The importance of only doing one thing
We like being busy. So, what do we do? We overwhelm ourselves so we can feel like we’re being productive. But, what happens next is the feeling of being over-burdened and anxious because we have way too much on our plate.
When it comes to getting better at anything and staying productive, there’s an effective overarching strategy that we can use — and that’s to only do one thing at a time.
When we do only one thing, we are picking the most important task and using our creativity and energy to attack it from different angles. We ponder and wrestle with this one task, and as a result, we synthesize some tough concepts into actionable processes.
The illusion of multitasking
We have the illusion of being able to multitask when we’re driving and talking, making pancakes and drinking our coffee, or walking our dog and using our mobile device.
But, the science is in: our brain doesn’t do two tasks simultaneously, instead, it rapidly switches focus and energy to each task. This is fine for doing simple and habitual things, but this constant switching drains precious energy and focus when we’re juggling difficult and complex tasks — leaving us at a disadvantage to do our best work.
Be intentionally myopic
Doing the one important thing is not easy, because we have to think, plan and organise ourselves to be able to execute our task.
It becomes more tricky when we have to avoid incoming distractions and learn how to make necessary sacrifices. The goal is to be intentionally myopic — no other task matters until we finish our one important thing.
For us to be able to only focus on one thing means that this ONE thing has to be something that is pivotal for success in our career, business or life. This is not a small thing — it’s one BIG thing!
For example:
1) Getting a payrise
If you want a pay rise, then make that your one thing. Work hard at collecting all the evidence that you’re a valuable asset to your boss, measure your contributions, settle on a number, practice some negotiation tactics and then, actually book the meeting with your boss to execute your goal.2) Increasing revenue for your busiess
If you’re a business owner, and you want to increase revenue, think really hard about the one area where you can invest your time and effort that will pay off the most. You may find that referrals are getting you most of your growth, so really make it a point to delight your current customers and set up incentives so that they can easily refer you to their friends.
I’ll say it again, doing the ONE thing is not easy. It takes real dedication and disciple. But the payoff is that you’ll leave no stone unturned in a specific area, and you be engaging in the activities that actually increase your capital; whether that’s for your career, work or life.
Only do the thing that increases your capital
Doing the ONE thing is not some new business philosophy — it relies heavily on science. Specifically, the Pareto Principle.
The Pareto Principle states that roughly 80% of the results will come from roughly 20% of the causes.
This can actually be measured. Even in a successful organisation, 80% of the productivity comes from 20% of the people. 20% of the trees in an orchard will produce 80% of the apples, and 80% of all the light in our solar system comes from 20% of the stars in it.
“How we phrase the questions we ask ourselves determines the answers that eventually become our life.” — Gary Keller
A little discipline in focusing on our ONE thing goes a long way in helping us get to our ultimate goal. It transforms us from being reactive to being purposeful with our time and energy. It lets us take real ownership of our journey toward success.
So, think hard about your ONE thing, write it down and share it with a mentor or a close friend. When you write down your goals, you are 39.5% more likely to succeed, and when you tell a trusted person who’s agreed to hold you accountable, you are 76.7% chance more likely to succeed.
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