Part 9 (2/2)

I first heard this innocent narrative when I was a teenager and I've never been able to shake it. It became a tale I continually retell in my head, and ultimately a central theme in my life. What struck me isn't the apparent issue with life balance the father had, though I certainly got that. What grabbed me and stuck with me was the inspired solution of the son. He cracked a deeper code: a simple and more straightforward approach to life. A starting point for any challenge we face personally or professionally. The ONE Thing we must all understand if we are to achieve extraordinary results at our highest level possible. Undoubtedly. Unquestionably.

Success is an inside job.

Put yourself together, and your world falls into place. When you bring purpose to your life, know your priorities, and achieve high productivity on the priority that matters most every day, your life makes sense and the extraordinary becomes possible.

All success in life starts within you. You know what to do. You know how to do it. Your next step is simple.

You are the first domino.

PUTTING THE ONE THING TO WORK.

”In delay there lies no plenty.”

-William Shakespeare So what now?

You've read the book. You get it. You're ready to experience extraordinary results in your life. So, what do you do? How do you tap into The ONE Thing in the most powerful way? Let's revisit the heart of the book and look at ways you can put The ONE Thing to work right now.

For brevity's sake, I'll shorten the Focusing Question, so be sure to add ”... such that by doing it everything will be easier or unnecessary?” at the end of each question!

YOUR PERSONAL LIFE.

Let the ONE Thing bring clarity to the key areas of your life. Here's a short sampling.

What's the ONE Thing I can do this week to discover or affirm my life's purpose... ?

What's the ONE Thing I can do in 90 days to get in the physical shape I want... ?

What's the ONE Thing I can do today to strengthen my spiritual faith... ?

What's the ONE Thing I can do to find time to practice the guitar 20 minutes a day... ? Knock five strokes off my golf game in 90 days... ? Learn to paint in six months... ?

YOUR FAMILY.

Use the ONE Thing with your family for fun and rewarding experiences. Here are some options.

What's the ONE Thing we can do this week to improve our marriage... ?

What's the ONE Thing we can do every week to spend more quality family time together... ?

What's the ONE Thing we can do tonight to support our kid's schoolwork... ?

What's the ONE Thing we can do to make our next vacation the best ever... ? Our next Christmas the best ever... ? Thanksgiving the best ever... ?

Please know that these are simply examples. If they apply to you personally then great. If not, then use them to prompt you to discover what areas you might explore that matter to you.

And don't forget time blocking. Time block with yourself to make sure the things that matter get done and the activities that matter get mastered. In some cases, you'll want to block time to find your answer and, other times you'll just need to block time to implement it.

Now, let's go to work and see how you might take the power of the ONE Thing with you.

YOUR JOB.

Put the ONE Thing to work taking your professional life to the next level. Here's a few ways to get started.

What's the ONE Thing I can do today to complete my current project ahead of schedule... ?

What's the ONE Thing I can do this month to produce better work... ?

What's the ONE Thing I can do before my next review to get the raise I want... ?

What's the ONE Thing I can do everyday to finish my work and still get home on time... ?

YOUR WORK TEAM.

Pull the ONE Thing into your work with others. Whether you're a manager, executive, or even a business owner, bring ONE Thing thinking into your everyday work situations to drive productivity upward. Here are some scenarios to consider.

In any meeting ask, ”What's the ONE Thing we can accomplish in this meeting and end early... ?

In building your team ask, What's the ONE Thing I can do in the next six months to find and develop incredible talent... ?

In planning for the next month, year, or five years ask, What's the ONE Thing we can do right now to accomplish our goals ahead of schedule and under budget... ?

In your department or at the highest company level ask, What's the ONE Thing we can do in the next 90 days to create a ONE Thing culture... ?

Again, these are merely examples to get you thinking about the possibilities. And, just as in your personal life, once you've decided what matters most, professional time blocking becomes your way of making sure it gets done. At work, this is usually about either a short-term project you must complete or an ongoing long-term activity you're committed to doing repeatedly. No matter, an appointment with yourself is the surest path to ensuring you achieve extraordinary results.

Casual open discussions or short in-house workshops around key concepts in the book might really help everyone at work find their own understanding and get on the same page.

If implementing the ONE Thing in an area requires you to involve others, consider getting them their own copy of the book. Sharing your ahas is a great start and you may be happily surprised with the insights you get back when others have a chance to read the book on their own.

Keep in mind that it takes more than reading the book and a few conversations or mentions in a meeting to make The ONE Thing a new habit in your life or in the lives of those around you. You know from reading the book that it takes on average 66 days to create a new habit, so approach this accordingly. To ignite your life you must focus on ONE Thing long enough for it to catch fire.

Let's look at a few other areas where The ONE Thing might make a real difference.

YOUR NON-PROFIT.

What's the ONE Thing we can do to fund our annual financial needs... ? Serve twice as many people... ? Double our number of volunteers... ?

YOUR SCHOOL.

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