Ask: “If a third party watched my week, what would they say my priorities are?” Identify one mismatch between your calendar and your stated priorities, then take one tiny action to close the gap this week.

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To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods.

We talk about:

How to use low-cost experiments to find your highest-leverage work

Why “no unforced errors” beats flashy wins over the long term

Protecting thinking time with Parkinson’s Law and better batching

Links & Tools from This Episode:

The Five Pillars of Wealth by Sahil Bloom

The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey

Moneyball by Michael Lewis

Naval Ravikant (quote referenced)

Anne-Laure Le Cunff (on tiny experiments)

David Galenson’s research on conceptual vs. experimental innovators

Free Resources

Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected] or send us an audio note at Speakpipe.com/the1thing.

Produced by NOVA