The ONE Thing by Gary Keller

Back in May 2015, I signed up for a Mastermind group to help me focus on my web design business. One of the books we read as a group was The One Thing by Gary Keller, this book really helped me to focus on the important things that would push me forward.

After recently finding my notebook with a load of books reviews from way back then, I thought it was time to write up a review of The One Thing by Gary Keller, as I still use many of the techniques learned in my day-to-day work, to focus on ONE THING and get it done.

My takeaways and notes:

What’s the ONE thing you can do this week such that by doing it, everything else would b easier or unnecessary?

Going small for extraordinary results.
One purpose which ultimately gets you to the point.
Extraordinary success is sequential, not simultaneous.
The key is over time, it’s one thing at a time.
There can only be one most important thing. Many things may be important, but only one can be the most important.
Everyone has a person that means the most, influences or manages. No one succeeds alone.
You must be single-minded. Drive for the one thing on which you have decided.
Activity is often unrelated to productivity and business rarely takes care of business.

Big Ideas

Go small: Don’t focus on being busy, focus on being productive.
Go extreme: Keeping asking ‘What matters most?’, and push this to top of your success list.
Say ‘No, not now’ until the most important work is done.
Don’t get trapped in the ‘check off’ game. Just because it’s checked off, doesn’t mean it’s been a successful day. Success comes from doing the most important things.

Do not multitask – it wastes time, focus on a task in hand, which is your Primary Work.

Success is a short race, a sprint fueled by discipline, just long enough for a habit to kick in and take over.
The trick to success is to choose the right habit and bring just enough discipline to establish it.
Habits are formed in 66 days.
Do what matters most, a priority when your willpower is at its highest. Take rest in the day to restore willpower.
Purpose, Meaning, Significance: these are what makes a successful life.
Work life counterbalance: Extraordinary results at work require longer periods between counterbalancing.
Choose what matters most and give it all the time it demands.
Thinking big is essential to obtain extraordinary results.

Think Bigger + Action = Big Outcome

Big question: What is my ONE THING?
Small question: What is my ONE THING RIGHT NOW?

Until my ONE THING is done, everything else is a distraction.
The ONE THING = Extraordinary Results.
The success habit will get me to my goal.
Change ‘I’d like to do that’ to ‘How can I achieve that?’.
Happiness happens on the way to fulfillment.
Discover your BIG WHY, what is my purpose that drives me?
Pick a direction, start marching down that path. Time brings clarity.
Live with purpose, and you know where you’ll want to go.
Live by priority, and you’ll know what to do to get there.

Your BIG WHY is why you are excited with life, it’s why you’re doing what you’re doing.

Goals

Someday goal: One thing I want to do someday.
Five year goals: Based on someday goal, what’s the one thing you can do within the next 5 years to step nearer your someday goal?
One year goal: Based on your 5-year goal, what’s the one thing you can do within the next year to step nearer to your 5-year goal?
Monthly goal: Based on your 1-year goal, what’s the one thing you can do within the next month to step nearer to your 1-year goal?
Weekly goal: Based on your monthly goal, what’s the one thing you can do within the next week to step nearer to your monthly goal?
Daily goal: Based on your weekly goal, what’s the one thing you can do today to step nearer to your weekly goal?
Right now: Based on your daily goal, what’s the one thing you can do right now to step nearer to your daily goal?