# The ONE Thing
## Metadata
- Author: [[Gary Keller, Jay Papasan]]
- Full Title: The ONE Thing
- Category: #books
## Highlights
- You stick to that and everything else don’t mean sh*t. ([Location 55](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=55))
- I wasn’t focused enough. ([Location 73](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=73))
- “What’s the ONE Thing you can do this week such that by doing it everything else would be easier or unnecessary?” ([Location 82](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=82))
- Go small. ([Location 90](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=90))
- extraordinary results are directly determined by how narrow you can make your focus. ([Location 93](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=93))
- they get lost trying to do too much and in the end accomplish too little. ([Location 96](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=96))
- When you go as small as possible, you’ll be staring at one thing. ([Location 104](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=104))
- domino falls could not only topple many things, they could also topple bigger things. ([Location 115](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=115))
- every day they line up their priorities anew, ([Location 133](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=133))
- extraordinary success is sequential, not simultaneous. ([Location 134](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=134))
- ONE PRODUCT, ONE SERVICE ([Location 146](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=146))
- Google. Their ONE Thing is search, ([Location 151](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=151))
- “What’s our ONE Thing?” ([Location 157](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=157))
- If today your company doesn’t know what its ONE Thing is, then the company’s ONE Thing is to find out. ([Location 165](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=165))
- Tags: [[blue]]
- No one is self-made. ([Location 175](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=175))
- ONE PASSION, ONE SKILL ([Location 186](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=186))
- a nagging sense that we attempt too much and accomplish too little haunts our days. ([Location 234](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=234))
- The ONE Thing sits at the heart of success and is the starting point for achieving extraordinary results. ([Location 238](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=238))
- The problem is we tend to act on what we believe even when what we believe isn’t anything we should. ([Location 258](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=258))
- THE SIX LIES BETWEEN YOU AND SUCCESS ([Location 275](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=275))
- Everything Matters Equally ([Location 276](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=276))
- A Disciplined Life ([Location 277](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=277))
- A Balanced Life ([Location 277](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=277))
- Equality is a lie. ([Location 288](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=288))
- how do you decide what to do first? ([Location 290](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=290))
- more piled on that we believe “simply must get done.” ([Location 294](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=294))
- When everything feels urgent and important, everything seems equal. ([Location 299](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=299))
- Knocking out a hundred tasks for whatever the reason is a poor substitute for doing even one task that’s meaningful. ([Location 304](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=304))
- Tags: [[orange]]
- though lists are invaluable, they have a dark side. ([Location 310](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=310))
- Achievers operate differently. They have an eye for the essential. ([Location 316](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=316))
- Tags: [[orange]]
- allow what matters to drive their day. ([Location 317](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=317))
- Achievers always work from a clear sense of priority. ([Location 318](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=318))
- To-do lists inherently lack the intent of success. ([Location 320](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=320))
- Tags: [[orange]]
- Instead of a to-do list, you need a success list— ([Location 323](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=323))
- To-do lists tend to be long; success lists are short. ([Location 324](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=324))
- Tags: [[orange]]
- how does a successful person turn a to-do list into a success list? ([Location 327](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=327))
- handful of flaws would usually produce a majority of the defects. ([Location 340](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=340))
- Pareto’s Principle, it turns out, is as real as the law of gravity, ([Location 345](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=345))
- Selected effort creates almost all of the rewards. ([Location 350](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=350))
- Note: In systems terms this is “leverage.”
- the majority of what you want will come from the minority of what you do. ([Location 353](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=353))
- A to-do list becomes a success list when you apply Pareto’s Principle to it. ([Location 358](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=358))
- A few ideas gave me most of my results. ([Location 362](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=362))
- No matter how many to-dos you start with, you can always narrow it to one. ([Location 372](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=372))
- continue until you get to the single most important thing! ([Location 374](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=374))
- Go small. ([Location 393](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=393))
- Go extreme. ([Location 395](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=395))
- Say no. ([Location 396](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=396))
- say “not now” to anything else you could do until your most important work is done. ([Location 397](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=397))
- Don’t get trapped in the “check off” game. ([Location 398](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=398))
- success is found in doing what matters most. ([Location 401](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=401))
- doing the most important thing is always the most important thing. ([Location 402](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=402))
- high multitaskers are suckers for irrelevancy.” ([Location 412](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=412))
- “Multitaskers were just lousy at everything.” ([Location 414](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=414))
- multitasking is neither efficient nor effective. ([Location 419](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=419))
- “Multitasking is merely the opportunity to screw up more than one thing at a time.” ([Location 424](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=424))
- like computers, what we can’t do is focus on two things at once. ([Location 435](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=435))
- 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. ([Location 441](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=441))
- juggling isn’t multitasking. ([Location 460](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=460))
- “task switching.” ([Location 462](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=462))
- It always takes some time to start a new task and restart the one you quit, ([Location 467](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=467))
- there’s no guarantee that you’ll ever pick up exactly where you left off. ([Location 467](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=467))
- Task switching exacts a cost few realize they’re even paying. ([Location 470](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=470))
- Multitasking doesn’t save time —it wastes time. ([Location 472](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=472))
- Our brain has channels, ([Location 474](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=474))
- you can’t focus effectively on two things at once. ([Location 478](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=478))
- Every time we try to do two or more things at once, we’re simply dividing up our focus and dumbing down all of the outcomes in the process. ([Location 490](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=490))
- Chronic multitaskers develop a distorted sense of how long it takes to do things. ([Location 495](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=495))
- distracted driving is responsible for 16 percent of all traffic fatalities ([Location 506](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=506))
- Distraction is natural. ([Location 525](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=525))
- Multitasking takes a toll. ([Location 526](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=526))
- Distraction undermines results. ([Location 528](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=528))
- we don’t need any more discipline than we already have. We just need to direct and manage it a little better. ([Location 536](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=536))
- Success is actually a short race— ([Location 539](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=539))
- we need the habit of doing it. And we need just enough discipline to build the habit. ([Location 541](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=541))
- regularly working at something until it regularly works for you. ([Location 544](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=544))
- trained a handful of habits into their lives. ([Location 546](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=546))
- success is about doing the right thing, not about doing everything right. ([Location 551](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=551))
- be a person who used selected discipline to build a powerful habit. ([Location 555](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=555))
- a person of selected discipline. ([Location 566](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=566))
- swimming daily. ([Location 570](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=570))
- Note: Or writing daily.
- When you do the right thing, it can liberate you from having to monitor everything. ([Location 573](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=573))
- habits are hard only in the beginning. ([Location 578](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=578))
- Habits require much less energy and effort to maintain than to begin ([Location 579](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=579))
- it takes an average of 66 days to acquire a new habit. ([Location 588](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=588))
- fewer hours watching TV; ([Location 594](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=594))
- doing the most important thing regularly and, as a result, everything else is easier. ([Location 596](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=596))
- Don’t be a disciplined person. ([Location 598](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=598))
- Build one habit at a time. ([Location 599](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=599))
- Give each habit enough time. ([Location 602](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=602))
- 66 days ([Location 602](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=602))
- The ability to control oneself to determine one’s actions is a pretty powerful idea. ([Location 618](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=618))
- “The Marshmallow Test.” ([Location 634](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=634))
- “high delayers” ([Location 647](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=647))
- “low delayers” ([Location 649](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=649))
- Note: High time preference.
- willpower is a timing issue. ([Location 653](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=653))
- The more we use our mind, the less minding power we have. ([Location 669](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=669))
- willpower is a mental muscle that doesn’t bounce back quickly. If you employ it for one task, there will be less power available for the next unless you refuel. ([Location 688](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=688))
- When our willpower runs out, we all revert to our default settings. ([Location 704](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=704))
- You make doing what matters most a priority when your willpower is its highest. ([Location 718](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=718))
- do your most important work—your ONE Thing—early, ([Location 729](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=729))
- Don’t spread your willpower too thin. ([Location 733](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=733))
- Monitor your fuel gauge. ([Location 734](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=734))
- Time your task. ([Location 736](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=736))
- Willpower ([Location 738](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=738))
- when you use it first on what matters most, you can always count on it. ([Location 738](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=738))
- A balanced life is a lie. ([Location 748](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=748))
- Balance doesn’t exist. ([Location 751](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=751))
- Purpose, meaning, significance—these are what make a successful life. ([Location 753](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=753))
- The problem with living in the middle is that it prevents you from making ([Location 781](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=781))
- extraordinary time commitments to anything. ([Location 781](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=781))
- In your effort to attend to all things, everything gets shortchanged ([Location 782](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=782))
- magic happens at the extremes. ([Location 787](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=787))
- Just like playing to the middle, playing to the extremes is the kind of middle mismanagement that plays out all the time. ([Location 795](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=795))
- if achieving balance is a lie, then what do you do? Counterbalance. ([Location 818](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=818))
- Counterbalancing done well gives the illusion of balance. ([Location 822](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=822))
- when you focus on what is truly important, something will always be underserved. ([Location 825](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=825))
- Counterbalancing is not only about your sense of well-being, it’s essential to your being well. ([Location 832](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=832))
- To achieve an extraordinary result you must choose what matters most and give it all the time it demands. ([Location 836](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=836))
- Your personal life requires tight counterbalancing. ([Location 841](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=841))
- When you change your language from balancing to prioritizing, ([Location 852](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=852))
- When you act on your priority, you’ll automatically go out of balance, ([Location 854](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=854))
- giving more time to one thing over another. ([Location 854](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=854))
- how long you stay on your priority. ([Location 855](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=855))
- When you’re supposed to be working, work, and when you’re supposed to be playing, play. ([Location 857](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=857))
- Think about two balancing buckets. ([Location 861](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=861))
- Counterbalance your work bucket. ([Location 862](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=862))
- disproportionate time to your ONE Thing and will throw the rest of your work day, week, month, and year continually out of balance. ([Location 863](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=863))
- Counterbalance your personal life bucket. ([Location 866](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=866))
- This requires constant awareness. You must never go too long or too far without counterbalancing them so that they are all active areas of your life. ([Location 868](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=868))
- megaphobia— ([Location 888](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=888))
- Historically, we’ve done a remarkably poor job of estimating our limits. ([Location 893](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=893))
- go big. ([Location 900](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=900))
- you wouldn’t want to limit yourself. ([Location 900](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=900))
- Sabeer’s success was directly related to his ability to think big. ([Location 908](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=908))
- Thinking big is essential to extraordinary results. ([Location 914](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=914))
- Think as big as you possibly can and base what you do, how you do it, and who you do it with on succeeding at that level. ([Location 927](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=927))
- Asking big questions can be daunting. ([Location 946](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=946))
- Achievement and abundance show up because they’re the natural outcomes of doing the right things with no limits attached. ([Location 967](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=967))
- Don’t fear big. Fear mediocrity. Fear waste. ([Location 968](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=968))
- Think big. ([Location 973](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=973))
- Don’t order from the menu. ([Location 976](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=976))
- “saw things differently” ([Location 978](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=978))
- “People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the only ones who do.” ([Location 980](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=980))
- Act bold. ([Location 981](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=981))
- Don’t fear failure. ([Location 984](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=984))
- we fail our way ([Location 987](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=987))
- to success. ([Location 987](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=987))
- clench my way to success. ([Location 1000](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1000))
- we usually succeed in spite of most of what we do, not because of it. ([Location 1021](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1021))
- success comes down to this: being appropriate in the moments of your life. ([Location 1023](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1023))
- “This is where I’m meant to be right now, doing exactly what I’m doing,” ([Location 1024](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1024))
- ONE Thing is the surprisingly simple truth behind extraordinary results. ([Location 1026](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1026))
- great secret— ([Location 1035](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1035))
- concentrate your energy, thought and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged. ([Location 1035](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1035))
- The Focusing Question. ([Location 1041](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1041))
- The secret of getting ahead is getting started. ([Location 1042](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1042))
- The Focusing Question. ([Location 1044](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1044))
- the wrong first step begins a journey that could end as far as two thousand miles from where they want to be. ([Location 1048](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1048))
- quality of any answer is directly determined by the quality of the question. ([Location 1051](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1051))
- Voltaire once wrote, “Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.” ([Location 1053](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1053))
- To get the answers we seek, we have to invent the right questions— ([Location 1075](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1075))
- (What must I do right now to be on the path to getting the big picture? ([Location 1083](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1083))
- big your life can be and just how small you must go to get there. ([Location 1084](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1084))
- map for the big picture and a compass for your smallest next move. ([Location 1085](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1085))
- keep asking the Focusing Question. ([Location 1091](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1091))
- Ask it again and again, ([Location 1092](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1092))
- setting yourself up to accomplish one task on top of another. ([Location 1093](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1093))
- “What’s the ONE Thing I can do / such that by doing it / everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” ([Location 1097](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1097))
- You’re allowed to pick one thing and one thing only. ([Location 1102](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1102))
- “can do,” ([Location 1103](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1103))
- Action you “can do” beats intention every time. ([Location 1105](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1105))
- a criterion your answer must meet. ([Location 1109](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1109))
- specific purpose. ([Location 1109](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1109))
- “Everything else will be easier or unnecessary” is the ultimate leverage test. ([Location 1113](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1113))
- Most people struggle to comprehend how many things don’t need to be done, ([Location 1115](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1115))
- declutter your life ([Location 1116](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1116))
- find the ([Location 1118](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1118))
- first domino and focus on it ([Location 1118](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1118))
- Great questions are the path to great answers. ([Location 1121](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1121))
- big picture and small focus. ([Location 1124](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1124))
- Use this when you first wake up and throughout the day. ([Location 1129](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1129))
- the Focusing Question is the ultimate success habit for your life. ([Location 1134](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1134))
- the Focusing Question is the most powerful success habit we can have. ([Location 1141](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1141))
- What’s the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary? ([Location 1144](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1144))
- continue to ask it until I can see the connections ([Location 1145](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1145))
- you’ll develop your own sense of when to use the big-picture question and when to use the small-focus question. ([Location 1147](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1147))
- reframe the Focusing Question by inserting your area of focus. ([Location 1154](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1154))
- time frame—such as “right now” or “this year”— ([Location 1155](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1155))
- So how do you make The ONE Thing part of your daily routine? ([Location 1184](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1184))
- Understand and believe it. ([Location 1186](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1186))
- Use it. ([Location 1188](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1188))
- “What’s the ONE Thing I can do today for [whatever you want] such that by doing it everything else will be easier or even unnecessary?” ([Location 1189](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1189))
- Make it a habit. ([Location 1191](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1191))
- this will take about 66 days. ([Location 1192](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1192))
- Leverage reminders. ([Location 1194](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1194))
- Set up ways to remind yourself to use the Focusing Question. ([Location 1194](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1194))
- “Until my ONE Thing is done—everything else is a distraction.” ([Location 1195](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1195))
- notes, screen savers, and calendar cues ([Location 1197](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1197))
- Recruit support. ([Location 1199](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1199))
- Share your ONE Thing. ([Location 1201](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1201))
- Quadrant 1. Big & Specific: ([Location 1235](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1235))
- Answers come in three categories: doable, stretch, and possibility. ([Location 1246](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1246))
- benchmark and trend. ([Location 1262](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1262))
- your first ONE Thing is to search for clues and role models to point you in the right direction. ([Location 1265](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1265))
- you’ll probably have to reinvent yourself in some way to implement it. ([Location 1283](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1283))
- Think big and specific. ([Location 1288](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1288))
- Think possibilities. ([Location 1292](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1292))
- Benchmark and trend for the best answer. ([Location 1295](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1295))
- purpose, priority, and productivity. ([Location 1304](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1304))
- Your big ONE Thing is your purpose ([Location 1306](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1306))
- your small ONE Thing is the priority you take action on to achieve it. ([Location 1307](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1307))
- What you see is determined by what you don’t. ([Location 1311](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1311))
- Great businesses are built one productive person at a time. ([Location 1320](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1320))
- Note: I might say, “Architecture before people.” Then one person at a time.
- Discover your purpose by asking yourself what drives you. ([Location 1449](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1449))
- Try writing down something you’d like to accomplish and then describe how you’d do it. ([Location 1453](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1453))
- think big—but go small. ([Location 1523](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1523))
- People tend to be overly optimistic about what they can accomplish, and therefore most don’t think things all the way through. ([Location 1533](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1533))
- “planning fallacy” ([Location 1534](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1534))
- There can only be ONE. ([Location 1547](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1547))
- Goal Set to the Now. ([Location 1549](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1549))
- Put pen to paper. ([Location 1551](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1551))
- Write your goals down and keep them close. ([Location 1551](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1551))
- there’s no better word than productivity to describe what you want from what you do when the outcome matters. ([Location 1565](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1565))
- Living for productivity produces extraordinary results. ([Location 1571](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1571))
- a time-managing system’s success can be judged by the productivity it produces. ([Location 1582](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1582))
- they devote maximum time to being productive on their top priority, their ONE Thing. ([Location 1588](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1588))
- I can’t use more time as my main means of doing more. ([Location 1597](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1597))
- go to your calendar and block off all the time you need to accomplish your ONE Thing. ([Location 1603](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1603))
- FIG. 28 Your ONE Thing gets the time of day it deserves! ([Location 1616](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1616))
- when you know your ONE Thing, make an appointment with yourself to tackle it. ([Location 1625](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1625))
- Time block your time off. Time block your ONE Thing. Time block your planning time. ([Location 1629](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1629))
- Resting is as important as working. ([Location 1638](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1638))
- They don’t quit until their ONE ([Location 1650](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1650))
- Thing is done. ([Location 1651](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1651))
- block four hours a day. ([Location 1655](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1655))
- No matter who you are, large time blocks work. ([Location 1673](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1673))
- For time blocks to actually block time, they must be protected. ([Location 1715](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1715))
- adopt the mindset that they can’t be moved. ([Location 1718](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1718))
- Build a bunker. ([Location 1738](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1738))
- Store provisions. ([Location 1744](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1744))
- Sweep for mines. ([Location 1746](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1746))
- Enlist support. ([Location 1747](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1747))
- Connect the dots. ([Location 1753](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1753))
- Time block your ONE Thing. ([Location 1755](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1755))
- Protect your time block at all costs. ([Location 1758](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1758))
- The people who achieve extraordinary results don’t achieve them by working more hours. They achieve them by getting more done in the hours they work. ([Location 1761](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1761))
- Time blocking is one thing; productive time blocking is another. ([Location 1762](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1762))
- time blocking requires three commitments. ([Location 1766](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1766))
- First, ([Location 1767](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1767))
- mindset of someone seeking mastery. ([Location 1767](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1767))
- Second, ([Location 1768](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1768))
- Follow the Path of Mastery Move from “E” to “P” Live the Accountability Cycle ([Location 1772](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1772))
- mastery is a way of thinking, a way of acting, and a journey you experience. ([Location 1777](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1777))
- The creativity you see at a black- belt level comes from mastery of the white-belt fundamentals. ([Location 1783](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1783))
- masters of what is behind us and apprentices for what is ahead. ([Location 1785](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1785))
- That’s the amount of time you need to time block every day for your ONE Thing. ([Location 1796](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1796))
- mastering ONE Thing serves as a platform for, and speeds up the process of, doing other things. ([Location 1804](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1804))
- the journey of the successful lifelong learner was never over. ([Location 1809](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1809))
- Time blocking is essential to mastery, ([Location 1810](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1810))
- doing it the best it can be done. ([Location 1815](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1815))
- Entrepreneurial (“E”) or Purposeful (“P”). ([Location 1818](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1818))
- natural ability has a ceiling of achievement, ([Location 1820](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1820))
- use the Focusing Question to narrow those choices down to the next thing ([Location 1857](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1857))
- Actions determine outcomes, and outcomes inform actions. ([Location 1865](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1865))
- One of the fastest ways to bring accountability to your life is to find an accountability partner. ([Location 1899](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1899))
- Commit to be your best. ([Location 1920](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1920))
- “E” to “P.” ([Location 1923](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1923))
- Note: I protest at the reference to entrepreneurs.
- Take ownership of your outcomes. ([Location 1926](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1926))
- Inability to Say “No” Fear of Chaos ([Location 1949](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1949))
- Poor Health Habits Environment Doesn’t Support Your Goals ([Location 1949](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=1949))
- It’s only when you can imagine a bigger life that you can ever hope to have one. ([Location 2172](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2172))
- The challenge is that living the largest life possible requires you not only to think big, but also to take the necessary actions to get there. ([Location 2173](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2173))
- Extraordinary results require you to go small. Getting your focus as small as possible simplifies ([Location 2174](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2174))
- When you choose a big life, by default, you’ll have to go small to get there. ([Location 2182](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2182))
- You must go small. You must find your ONE Thing. ([Location 2183](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2183))
- at any moment in time there can be only ONE Thing, ([Location 2185](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2185))
- only when you have faith in your purpose and priorities that you’ll seek out your ONE Thing. ([Location 2199](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2199))
- actually an even better reason to get up every day and take action on your ONE Thing. ([Location 2203](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2203))
- “Go live your life. Live it fully, without fear. Live with purpose, give it your all, and never give up.” ([Location 2211](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2211))
- Achievement is important, for without it you will never experience your true potential. ([Location 2212](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2212))
- live your life to minimize the regrets you might have at the end. ([Location 2223](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2223))
- Bronnie Ware’s 2012 book The Top Five Regrets of the Dying ([Location 2224](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2224))
- happiness is a choice; ([Location 2227](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2227))
- I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings— ([Location 2228](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2228))
- I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself not the life others expected of me. ([Location 2231](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2231))
- “When people look back on their lives, it is the things they have not done that generate the greatest regret.... ([Location 2234](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2234))
- So make sure every day you do what matters most. ([Location 2238](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2238))
- When you don’t know what matters most, anything makes sense. ([Location 2239](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2239))
- Put yourself together, and your world falls into place. ([Location 2268](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2268))
- All success in life starts within you. ([Location 2270](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2270))
- Focusing Question, ([Location 2278](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2278))
- it takes on average 66 days to create a new habit, ([Location 2317](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2317))
- The ONE Thing forces you to think big, work things through to create a list, ([Location 2330](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00C1BHQXK&location=2330))