THE ONE THING: THE SURPRISINGLY SIMPLE TRUTH BEHIND EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS
A non-fiction, self-help book written by authors and real estate entrepreneurs, Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan
Paul Chek says that life goes through 3 phases. Simplicity. Complication. Then back to simplicity. This is what it means to be an elder. To simplify and become wise. This is what this book is about!
The premiss
We all want a simpler life, less distractions, stress, demands, emails etc. And greater results, more productivity, income satisfaction from life, more time for family and friends. This is what this book is about, having both less and more through focusing on your ONE THING.
“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.”
Alexander Graham Bell
Or you live in New Zealand where there is no ozone layer.
The book is broken into 3 parts.
The Lies: They Mislead and Derail Us.
The focusing questions: "What’s the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?"
Extraordinary Results," which details how to make the above principles actionable.
To Start…
“I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store;
For Life is just an employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.
I worked for a menial's hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have paid.”
―Jessie B. Rittenhouse
There can only ever be one thing that is most important. This book is about finding that.
When you look at successful people in any field they got there by doing one thing very well. Kelly Slater surfed. Federer played tennis. Steve Jobs built technology. Jerry Seinfield created comedy. Seinfield for example spent hours writing jokes everyday. Warren Buffet reads and invests everyday. Even companies do this just ONE THING. Google’s one thing for example is search. Amazon started just with books. Nike just with shoes.
The one thing in common everyone’s one thing was founded on passion and purpose that drove them to put in a disproportionate amount of time into their one thing. Malcolm Gladwell called this mastery 10,000 hours.
Be like a postage stamp, stick to one thing until you get there. - Josh Billings
Doug’s Tip
What is you One Thing? For me I used Dan Sullivans unique ability framework to find it. Your unique ability is the one or two things that continually motivated and energises you. Normally you’re unaware of it. You have it from the age of 7 and it can be found through many means. One way is to send 20 friends you trust asking them what value you add to their lives. For me this was,
Enthusiasm and humour.
Networking.
Creating and sharing ideas.
This is how I add the most value to the world and what I love to do and this is where my ONE THING resides.
Part 1
We’ve been taught so many lies and mistruths that have conditioned and limited our thinking. There are 6 main lies or mistruths listed in the book.
Everything matters equally.
Multitasking.
We must live a disciplined life.
Willpower is always on Will-call.
A balanced life.
Big is bad.
These lies divert us from our greatest potential.
First everything does not matter equally. And we cannot do everything. Therefore we must priorities what is important. If we can’t say no to somethings our Yes has no value. Success is about doing the right thing not everything right.
Multitasking the Buddhist called the monkey mind. We can’t actually do many things productively at once. Juggling is an illusion. You’re actually catching and throwing one ball at a time. Switching between tasks cost you 25 - 100% extra time.
Self discipline is another lie. Successful people aren’t disciplined they just have habits.
Willpower is a battery that runs out. Willpower doesn’t work by Benjamin Hardy goes into more depth on this.
We’re never in balance are trying to be balanced is stressful. We are continually like a pendulum swimming from one extreme to another.
The other is that you shouldn’t dream or think to big. Somehow we should place limits on out thinking. Big is bad myth? Big is not bad. Who told you you have a limit. Thinking big is required for exceptional results.
Sabeer Bhatia arrived in America with $250 dollars and big plans. He had a belief that he could grow a business faster than any business in history. He created Hotmail and sold it for $600 million. What set him apart his mentor said was the size of his dream.
J. K. Rowling planned 7 years at Hogwarts before writing the first chapter. Sam Walton set up a tax estate for his family that saved an estimated $13 billion dollars. This is growth mindset.
If you put fleas in a jar, they will pop up and hit the top of the lid. They will jump and hit the roof. Fleas will jump and will never jump out of that jar. They will never jump outside. Very early in life you were told and taught what you can and couldn’t do.
Note on happiness.
Happiness happens on way to fulfilment. Seeking it isn’t the way. Making it about something bigger than you is. Discover you’re big WHY. This is what ever gets you excited, motivated and energised. Absent purpose pick a direction.
Why only ONE THING?
Andrew Carnegie, the man often referred to as the greatest industrialist of the 20th century, was standing in front of a room of wide-eyed students at Curry Commercial College. [1]
“‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket,’ is wrong” he counselled. “I tell you ‘put all your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket. Look round you and take notice; men who do that do not often fail.”
The question is, which basket do you watch? More to the point, how do you know which basket is the right basket, to begin with? The answer is you ask a question, one that removes ambiguity.
You ask a focusing question.
The focusing questions.
"What’s the ONE THING I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?" Slash I would feel deeply accomplished.
Powerful questions lead to powerful answers. Questions are the answer.
It’s important that the focusing questions is specific. We can’t manage what we can’t measure.
You’re one thing could be for any aspect of your life.
Example: Deepen my spirituality by spending time in nature 3/4 times a week
Don’t go big. Go small. Pair down to the one disciplined out of everything you could be doing. This creates space for everything else you need to do.
Michael Phelps for example. He figured out if he swam 7 days a week for 6 hours a day to get a 52 training day advantage over his competition. This was something that could be measured and managed.
Instead of him creating a foundation, building businesses, getting sponsorship, or trying to be the greatest swimmer of all time. He did his highest priority. The lead domino. Which was swimming everyday. Interesting to note one day out of the pool cost him two days in training due to losing water feel.
The domino effect
The domino effect they figured out in science. That a domino could knock down another domino 1.5 times its size. By the 73rd domino you would reach the moon.
Everyday there is a lead domino. This is the psychology. We must ask ourselves what is the one thing we can do today, that pertains to the one thing for the week, for the month, for the year, for my life. That if I did just that it would make everything else easier or unnecessary.
What would produce the highest growth, that would set me up pertaining to the one thing for me this week, for.
Bryce Langston for example started with his Living Big in a Tiny House Blog a few years back for his own personal interest. He posted regular content. His latest video 6.5 million views in 4 days!
Goal setting to the now
Someday Goal
Whats the ONE THING I want to do someday.
Five-Year Goal
based on my someday goal what’s the ONE THING I can do in thh next five years.
One-Year Goal
Based on my five-year goal, whats the ONE THING I can do this year?
Monthly Goal
Based on my one-year goal whats the one thing I can do this month?
Weekly Goal
Based on my monthly goal whats the one thing I can do this week?
Daily Goal
Based on my weekly goal whats the one thing I can today?
Right Now
Based on my daily goal whats the one thing I can do right now?
Make success list
Success is sequential. Success builds on success. Aristotle said it best when he said:
'We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.'
What we are looking to do if this system works for you. For the rest of your life. We’re looking to build habits that create the highest version of success in your eyes. Your definition of success is different for different people. What does success look like for me with my family, with my relationships, with my business/career, with my health?
What is then the one thing that would make everything easier or unnecessary in each area of my life?
Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it. - George Halas
Choose 3.
This is a roadmap to your success. Choose 3 domains, career being one of them. Knock it out 4 hours a day. 5/6/7 days a week.
Spirituality?
Physical Health?
Personal life? Fun, play, recreation?
Key relationships? friends, partners etc. Great place for love languages.
Book in Holidays every quarter.
Job/career. business? If you have both can be two different domains?
Podcast 2X per week. Find a new coach/mentor after that.
Finance
Buy land in Te Arai.
Don’t go alone!
Mentors, coaches and accountability partners are needed to get results. That’s why I set up Divine Masculine. A high level mens conscious coaching group based on ManCave by Preston Smiles.
But you can’t do it alone. Everyone has mentors. Success leaves clues. George Martin was a record producer and regarded as the 5th Beatle. Tony Robbins had Jim Rohn. Jeffery D. Jacobs advised Oprah to set up her own company rather than just be talent for someone else. Harry J. Sonneborn convinced Ray Kroc to buy the land of McDonalds. Scott Jurek loved running and his best mate, Dusty Olson, happens to be a great runner and his pacer.
Create discipline
Create discipline in one thing so that it create automaticity and creates space for you to be less disciplined else where.
Takes 66 days to make or break any habit! We have a life time to build these habits.
Willpower does not work. Willpower is not on role call. It’s a battery. We must make and create and use our willpower early in the morning. Then manage ourselves in the evening. There’s a great book on this called Willpower Doesn’t Work by Benjamin Hardy.
Create momentum.
Men in particular try to bash and smash and will there way through life and cause stress and issues.
When we clench our way through there’s no space or god, allah, the divine, the conciousnness that rolls in the ocean and powers the sun. The gress doesn’t try to grow it just grows. The sun doesn’t try to shine, it just shines.
What is the one thing? We over plan, over analyse, over think. IF success if an iceberg. It’s purpose at the bottom, then priority, then productivity, then profit. People see productivity and profit. Purpose drives everything. What is that? That is what ever calls you forward.
What is your one thing? There is 3 type of answers. Doable. You know you can. Stretch, has to get out of the comfort zone and do things you’re not used to. And possibility, is to go beyond what you can even think.
Time block it out.
When I spoke to David Heinmeir Hasson this was his definition of a successful day. To do 3-4 hours of his greatest most productive work.
Everyday is 4+ hours of your number 1 thing. Best done in the morning.
Give up to go up. Sacrifice short term to get the heights in the long term. Elevation requires seperation. Take care of what is most important to you.
Good Vs Great
Theres a big difference between the two. In the book they divide an entrepreneurial approach and purposeful approach. Entrepreneurial is doing what you do naturally. But this hits a ceiling of achievement. Purposeful approach is doing what comes unnaturally, this has no ceiling. Good is the enemy of great.
Follow the path of mastery.
Move from “E” to “P”
Live the accountability cycle.
Mastery is a mindset that requires 10,000+ hours. Founder of Judo got burried in a white belt because he had the master mindset that he was always a student.
There are two great mindset to life. Being accountable or being a victim. Life happens but it is how you respond that matters the most. Victims avoid reality, blame others, don’t ask questions, comes up with excuses, hopes that things were better.
Accountable people ask questions, find solutions. own their life, acknowledge reality, seek the truth.
The 4 thieves of productivity.
The fear of saying no. You have to be able to say NO to give power to your yes. Counterbalance. Pull away and go in to that cave, lab, gym. Other people can’t see what you can see. Get in the practice of saying NO to the good so you can say YES to the great. If it’s not a fuck year it’s a NO!
Fear of chaos which goes with saying NO. Life gets messy. You can’t do everything at the same time. Chase two rabbits you will end up with none. Get used to things being out of balance for now.
Poor health habits. This is movement, sleep, food and water. Feed your body, your brain and feed your dream.
Environment. Desk, workplace, home. This is also friends and family. Let go of these anchors. Not that these people are bad they just can’t see it what you can see.
Friedrich Nietzsche: And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music
Highly productive persons daily energy plan.
Meditate and and pray for spiritual energy.
Eat right, exercise and sleep sufficiently.
Hug, kiss and laugh with loved ones for motional energy.
Set goals, plan, and calendar for mental energy.
Time block your one thing for business energy,
Here’s the secret. When you spend your early energising yourself you get pulled through the day with little additional effort. It creates positive momentum.
Surround yourself with positive people who lift you higher.
The greatest journey starts with the smallest step. Story of Wolf. The Cherokee told his grandson about the internal battle within people of two wolves. One if fear. One is faith. What wolf won? The one that was fed the most.
Lastly
Eckhart Tolle says it’s more important how you do it rather than what you do. Set a vision for your life. Then be present with your ONE THING and everything you do. This creates harmony in your mind and for all of those around you. This is what helps increase the consciousness of the planet and gives you the most power, enjoyment, enthusiasm and results.
The End
