The idea of the domino effect in productivity is central to Keller’s approach. By identifying the one thing that has the power to make other tasks easier or unnecessary, you can set off a chain reaction that propels you toward success.

The Domino Effect

Prioritize what is most important and learn how to say no to things that aren’t aligned with your one thing.✅ Create a to-do list based on your priorities. Focus on the “One Thing” that will move you closer to your goal.💪 Learn to say no. Saying yes to everything dilutes your focus and energy.🚫 Don’t let distractions pull you off course. Stay focused on what truly matters.❌ Avoid overcommitting. Saying yes to too many tasks leads to burnout and lack of progress.

Live with Priority

Achieving more requires consistently productive actions towards your one thing.📅 Time block your work. Dedicate specific hours each day to your “One Thing” without interruptions.🧘‍♀️ Create routines. Consistency and habit lead to productivity.🚫 Don’t let other people’s priorities override yours. Set boundaries and protect your focus time.❌ Avoid procrastination. Tackle your “One Thing” first thing in the day.

Live with Productivity

Success happens when you focus on one thing at a time and build on the momentum of small wins.🔄 Focus on one thing until it’s done. Don’t switch to another task mid-way.🏆 Celebrate milestones. Each completed task adds to your success momentum.🚫 Don’t overwhelm yourself with multiple tasks. Finish one before moving on to the next.❌ Don’t undervalue the power of consistency. Small actions compound over time.

Extraordinary Results Are Built Sequentially

Balance isn’t about giving equal time to everything but about investing time where it matters most.⚖️ Balance work with self-care. Make time for family, health, and personal growth.🧘‍♀️ Align your personal and professional lives. Focus on what supports your “One Thing” both at work and home.🚫 Don’t let work consume you. Overwork leads to burnout and poor results.❌ Avoid spreading yourself too thin. Balance is about quality time, not quantity.

Live with Balance

To achieve extraordinary results, you must define your purpose and align all efforts with that central purpose.💭 Clarify your purpose. What is the one thing that, if achieved, makes everything else easier?🎯 Align your actions. Every task should support your core goal.🚫 Don’t work aimlessly. Don’t let distractions or “shiny objects” divert you from your ultimate purpose.❌ Avoid vague goals. Be specific about what matters most.

Live with Purpose

Extraordinary results come from doing fewer things but doing them with more intensity and purpose.⚡ Concentrate your energy. Focus on fewer things with full dedication for greater impact.🚀 Set intentional goals. Set your “One Thing” for the long-term.🚫 Don’t fall into the trap of busy work. Avoid being busy just to feel productive.❌ Don’t expect immediate results. Understand that big achievements take time.

Extraordinary Results Are Distant

Taking consistent action towards your one thing is the secret to making it happen.💥 Take decisive action. Break your goals into actionable steps and tackle them consistently.🚀 Push through inertia. Don’t wait for motivation—build momentum through action.🚫 Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Action is more important than perfect timing.❌ Avoid letting fear hold you back. Courage is essential for progress.

Live with Action

Success is about aligning your actions, energy, and time around the one thing that truly moves the needle.📝 Make small daily commitments. Every small step leads to big results over time.💥 Break down your one thing into actionable steps. Make your goals clear and achievable.🚫 Don’t get stuck in perfectionism. Progress is better than perfection.❌ Don’t ignore your health. Balance work with self-care for long-term success.

Live with Purpose (Part 2)

The book emphasizes the power of focusing on one priority at a time, rather than multitasking or dividing your energy across several tasks. Keller argues that the key to extraordinary success lies in narrowing your focus to the one thing that will have the most significant impact on your goals.

Focus on the ONE Thing

“What’s the one thing I can do right now that will make everything else easier or unnecessary?”

In any given moment, you should ask yourself

By blocking out uninterrupted time for your most critical tasks, you can ensure that you give your full focus to the right priorities and minimize distractions.

Minimize distractions

Keller recommends time blocking—dedicating specific blocks of time to your most important task and guarding that time as sacred.

Time Blocking

“What’s the ONE thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”

Small, consistent actions, when focused on the right priority, can lead to massive results. Think of the first domino you push as the one that makes other obstacles fall easily.

The domino effect in productivity

Keller introduces a powerful tool for determining priorities: the focusing question. It is a simple yet profound question:“What’s the ONE thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”This question forces clarity, guiding you to identify and prioritize what matters most. It challenges you to eliminate non-essential tasks that only serve as distractions.

The Focusing Question

Focus is the key to transforming ordinary actions into extraordinary results.👁️ Avoid distractions. Limit multitasking and focus deeply on one thing.🔎 Eliminate non-essential tasks. Use the 80/20 rule: Focus on the 20% of tasks that yield 80% of the results.🚫 Don’t lose sight of your main goal. Constantly refocus when distractions arise.❌ Avoid trying to do everything at once. Master one thing at a time.

Live with Focus

Focusing on too many things leads to scattered energy and less productivity. The truth is that success comes from narrowing your focus to “The One Thing.”🔑 Identify your “One Thing.” Focus on what truly matters.🎯 Set clear priorities. Limit distractions and give your energy to what makes the biggest impact.🚫 Don’t multitask. It divides your energy and focus, leading to lower quality work.❌ Avoid jumping between tasks. Prioritize one task until completion.

The Lies That Mislead and Derail Us

A Summary of “The One Thing”  by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan: “Focus on your “One Thing,” take consistent action, and let everything else fall into place. ”

• More than 500 appearances on national bestseller lists • #1 Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today • Won 12 book awards • Translated into 35 languages • Voted Top 100 Business Book of All Time on Goodreads People are using this simple, powerful concept to focus on what matters most in their personal and work lives. Companies are helping their employees be more productive with study groups, training, and coaching. Sales teams are boosting sales. Churches are conducting classes and recommending for their members. By focusing their energy on one thing at a time people are living more rewarding lives by building their careers, strengthening their finances, losing weight and getting in shape, deepening their faith, and nurturing stronger marriages and personal relationships. YOU WANT LESS. You want fewer distractions and less on your plate. The daily barrage of e-mails, texts, tweets, messages, and meetings distract you and stress you out. The simultaneous demands of work and family are taking a toll. And what's the cost? Second-rate work, missed deadlines, smaller paychecks, fewer promotions--and lots of stress. AND YOU WANT MORE. You want more productivity from your work. More income for a better lifestyle. You want more satisfaction from life, and more time for yourself, your family, and your friends. NOW YOU CAN HAVE BOTH — LESS AND MORE. In The ONE Thing, you'll learn to * cut through the clutter * achieve better results in less time * build momentum toward your goal* dial down the stress * overcome that overwhelmed feeling * revive your energy * stay on track * master what matters to you The ONE Thing delivers extraordinary results in every area of your life--work, personal, family, and spiritual. WHAT'S YOUR ONE THING?

productivity

Productivity

books

Books

Professionally, Gary’s ONE Thing is teaching. He excelled as a real estate salesperson by teaching clients how to make great buying and selling decisions. As a real estate sales manager, he recruited agents through training and helped them build careers the same way. As co-founder and chairman of the board, he built Keller Williams Realty International from a single office in Austin, Texas, to one of the largest real estate companies in the world by using his skills as a teacher, trainer, and coach. Gary defines leadership as “teaching people how to think the way they need to think so they can do what they need to do when they need to do it, so they can get what they want when they want it.

Gary Keller

Jay Papasan is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Jay Papasan has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Jay Papasan's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.

GARY KELLER