(Book) The ONE Thing

Create an ambitious timeboxed ONE Thing goal.  View this goal as a giant dominio that needs to be knocked down. Stack smaller and smaller dominos in front of it, to help knock it down.  Apply the 80/20 rule and align your lifestyle to make this a reality. 

Use this mantra:
"What's the ONE Thing I can do in the next X time such that by doing it will make everything else easier or unecessary" 

Part 1

  • Narrow your focus and keep hacking away at the small things till the bigger thing start to fall like dominoes
  • Attempting to much waters down focus and get you weak results. It also leads to unhappiness
  • Todo lists are filled with unimportant stuff. Do the 20% that gets you 80%. Now take those 20% of tasks and do your one thing from it. That’s the level of focus we need.
  • Don’t multitask. It doesn’t work and makes you unhappy
  • Choose habits over discipline because willpower runs out over the course of a day.
  • A balanced life does not lead to good results. You need to swinger harder between them. The magic happens when you've neglected life for work and also happens when you’ve neglected your for life.
  • However.. The author has a diagram of “counter balancing”. Swing hard with work then slack off. However those important things with the family, like tucking a child in at night, don’t let that go. You can’t have that back. Keep consistent with those things.
  • Big goals need big actions. Think of big actions you can take.

Part 2:

  • When you start to doubt your discipline, you might be loosing focus and taking on too many other things
  • If you want an uncommon life, seek an uncommon approach to living it
  • What’s the one thing I can do such by doing it everything else is easy or unnecessary
  • The mantra above helps you find your first domino. When the dominos start to fall the compound in strength. Use it for all aspects of life
  • Be big and specific and stretch. “What’s the one thing I can do to double sales in six months such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary” Make your purpose your propriety for productivity and profit Don’t fall into an achieve and acquire loop. Purpose helps solve the bottomless pit of looking for achievement (I’m an inventor. The ability to build and create the way I want to would be a dream. A few months to build that diy computer)

Part 3:

  • Purpose and priority need to be combined!
  • Start with a someday goal and work backward “what’s the one thing in 10 years, 5 years, 1 year, 6 months, 1 month, this week, today
  • The above principle _is_ the dominoes
  • Block time for your one thing. Like 4 hours a day at a time. Time block this.
  • Stephen king writes in the morning. Takes a nap then reads in the evening. Damn that sounds amazing. Does he get to do it because he’s Stephen King, or is he Stephen king because he does it. (Man.. I need to find a work from home job. Give myself time to get that part of my life back on track)
  • Accept you are on a path to mastering your one thing. Seek to do things the absolute best way. Don’t blame your circumstances for your lack of ability
  • Productivity Thieves
    • Can’t say no
    • Fear of chaos
    • Poor health habits
    • Environment doesn’t support your goals 
  • Fear of chaos: the things you’ve said no to will get crazy and messy as you pursue you’re one thing
  • Get people and env in alignment with your goals. (Quiet garage, Ciara in support)

See last chapter of book for ONE Thing examples. This is a bad example, but it illustrates how bigger goals, require bigger action. That's why shooting high is important.

  • What's the one thing I can do to bench press 200lb in shape in 1 year
    • Start working out
  • What's the one thing I can do to bench press 200lb in shape in 90 days
    • Start going to they gym twice a day
  • What's the one thing I can do to bench press 200lb in shape in 30 days
    • Quit my job, take steriods and live in the gym