There is a very effective way to increase your productivity and achieve extraordinary results: focusing on the activities that really matter and persisting in your goals. This is the premise of the book "The One Thing", written by the authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.

After reading this, you will have another perspective on efficiency, and you will understand how what we consider simple will be decisive in your career, personal life, finances and spirituality.

Your starting point in any area of life can transform your days, months and years. Want to know how? So come on!

About the book "The One Thing"

Suitable for those who seek more results in all areas of life through focus, the book "The One Thing" has 183 pages and three parts.

Authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan use dominoes to simplify what their next steps should look like.

The work was a bestseller in the year of release and appeared on the most important lists in the world, among them the newspapers "The New York Times", "Usa Today" and "The Wall Street Journal", the most respected investment daily of America.

Here, you will learn that focusing on too much does not bring extraordinary results. The presented method teaches you to knock down one domino at a time and to give your maximum in each one.

This is a process that seems to be slower, but that will help you get results faster, through good decisions.

About the authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

Gary Keller is an American and owns the largest real estate company in the world. His parents were teachers, which gave him the ability to teach. To date, he has published four books that have sold millions of copies worldwide, all of which are bestsellers.

Jay Papasan is Gary Keller's partner on other bestsellers. Also a real estate entrepreneur, he was named as one of the most powerful people in the business.

To whom is this book indicated?

The book, "The One Thing", is suitable for people in leadership positions, entrepreneurs, financial investors and entrepreneurs who are just starting out.

If you want to double results by doing simple and quick things, this work is for you!

Main Ideas of the book "The One Thing"

The one thing can be a person, a situation, a product. Focus on it;
Equality is a lie; in your priorities, not everything deserves the same attention;
Simplicity in actions brings great results; the more useless tasks you put on a list, the more useful ones are left behind;
Apply your willpower consciously; if you try hard not to eat something you like for lunch, for example, you will lose energy when you use that force in something really important;
Goals are like dominoes: imagine in the game, where each piece has the strength to knock down the other; this is how we achieve small goals to reach the biggest of all;
Partnering with a coach helps you be accountable for your goals and not a victim of circumstances such as business crises.

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Overview: The focus of the book requires your focus!

In the view of authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, finding your first and only goal will guide you to great achievements: double results, be promoted and become a better person.

It all started when Gary Keller, the writer, stepped down as CEO of the real estate company and delegated the roles he had to fourteen employees. He guided new employees to focus on one goal at a time, which he did not do as head of the company.

The company doubled the results, Gary had more quality of life, since he decided to focus on himself first. He describes how he did what had to be done, even though it was painful.

The domino game is one of the symbols of the work "The One Thing": the fall of the pieces represented as completion of objectives, one at a time, without haste.

Overview: The lies that tell us and keep us from success

In the first part of the book "The One Thing", authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan highlight the six lies that separate him from success:

Everything has the same value and requires focus proportionally;
Multitasking people are successful;
Discipline in all areas of life;
Willpower never passes;
Balance is everything;
Big dreams are not for everyone.

Equality in priorities

In several charts, authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan show the concept of the "80/20 principle". Little effort, and a lot of results. That's right!

Set your goals, but apply the smallest forces to those that matter most. Investing in the right thing, even for a short time, generates the most results.

In your to-do list, define what you can do and what you MUST do. The obligation to perform reduces the path to the goal.

Trying to do everything at once

Tasks done at the same time do not mean tasks delivered masterfully. A natural feeling that goes through the minds of many professionals is that the more work I can do in less time, the more recognition I will receive. Wrong!

The book, "The One Thing", highlights how distractions in an office are considered work and move us away from the real goal. We have the impression of dominance, but we're just going crazy and sharing the attention.

The work that will lead you to the dream deserves respect. Respect it!

Discipline in life

For authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, it takes a few days for a discipline to become a habit. When you start doing the right thing, the chances of targeting the target increase and success becomes routine in decisions.

Full-time willpower

Many people have a habit of complicating things. How many times have we chosen the most complex path, thinking that we will be rewarded for so much effort in the end? During this process, we apply a lot of our energy.

Gary Keller and Jay Papasan describe this wear and tear and point out that it can take our energy and focus away from what is really important, which puts an end to our willpower when it is needed.

And it is not always at our disposal. To prove this, a peculiar test is applied to prove our notion of effort and reward. Do you have the capacity to wait a considerable time for what you dream?

The tip of the book, "The One Thing", is to choose the best time to produce with willpower. In this chapter, good ideas guide the reader to divide their routine well and have high productivity. The authors point out what may be taking away your willpower and you don't even notice.

Balance is paramount

The book, "The One Thing", disagrees with the importance of a balance in life. The authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan treat it as one of the lies that have been passed on and we believe, making important decisions based on a concept that for them is boring.

The idea is that each thing needs to have its time, and some spend more than others, so balancing is impossible. Choose what matters most and devote most of your time to it.

Thinking big is bad

Keller and Papasan point out that great achievements take a lot of time, and that is where many give up. The authors break this myth.

With thinking in the right place and carrying out short and important activities, the results progress easily. Everything has to do with what these dreams can make you in the present and in the future.

Dreaming about the right thing is the first step towards big decisions. They'll laugh at you, but you'll see who gets there first. Do not limit yourself to what is in front of you and imagine, every day, who you will be here for some time. Have goals and don't care about failures.

Overview: The simple path to productivity

Success comes from certainty. And one of them is to understand that the place where you are now is necessary.

For authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, the one thing is a simple truth that is there, waiting to be discovered. Connect the dots, separate your time well!

The blocks of time

The tip of the book, "The One Thing", is to separate your days into blocks, and during those hours give your maximum productivity to build your dream. Take that time off to your goal, but also relax at other times.

Create in one period, run and review in another. Organization is everything! Take a spreadsheet or a calendar and learn to divide your days with important goals.

According to authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, it is like magic to masterfully reach your goal. When defining your time blocks, protect them!

Don't let anything take you out of focus while working at the time you set. Respect yourself and the time you have stipulated to reach your goal. There are three commitments to your ONE THING:

Follow the path of mastery;
Change from "E" to "P" (from Entrepreneur to Purposeful);
Live the accountability cycle.

The Entrepreneur mode corresponds to the natural way of performing tasks, while the Proposital mode is related to improving the execution of the task. "How can I do better?" is the question that guides the "P" mode.

The focus questions

Authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan bring secrets from years of research. For them, just one question can change their entire performance and arrive at the right answer. In this chapter, you will discover what is your only attitude that will transform all others.

A model, like a mantra, will be presented to the reader. According to the book "The One Thing", the "focus questions" can be applied in all areas of life: finance, work, spirituality, business, relationships and health:

"For my business... . what is the one thing I can do to improve my business?"

Exchange the last words, and discover the formulas.

Overview: Revealing the possibilities within you

Is your priority taking you to the finish line of success today?

In this excerpt, Keller & Papasan compare whether your priority is matching your productivity.

Intention, priority, and productivity are pillars aimed at achieving above average results. If this were a mountain, the peak would be your productivity and base, how much you want to do the ONE THING. Halfway is how much you put it first in your life.

Live with intention

It all starts with the desire to do something. From will comes action, which determines productivity.

Some challenges happen along the way, when our thirst to conquer is never enough and becomes a "bottomless basket": the more we supply, the more we want. So, intend to be happy first. The feeling appears on the way.

Live with priority

For authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, there will always be what you must do. This answer will guide you to your one thing. Prioritize what is really important to your goal.

Desires and dreams without priority are not fulfilled. Don't waste time and reduce your goals now, think about a good deadline, and they will work together. Use focus questions and dates to meet your goals.

The book's advice, "The One Thing", is:

"Connect yours always with all your tomorrows."

After that, the last step is to write and always remember your answers: your present and future.

Live with productivity

Do not confuse productivity with multitasking. Being a high-income person involves focusing on one thing at a time, and each thing becomes SINGLE. Total focus, extraordinary results.

The four thieves

For the authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, we are robbed daily by these four thieves:

Inability to say no: there is no way to please everyone, so you will always be someone's no. Learn to deny what will not help you;
Fear of Chaos: there will be confusion during your journey. But fear not! It's required for learning and you'll get stronger at the finish line;
Poor habits and health: you need the energy to have the spirit and willpower to focus on the right thing. If you don't take care of your body and soul, you will be robbed halfway through weakness, moodiness, illness;
The environment doesn't support your goals: ignore distractions. If to achieve your dream you need to be in a place with bitter and unhappy people, do not get contaminated! Escape from this thief by focusing on the ONE thing.

The journey

Think of the grand life you want. After viewing, your one thing will start to appear. Imagine your salary tripled and focus on that.

One piece of advice from the book, "The One Thing", is not to live a life of regret until your one thing has arrived. Don't be the person who "wanted" or "would" do that, do it and want it now!

Success starts from the inside out. You are your first domino to start the journey. Knocking down your useless wills, the strength for what matters is inevitable.

What do other authors say about it?

In the book "Focus", Daniel Goleman argues that practice only brings you closer to perfection if done intelligently, if the person practicing it takes this time to make adjustments and improvements. How much attention you pay during practice is crucial.

In "Deep Work", author Cal Newport presents the benefits of acquiring work focused on activities that require a lot of concentration, as it is something valuable that will help you achieve success in life.

Finally, in the book "The Secret to Peak Productivity", author Tamara Myles presents the "Maximum Productivity Pyramid" system, which teaches you how to organize from the space you work in until you know how to decide what is most important, and how to get closer to your life goals.

Okay, but how can I apply this to my life?

Start by abandoning certain ideas you have about what is a successful routine. Not always who is multitasking or who has a life that seems balanced will have the best results;
Apply little effort to great things;
Discover your dominoes that need to be knocked down every day;
Useless tasks being completed delay the completion of important goals; set priorities and second places in your life;
You will not always have the willpower when you feel that you are with it, use it for big goals;
Create your time block; set aside key times to work on your one thing and protect those moments without interruption;
Be responsible for your decisions;
Ask, every day, the focus questions for the areas of your life;
Use the pillars of intention, priority, and productivity;
Dodge the robbers who steal your energy;
Define your purpose first of all.

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The One Thing - Gary Keller, Jay Papasan

Focusing on one goal at a time changes your life and can double your results. See in this summary how simplifying the routine should accelerate the achievement of success.