\”The ONE Thing\” by Gary Keller
First Person: Do you know what the secret of life is?
Second Person: No. What is it?
First Person: This. [Raises one finger.]
Second Person: Your finger?
First Person: One thing. Just focus on one thing, and everything else won\’t matter much.
Second Person: Excellent! But what is this \’one thing\’?
First Person: That\’s what you need to find out. If you dedicate yourself to one thing for a prolonged period, you will surely succeed. That\’s the secret behind the achievements of any average person and their success.
Going Small:
If everyone has the same number of hours in a day, why do some people achieve more? It\’s about going small, ignoring things you could do and focusing on what you should do. Recognize that not everything is equally important, and prioritize what matters the most. Understand that EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS defend how narrow your focus can be. When you go as small as possible, you can achieve the ONE Thing that will make you successful in life.
Achieving Extraordinary Results:
Toppling dominos is an easy task. Just line them up, give the first one a push, and the rest will fall on their own. This is the Domino Effect. However, in the real world, the problem is that no one sets up our goals in a line and tells us to start from here. Instead, every day, we need to align our priorities, find our highest priority task, and work on it until it\’s achieved. This approach works because extraordinary results are sequential, not simultaneous. The Domino Effect applies to your work and decisions about what to do next. Success builds on success. Just focus on one thing.
Part 1 – Lies: Misleading and Derailing
Over time, we are told so many lies that we start believing in them. To achieve our maximum potential, we must ensure that we distance ourselves from these lies.
Lie 1: All things are equally important.
In the name of equality and justice, we are told that everything is equal. However, in the real world, nothing is truly equal. Not all things are of equal importance. Equality is a lie. Success is not a game where the one who plays more wins. While to-do lists work as useful collections of our good intentions, they also make us fear small, unnecessary things we are forced to do because they are on our list. Achievers work differently.
Achievers always work by prioritizing. Instead of to-do lists, they create success lists. A list aligned with their goals, and working on it propels them closer to their goals. If your to-do list is full of green items, it may take you everywhere except where you want to go. We need to apply the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 Principle, which states that 20% of our efforts result in 80% of the outcomes. This principle guides us in the correct direction that leads us to our goal.
We must understand that many things are more important than others. By applying the Pareto Principle, you can convert your to-do list into a success list. If you take one step forward, applying the Pareto Principle to the 10-12 things written in your to-do list, you can reach your ONE Thing, the most important thing that will lead you to your goal.\”
Lie #2: Multitasking is a lie because most believe being highly productive comes from doing multiple things at once. If you attempt two tasks simultaneously, you won\’t excel at either. While computers are designed for multitasking, humans can\’t fully focus on two things at once. Our attention is divided, making it challenging to perform well. Multitasking might seem efficient, but it\’s not the most effective way to work. It takes time to switch between tasks, and there\’s no guarantee you\’ll pick up where you left off. Focus on one crucial task at a time for true productivity.
Lie #3: Discipline Life The idea that success demands a disciplined life with consistent actions is reversed. Achievement doesn\’t require continuous discipline. Success is about doing the right things, not everything, and strategically using selective discipline. It\’s about building habits through focused discipline. It takes about 66 days to form a habit, and initial efforts are more challenging than maintaining them. Super-successful individuals employ selective discipline, focusing on a few simple habits that become ingrained over time.
Lie #4: Willpower Can Always Prevail While willpower is considered crucial, it\’s often misunderstood. Willpower is like a battery that needs recharging. Its effective use requires management. Utilize willpower for high-priority tasks when it\’s at its peak. Understand that willpower has limits, and recharging is necessary through activities like proper sleep, good nutrition, and rest. To use willpower effectively, prioritize and summon it when your reserves are at their maximum, making it a valuable resource for success.