I recently watched a YouTube video sharing some favorite books for maximizing your life. I had read 7 out of the 12 books shared in the video, so thought I would read (or at least flip through) the other 5 books. The first books I read is, The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. I thought Lean East friends and clients would be interested in a summary of Keller’s simple truth behind doing the one thing.
Gary Keller cofounded Keller Williams Realty, Inc., one of the largest real estate companies in the world, and wrote his Wall Street Journal bestseller in 2013. It has sold over a million copies and is a fairly simple read. For this book, I recommend my readers learn the main points of the book through my summary rather than read the full 220 pages.
The ONE Thing
Extraordinary results are determined by how narrow you can make your focus. It is smarter to do fewer things for more effect instead of doing more things with side effects.
The book suggests we continually ask a focusing question:
“What’s the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”
Strategic planning may be necessary to answer the focusing question. You can ask the question for each of the different roles in your life (employee, spouse, parent, etc.) You can also ask the question throughout the day, “What’s my ONE thing right now?”
Block time on your schedule to focus on the ONE thing. As Brian Tracy suggests, if you Eat That Frog at the start of the day you are guaranteed to make progress. The point is to make small progress every day; these small dominos can topple much larger dominos if you stack them right.
The Six Lies Between You and Success
The early chapters cover six lies or misconceptions we have that distract us from focusing on our one most important thing:
1. Everything Matters Equally: We often get caught up in a whirlwind of tasks, believing they all have the same importance. Instead, use the Pareto Principle to focus on the 20% of activities that yield 80% of the results.
2. Multitasking: Doing many things at the same time is not very efficient as our brains are not designed for simultaneous focus. Concentrating on one task at a time leads to greater efficiency and deeper understanding. Distraction is natural but try to avoid it.
3. A Disciplined Life: True discipline stems from habits, not willpower. By establishing consistent routines, we can achieve goals without constant mental struggle.
4. Willpower is Always on Will-Call: Willpower is finite and depleted throughout the day. Manage your energy and work on hard tasks when your reserves are strongest, usually earlier in the day.
5. A Balanced Life: Striving for perfect balance in all areas of life can be counterproductive. Instead, focus on prioritizing the most important areas at any given time. Let your most important thing shift between different roles in your life at different times.
6. Big is Bad: Fear of the unknown often leads us to shy away from ambitious goals. Adopt a growth mindset and think big to unlock your true potential.
Recognizing and overcoming these lies helps to cultivate a more focused and productive approach to achieving our goals.
The Four Thieves of Productivity
The book also shares four thieves of productivity you must avoid as you focus on the ONE thing each day.
- Inability to Say No: Constantly saying yes to distractions and unimportant tasks prevents you from focusing on your most important goals. Only say yes to requests that align with your ONE thing. Either make it a “Hell Yes, or no.”
- Fear of Chaos: The fear of letting go of other tasks to concentrate on your ONE Thing can lead to procrastination and overwhelm.
- Poor Health Habits: Inadequate sleep, poor nutrition, and lack of exercise can significantly diminish your energy and focus. Take care of your body and mind.
- Environment That Doesn’t Support Your Goals: Don’t let distractions in your physical and social environment hinder your ability to concentrate and achieve your objectives.
By identifying and mitigating these thieves, you can create a more focused and productive environment for achieving your goals.
Summary
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan covers a simple but critically important topic – focus. Let us know your thoughts on our book summary and share your comments on the Six Lies and Four Thieves in the comments below.
Brings to mind a new CEO we got back in my F500 days, whose mantra was “simplify, focus, and trust”. I remember a particularly seminal annual management team meeting under his leadership (along with all the other corporate divisions) where we presented a product redesign that was an outgrowth of his challenge to “simplify everything”. There was indeed a lot of power in that kind of laser focus, which fostered the unconventional thinking that yielded significant cost, performance and customer benefits.
Love this comment, Mike! Too many clients and leaders overthink their problems. Most of the time, a product designed with less parts and a process with less steps is going to be more efficient!