In their book, The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan suggest that a laser-like focus on the most important is essential to realizing success.

Since the book dovetails so closely to my views of simplify…eliminate…prioritize…focus, I recommend it highly.  Below, I give some quick notes on the key points found in the book.  But, I do encourage you to pick it up, read it, and follow its ideas.

• We need to avoid the productivity myths and achievement lies so common today:
  • Everything matters equally
  • We can be good at multitasking
  • All it takes is self-discipline and willpower

• Instead, in order to achieve results and success and be as productive as we can be, we need to focus on the most important.

• The focusing question is:
  • “What’s the one thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary.”

• The moment by moment focusing question is:
  • “What’s the one thing I can do right now such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary.”

• To achieve our one thing, we need to create a success habit.
  • We need to create the habit to stay true to the focusing question by keeping our one thing as top priority every day.
  • “People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures.”  M. Alexander

• We need to time block our day to focus on ‘our one thing’ for up to four hours a day every day (usually first thing in the morning when we are freshest).
  • We must protect this time of day fiercely avoiding all distractions, interruptions, and temptations.

• And we need to commit ourselves to being accountable to achieving ‘our one thing.’
  • By being accountable, we must
    • Seek reality
      • “What’s happening?”
    • Acknowledge reality
      • “This is the way it is.”
    • Own it
      • “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.”
    • Find the solution
      • “What can I do?”
    • Get on with it
      • “O.K., let’s do it!”

• By all means, we need to avoid being a victim who
  • Avoids reality
    • Asks no questions.
  • Fights reality
    • “That’s not how I see it.”
  • Blames
    • “If everyone else would just do their job.”
  • Creates personal excuses
    • “It’s not my job.”
  • Waits and hopes
    • “If it was meant to be, it will happen.”

• Realizing our one thing requires that we prioritize and eliminate. As such, we will need to:
  • Neglect or do just adequate work on other tasks of lower priority.
    • “Focusing on one thing has a guaranteed consequence: other things don’t get done.”
  • Constantly say “No” to less important items and requests.

• In conclusion, “success is an inside job.”
  • It is on us to determine our one thing.
  • It is on us to create the habits and avoid the distractions and realize our one thing.
  • It is on us to get started today.