Lies, Truth, and Extraordinary Results—The ONE Thing Book Review

With a title that sounds like marketing jargon, I was unsure what to expect from The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results. Written by Gary Keller with Jay Papasan, the book promises to explain how to “overcome the six lies that block our success, beat the seven thieves that steal time, and leverage the laws of purpose, priority, and productivity.” My skepticism waned as I flew through the pages, nodding along with the clear and compelling points, and intrigued by the easy-to-digest research.

The opening pages share the Russian proverb, “If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one,” a fitting set-up for the simplistic concept that extraordinary results are directly determined by how narrow you can make your focus. Underlying this premise is the assertion that success is sequential, not simultaneous—in other words, why are we all multi-tasking so much and acting like everything is equally important?

Part One, The Lies: They Mislead and Derail Us, outlines 6 so-called lies that many of us have been socialized to believe:

1. Everything Matters Equally: The majority of what you want will come from the minority of what you do. Allow what matters most to drive your day.

2. Multitasking: Multitasking takes a toll, leading to unnecessary mistakes and stress. Though multitasking is possible, it’s never possible to do it effectively. There is only so much brain capability at any one time and when we bounce between one activity and another, we lose time as our brains reorient to the new task.

3. A Disciplined Life: Success is about doing the right thing, not about doing everything right.

4. Willpower Is Always on Will-Call: Willpower is a muscle that gets tired and needs rest. When our willpower is low, we tend to fall back on our default settings.

5. A Balanced Life: What appears to be a state of balance is actually an act of balancing. When you change your language from balancing to prioritizing, you see your choices more clearly. Let the right things take precedence when they should and get to the rest when you can.

6. Big Is Bad: When we fear big, we either consciously or subconsciously work against it. We either run toward lesser outcomes and opportunities or we simply run from the big ones. Only living big will let you experience your true life and work potential.

It’s not that we have too little time to do all the things we need to do, it’s that we feel the need to do too many things in the time we have.

Part Two, The Truth: The Simple Path to Productivity, centers on one key question, referred to as the focusing question:

What’s the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?

Using a theme of falling dominoes, the focusing question is designed to be your exclusive focus until you knock over the first domino. Hiding behind this first domino is a line of dominoes either ready to fall or already down. The focusing question is powerful in its big-picture form (developing a vision for your life or career) and as a small-focus question (what’s my ONE thing right now?) Your big ONE thing is your purpose, and your small ONE thing is the priority you take action on to achieve it. Ask your small focusing question as you wake up and repeat it throughout the day for maximum productivity.

The final section, Extraordinary Results: Unlocking the Possibilities Within You, connects the dots between purpose, priority, and productivity while providing tactical goal setting and time blocking tips (including common productivity pitfalls in business culture). The authors explain “our purpose sets our priority, and our priority determines the productivity our actions produce” or re-stated, “who we are and where we want to go determine what we do and what we accomplish.”

Do the 4 thieves of productivity resonate with you?

1. Inability to Say “No”: When you say yes to something, it’s imperative that you understand what you’re saying no to.
2. Fear of chaos: Focusing on ONE thing has a guaranteed consequence: other things don’t get done. When you strive for greatness, chaos is guaranteed to show up.
3. Poor Health Habits: When we keep borrowing against our future by poorly protecting our energy, there is a predictable outcome of either slowly running out of gas or prematurely crashing and burning.
4. Environment Doesn’t Support Your Goals: Attitude is contagious; it spreads easily. No one succeeds alone and no one fails alone. Pay attention to the people around you.

Bookending the opening proverb, the final chapter closes with the Chinese proverb “To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping.” In the authors terms “extraordinary results require you to go small”—look for the domino that will start toppling the others. Perhaps easier said than done, but a straightforward and motivational way to take the next step.

My initial notion that the book was akin to a get rich quick scheme or the latest diet fad tips in a magazine had already dissipated by the time I reached the final section where I was happily surprised to find the authors advocate for coaching. Citing research on elite performers vs. amateurs and explaining that “accountability partners aren’t cheerleaders, but they can lift you up,” Keller encourages coaching to help you with your commitment to your ONE thing, summarizing their big idea with “Find a coach. You’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who achieves extraordinary results without one.”

If you’re considering retaining a coach and would like to discuss your goals, please e-mail me directly at Alisa@CloseCohen.com.