Most high performers think they have a productivity problem. They don’t. They have a purpose problem.

In this episode, Jay Papasan pulls back the curtain on what The ONE Thing has always been about. Yes, it lives in the productivity section of bookstores. Yes, it teaches focus. But at its core, it’s a purpose book.

Using the iceberg metaphor from the original book, Jay walks through the real order of success: purpose drives priority, and priority drives productivity. When you start at the surface with hacks and tools, you get busyness. When you start beneath the surface with clarity about why you’re working in the first place, everything changes.

He shares stories from Stu McLaren and Pat Flynn, unpacks the rider-and-elephant concept from The Happiness Hypothesis, and challenges you to define your “season” of life. What matters most right now? What role can you not afford to fail?

If you’ve been feeling busy but unfulfilled, this conversation will help you realign your work with what truly matters.

Challenge of the Week:

Block 30 minutes this week and ask yourself one simple question: Why am I working so hard? Journal your answer. Don’t edit it. Just get honest. Clarity begins there.

***

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

We talk about:

[00:00] Productivity vs. Purpose

[01:09] The Busyness Trap

[04:30] The Iceberg

[13:59] Stu McLaren and the Courage to Pivot Toward Purpose

[17:09]  Building a Successful Business Can’t Be The Only Goal

[18:18] Purpose Is Always in Charge

[24:31] The Simple Challenge: Start With Purpose

Links & Tools from This Episode:

The ONE Thing Operating System

The ONE Thing (book)

Stu McLaren Website

Michael Hyatt Website

Pat Flynn

Will It Fly? by Pat Flynn

The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt

Free Resources

Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected]  

Produced by NOVA

At 19 years old, Amy Purdy went to work feeling a little run down. Within 24 hours, she was fighting for her life in the hospital. She beat the odds, and survived a life-threatening infection - but she would ultimately lose both legs below the knee as a result. What followed wasn’t a comeback story built on motivation posters. It was a masterclass in agency.

In this conversation, Amy walks Jay through the moment she asked a life-altering question from her hospital bed: If your life were a book, how would you want the story to go? That question became her anchor. From there, she visualized a future that didn’t yet exist and worked backward, one problem at a time.

Amy shares how she became a pioneer in adaptive snowboarding, literally building the prosthetics she needed to ride again. Along the way, she discovered that challenges don’t block the path. They create it. The same tools that helped her survive her darkest days became the tools that carried her to Paralympic medals, entrepreneurship, and the stage.

This episode is about clarity, purpose, obsession in the right direction, and learning to “bounce forward” when life removes the familiar path.

Challenge of the Week:

Set aside quiet time to visualize your best self. Don’t negotiate with reality yet. See it. Feel it. Then ask, what would have to be true for this to happen? Start there.

***

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

We talk about:

[00:00] This Is a Story About Agency, Not Limitation

[02:30] They Gave Me a 2% Survival Chance. She Beat the Odds.

[11:45] The Idea That Led to Agency

[15:04] Find The Power to Solving Your Own Problems

[17:16] Turning Failure Into a Design Problem

[21:21] Amy’s First Successful Run

[24:45] Everyone Feels incomplete

[28:03] The Power of Visualization

[33:26] Turning Pain into Purpose

[40:16] From Success to Survival

[44:06] Visualizing Your Best Self

Links & Tools from This Episode:

Pre-order Bounce Forward by Amy Purdy

Read On My Own Two Feet by Amy Purdy

Adaptive Action Sports (organization founded by Amy Purdy)

Follow Amy Purdy on Instagram: @amypurdygurl

Free Resources

Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected]  

Produced by NOVA 

Are you ghosting your goals? By February, most people have already given up on the goals they set in January. But what if the reason you keep ignoring your goals isn’t a lack of discipline, but a lack of relationship? In this episode, Jay Papasan invites you to stop “proposing” to your goals every January and start dating them regularly instead.

Jay breaks down why most goals fade by February and how to replace goal drift with steady progress. He walks through the full framework, from writing a Someday Letter and working backward into five-year and one-year milestones, to using the 411 to translate goals into weekly, time-blockable actions.

You’ll also learn why a 30-minute weekly “date” with your goals and a five-minute daily check-in before your phone can radically change your focus, reduce the busyness trap, and prevent Groundhog Year from repeating itself.

This episode is a practical reset for anyone who feels busy but stuck. The answer isn’t setting better goals. It’s staying in touch with the ones you already have.

Challenge of the Week:

Schedule a 30-minute appointment with yourself. Review your goals and identify the one thing you can do next week to get back on track. Think big, aim small.

***

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

We talk about:

Why most people ghost their goals by February

How to use the Someday Letter to clarify long-term direction

Turning goals into weekly actions with the 411

Links & Tools from This Episode:

The 411 and Someday Letter Exercises are Available on Our Free Resources

Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected]  

Produced by NOVA 

Most people don’t plan for a pivot that changes everything. For Alex Hopes, it started with a moment that stopped his life cold and rerouted it completely. What followed was a decade-long journey of saying yes to what was in front of him, even when it didn’t match the original plan.

In this episode, Jay Papasan talks with Alex, founder of Zilker Bark, about how a simple dog photography project grew into massive dog events attracting thousands of people in the Austin area. They unpack the power of narrowing your focus, why constraints can sharpen creativity, and how community-driven experiences create built-in word of mouth.

Alex also shares the behind-the-scenes lessons of rapid growth, from learning on the fly to finding mentors who help you avoid costly mistakes. At its core, this conversation is about trusting the pivot, choosing depth over breadth, and letting your ONE Thing reveal itself over time.

Challenge of the Week:

Take a step back and look at the unexpected changes in your life or business. Identify one alternative path you may have overlooked and ask what could happen if you leaned into it instead of resisting it.

We talk about:

[00:00] Welcome and Introduction to Alex Hope 

[01:05] Your Side Project Gains Momentum… Now What?

[03:25] The Power of Word-of-Mouth

[05:07] Do Constraints Actually Improve Creativity?

[07:48] One-To-Many: The Transition to Events

[12:32] How Do Community-Driven Events Create Exponential Growth?

[17:20] Managing Explosive Growth

[24:40] How Do You Move Forward When Life Forces a Hard Pivot?

***

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

We talk about:

How focusing on a niche can accelerate growth

Turning community into your best marketing engine

Finding opportunity inside unexpected life pivots

Links & Tools from This Episode:

Follow Alex Hopes on Instagram  

Visit Zilker Bark’s Website

Follow Zilker Bark on Instagram

Free Resources

Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected]  

Produced by NOVA

Elite athletes don’t just train harder. They recover better. Between points, plays, and games, they use small, intentional rituals to reset their bodies and minds so they can perform again at a high level. In this episode, Jay Papasan makes the case that business owners and leaders need the same approach.

Inspired by a classic Harvard Business Review article, Jay breaks down the difference between habits, systems, routines, and rituals—and why rituals stand apart. Habits and systems automate outcomes. Rituals create meaning. That meaning helps us shift emotional states, regain focus, and sustain energy over the long haul.

Jay walks through four key areas where rituals matter most: physical recovery, emotional regulation, mental clarity, and connection to purpose and values. From walking meetings and white space to end-of-day transitions and goal-setting retreats, these practices help prevent burnout while improving results.

The takeaway is simple: if you want rituals of performance, you need rituals of recovery. The goal isn’t just a great year—it’s a great career. 

Shoutout to Anne-Laure LeCunff, author of Tiny Experiments and our guest in episode #497, whose writing on habits, routines, and rituals added depth and scientific grounding to this episode, even though it wasn’t called out during the recording. 

Listen to that episode of the podcast here.

Also, read Anne-Laure LeCunff’s fantastic article, Why Your Brain Needs Everyday Rituals.

Challenge of the Week:

Design one new ritual that adds recovery or meaning to your day. Put it on your calendar and protect it.

We talk about:

[00:00] What Elite Athletes Teach Us About High Performance

[03:45] Habits vs. Routines vs. Rituals

[12:35]  The Importance of Recovery in Any Profession

[14:02] A Ritual for Regulation: Emotional Clarity & Composure

[16:10]  A Ritual of Transition: From Work to Home

[20:02] How Can YOU Build Rituals Into Your Life?

[22:40] Rituals to Realign with Your Core Values

[28:27] What One Ritual Could You Add to Improve Everything Else You Do?

***

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

We talk about:

Why elite performers recover faster than everyone else

The difference between habits, routines, systems, and rituals

How recovery rituals actually increase performance

Links & Tools from This Episode:

The Making of a Corporate Athlete (Harvard Business Review)

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

Free Resources

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

Listen: Permission to Pause: Reclaim Your Identity Outside of Work with Jen Davis 

Produced by NOVA 

Public speaking consistently ranks as one of our biggest fears, but what if the real issue isn’t technique at all? In this episode, Jay sits down with

Tristan shares his rapid journey from beginner to finalist in the World Championship of Public Speaking and the lessons that reshaped how he thinks about mastery, coaching, and performance. Together, they unpack the idea of “leaking” insecurity, why audiences feel it instantly, and how small moments like pausing, blanking, or making mistakes can actually build trust when handled with confidence.

The conversation moves beyond stages and spotlights into everyday moments: meetings, conversations, questions left unasked, and opportunities we quietly avoid. This episode is about learning to stay present, trusting what’s already inside you, and stepping into discomfort long enough to let your best thinking show up.

Challenge of the Week:

Volunteer for something without fully preparing. Raise your hand, ask the question, or take the turn you’d normally avoid and notice what shows up when you stay confident anyway.

We talk about:

[00:00] Intro: What is Ultraspeaking?

[02:21] What People Get Wrong About Public Speaking

[04:33] Why Do “Quick Fixes” Not Help in Speaking?

[05:58] Speaking Is About One Thing: Psychology

[08:28] Are You Leaking Your Insecurity? The Impact of Stumbling in a Speech

[10:28] Small Signals of Confidence - How to Stop Leaking

[18:47] Tristan’s Journey at The World Championship of Public Speaking

[24:16] The Truth about Great Public Speakers

[36:16] Your Weekly Challenge

***

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

We talk about:

Why confidence leaks before technique ever matters

The role of coaching and deliberate discomfort in mastery

How staying present changes the way people receive your message

Links & Tools from This Episode:

Ultraspeaking Website 

World Championships of Public Speaking

The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey

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 

How do you stay afloat when everything is falling apart? Life can - and will - hit you hard. And how can you lead others when you feel like you can’t lead yourself?

This week, Jay sits down for an interview with Tiffany Fykes and Sarah Reynolds from Empire Building, to share some of the deeply personal hardships he has navigated in the past several years, and opens up about what it really looks like to lead when your systems, confidence, and energy are all under strain.

Rather than pretending strength means pushing through alone, Jay shares how adversity can become an ally if you’re willing to learn from it. He introduces the idea of building “lighthouses”: simple frameworks, reframes, and support systems that help you navigate future storms with more clarity and less damage.

You’ll hear why reframing self-talk matters most when standards feel impossible, how recalibrating expectations can keep you moving forward, and why re-engineering your village is essential for sustainable leadership. This conversation is an honest reminder that extraordinary results don’t come from avoiding storms, but from learning how to lead through them with grace, transparency, and purpose.

Challenge of the Week:

Take one challenge you’re facing right now and turn it into a solution. Then ask: can this solution become a simple framework, checklist, or ritual for my future self?

We talk about:

[00:00] Introduction to Empire Building and Jay Papasan[03:38] Jay's Personal Storm[10:00] Building Lighthouses and Helping Others[15:50] Reframing Standards and Recalibrating Priorities [20:42] What Does “Doing Your Best” Actually Mean Right Now[24:17]  How Do You Re-Engineer Your Support System[34:00] What Changes When You Build Rituals of Connection[37:46] Why Coaching is so Important 

***

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

We talk about:

How to reframe adversity without lowering your standards  

Why done is good and good is great in hard seasons  

The power of intentionally rebuilding your support system

Links & Tools from This Episode:

The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan  

Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy  

Empire Building podcast

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 

Big goals have a way of starting strong and slowly falling apart. Motivation fades. Life intervenes. Momentum stalls. In this episode, Jay Papasan shares what actually separates the people who follow through from those who stay stuck in restart mode.

After studying more than 400 entrepreneurs and business owners who went through The First Domino program, Jay distills their success into five repeatable commitments. This is not about working harder or piling on more habits. It’s about design. Alignment before action. Simplicity before scale.

Jay explains how identifying your first domino, the small but meaningful action that starts momentum, creates progress even on your worst days. He walks through why time blocking turns intention into execution, how defending your calendar protects what matters most, and why accountability beats willpower every time.

If you’ve ever felt busy but not effective, driven but burned out, this episode offers a clearer path forward. Small actions. Smart structure. Consistent momentum.

Challenge of the Week:

Make a commitment to apply the five practices from this episode for the year ahead. Ask yourself: Are my goals truly in alignment with what matters most to me? Have I gone upstream far enough to identify my real first domino? Have I put that action on my calendar? Am I actively defending it over time? And do I have some form of accountability beyond just relying on my own willpower?

We talk about:

[00:00] Introduction and Welcome

[03:16] Defining the First Domino

[04:28] Principle One: Alignment

[09:58] Principle Two: Focus

[20:05] Principle Three: Time Blocking

[25:35] Principle Four: Defend

[32:22] Principle Five: Commit

[40:39] Conclusion and Call to Action

***

Sign Up for The First Domino Course Here

We talk about:

Why alignment prevents burnout before it starts

How to find the first domino that actually creates momentum

The role of time blocking and accountability in keeping promises to yourself

Links & Tools from This Episode:

Sign Up for The First Domino Course

Jordan Freed’s Website

Warren Buffett, Chairperson of Berkshire Hathaway

Core Values Workshop & 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 

For years, Jen Davis did what high performers are taught to do. Say yes. Move faster. Carry more responsibility. Lead at a high level and keep pushing. From the outside, her career looked like the definition of success.

Then she was forced to pause. And that pause completely shifted her thinking. She had been running full speed ahead, without realizing the impact it was having on the things that matter most to her - her family.

In this conversation, Jay Papasan sits down with Jen to talk about the moment she realized her calendar no longer reflected her priorities, her identity had become tied to her work, and margin had disappeared from her life. Stepping away from running one of the largest coaching organizations in the industry wasn’t about quitting. It was about creating space to think, to feel, and to reconnect with who she wanted to be as a mom, leader, and human being.

Jen shares what surprised her most during the pause, why busyness can be a form of self-soothing, and how decision fatigue quietly erodes both joy and clarity. Together, she and Jay unpack the difference between reacting and responding, the power of reflection, and why 15 minutes of intentional thinking can become the first domino toward a healthier, more grounded life.

Challenge of the Week: 

Set a timer for 15 minutes. Put your phone face down in another part of the room. No scrolling. No reading. No to-do lists. Just sit with your thoughts and decide what truly matters today. 

***

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

Links & Tools from This Episode:

Visit Jen Davis’s Website

The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham

Follow our friend Jordan Freed on Instagram

Dr. Robyne Hanley-Defoe

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

We’re closing out the year with a special highlight reel from some of Jay Papasan’s favorite conversations of 2025, all centered on two big themes: taking action and sustaining action.

On the “taking action” side, Jenny Wood reframes fear as a signal of agency, Pat Flynn walks us through his “DeLorean” future-casting exercise, and Sahil Bloom challenges us to let our calendars prove what truly matters. Morgan Housel explores defining “enough” beyond money, Brandon Turner breaks big dreams into MINS—most important next steps—and Anne-Laure invites us to lower the stakes with tiny experiments instead of perfectionism.

On the “sustaining action” side, Coach Jordan Freed shares his awareness–agency–accountability cycle, Chris explains why self-care is a strategy (not selfish), Dr. Robin Hanley-Defoe shows how to process emotion in real time, and Liz Bohannon gives us a practical path to building real community.

Revisit the moments that moved you most, then dive into the full episodes linked in the show notes to go deeper and share them with someone who needs them.

Challenge of the Week:

Pick one lesson from this episode and turn it into a simple daily practice for the next week.

***

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

We talk about:

[00:00] Why This Episode Exists and What We’re Reflecting On

[01:44] Fear as a Compass and a Source of Agency (Jenny Wood)

[06:01] Using the DeLorean Exercise to Gain Perspective

[09:31] What Would a Stranger Say About Your Priorities (Sahil Bloom)

[12:05] Defining Enough Beyond Money

[14:29] What Is the Most Important Next Step (MINS)

[17:21] Why Consistency Is Intensity (Gary Keller)

[21:20] Lowering the Stakes with Tiny Experiments (Anne-Laure Le Cunff)

[24:51] How Long Success Really Takes (Dorie Clark)

[30:11]  Why Self-Care Is a Strategy, Not a Reward (Chris, The Long Haul Leader)

[34:04] Processing Emotion Instead of Carrying It (Dr. Robin Hanley-Defoe)

[37:26] Building Community Through Consistent Rhythms

[42:53] Choosing One Lesson and Carrying It Forward

Links & Tools from This Episode:

The Unconventional Traits That Fast-Track Success | Jenny Wood and Jay Papasan

Why Smart People Stay Stuck in "Getting Ready" Mode | Pat Flynn & Jay Papasan

Define Success on Your Own Terms | Sahil Bloom & Jay Papasan

The Art of Spending Money (And Why Most of Us Get It Wrong) | Morgan Housel & Jay Papasan

How to 6X Your Goals Using The ONE Thing | Jay Papasan & Brandon Turner

Tiny Experiments: The Neuroscience of Getting Unstuck | Anne-Laure Le Cunff and Jay Papasan

The Way: 5 Principles That Create Extraordinary Results | Gary Keller & Jay Papasan

The 10 BOLD Truths for Building an Amazing Life | Gary Keller & Jay Papasan

How to Win The Long Game (When Everyone Else Plays Short) | Jay Papasan & Dorie Clark

The 4 Hidden Thieves Destroying Your Productivity | Jay Papasan & Jordan Freed

How to Lead for the Long Haul Without Burning Out | Jay Papasan & Chris Ducker

Why High Achievers Burn Out (and What to Do About It)

Leadership’s Hidden Cost: Loneliness - And How to Build Real Community | Jay Papasan & Liz Bohannon

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