Gary Keller, in his book, The One Thing asks, What’s the ONE Thing you can do this week such that by doing it everything else would be easier or unnecessary?”
Another way to say that would be: What can I do today that would either ease my load or remove the necessity to act upon other things?
Applying the principle of identifying “the one thing that, if accomplished, makes everything else easier or unnecessary” can be transformative in various aspects of professional and personal life. This principle is about finding the most impactful leverage point in any situation — the key action or change that will unlock the most value or progress. Here are some ideas on how you could apply this principle:
In Business and Work:
- Process Optimization: Identify the most time-consuming or complex process in your operations and streamline it. Automating a key workflow can often make other tasks simpler or redundant.
Example: In our team, we utilize mind maps for project planning and decision-making. This approach has transformed our meetings from being unstructured and sprawling into focused and productive sessions. For instance, a recent mind map used for developing a marketing strategy allowed us to visually organize ideas, see the relationships between different campaign elements, and identify key action items.
- Skill Development: In personal development, focus on acquiring a skill that significantly enhances your productivity or effectiveness. For example, learning advanced data analysis might make many manual reporting tasks easier.
Example: Every intern that comes to us is “invited” to take a typing course to learn old-school touch typing. They all come away with 20-30% gains on typing speed, which they can then apply to all their work for the rest of their lives.
- Hiring Key Talent: Sometimes, bringing in one highly skilled individual can transform a team’s dynamic and productivity, making other hiring needs less urgent.
Key talent is expensive. Less than stellar talent is prohibitively expensive.
- Technology Implementation: Adopt a technology solution that addresses the core bottleneck in your operations, like a CRM system that automates customer interactions, making numerous manual follow-ups unnecessary.
Example: we recently moved to a new CRM, which now automates approximately 40% of the work we used to do.
In Personal Life:
- Health and Fitness: Establishing a consistent exercise routine or a healthy diet can have cascading positive effects on energy levels, mood, and overall well-being.
Example: at ScaleYOU, we’ve implemented a 15–20-minute workout routine in our office gym. This duration is strategically chosen as it allows ample time for gradual muscle strengthening without being so lengthy that a change of clothes is necessary.
- Financial Management: Paying off a high-interest debt could be ‘the one thing’ that alleviates financial pressure and makes other financial goals more attainable.
Example: Tie your credit card payments to your bank accounts so that they get paid off automatically.
- Learning a Key Skill: This could be something like effective communication or time management, which can make many aspects of life smoother and more efficient.
Example: Learn about Transactional Analysis or TA. Just reading the book Born To Win by James and Jongeward will not only be life changing, you’ll save so much time avoiding arguments and learning how to communicate better.
In Lean Knowledge Work:
- Methodology Refinement: Developing a more efficient approach to email management or project planning could streamline many aspects of knowledge work.
Example: LeanMail, an email management solution for Outlook users, removes 20%-60% of the time most people spend managing email. The fix is quick and permanent.
- Tool Optimization: Implementing a software tool that centralizes communication or project tracking might simplify numerous routine tasks.
Example: We use a tool called ActiveWords that writes macros for opening documents, folders and web pages, and also inserts passwords and text. It’s one of those “can’t live without” tools once you have gotten over a small learning curve.
- Delegation Strategy: Perfecting the art of delegation might free up substantial time and mental resources, allowing focus on more strategic goals.
Example: All those “opportunities” you receive whether they be offers from vendors, articles, newsletters, etc. Keep them out of your inbox, and instead direct them automatically to another folder. I use Inbox480 for this.
Finding Your ‘One Thing’:
- Identify Bottlenecks: Look for the biggest bottleneck or challenge in your current workflow or life situation.
- Leverage Points: Find out where a small change can have a big impact.
- Feedback and Reflection: Regularly seek feedback and reflect on what actions have the most significant positive effects.
- Experimentation: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different changes to find what makes the biggest difference.
Remember, the ‘one thing’ is not about doing less for the sake of it, but about focusing efforts on the most impactful area, which can lead to broader improvements and efficiencies. Don’t be afraid to experiment with tools; often, your greatest efficiencies will emerge from tailoring technology to meet your unique needs and workflow demands.
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