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The ONE Thing summary
The ONE Thing
- Ask: what's the one thing I can do such that everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?
- Success comes from narrowing focus.
- Multitasking and balance are myths for big results.
- Time-block your one thing daily.
- Protect that block from interruptions.
What's the one thing that would make everything else easier?
Ask what one thing you could do that would make everything else easier or unnecessary, then protect time every day to do it before anything else.
Actionable
- Ask the focusing question about your week.
- Block four hours for your one thing.
- Say no to one request that doesn't serve it.
What readers say
- Readers like the central question.
- A common critique: the idea could have been an article.
Quick answer
Our summary of The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, in our own words.
What 125x is: 125x is a web app at 125x.app. You connect your YouTube subscriptions, and it gives you a feed of the latest videos from the channels you follow, each with a summary: a verdict, the 5 key takeaways, and the spoiler, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips. You read that and decide what's actually worth opening.
Open 125xWho it's for
People spread across too many priorities.
Tips from readers, plus one of ours
- Keep the question even if you can't keep the schedule. one reviewer who scored the book idea by idea pointed out that people with meetings, staff or customers often can't block four hours, and the focusing question works on its own.
- Ask it at two sizes. Readers use it for the big goal this year and again each morning for today's first task.
- Book the big thing first. One reviewer compared it to filling a jar: put the big stones in before the sand, or nothing big fits.
- When you truly can't do your one thing, do the next most useful thing you can. One reader who couldn't write on a given day switched to the reading and note steps of the same project.
- Agree or disagree: a common critique is that the book never tells you how to find your one thing. We agree. Our fix is to list your top five tasks and ask which one would make two others easier or unnecessary. Usually one stands out.
- Our unusual tip: write this week's one thing on a piece of paper, take a photo, and make it your phone's lock screen. You'll see it every time you reach for your phone, which is most of the moments you'd drift away from it.
About this summary
This summary follows the same shape as a 125x summary: a verdict, 5 takeaways, and an Actionable section. 125x is a web app that does this for the latest videos from the YouTube channels you follow, with a verdict, 5 takeaways, the spoiler, and Actionable and Lessons tabs. More in book summaries.
FAQ: questions people ask
What is The ONE Thing about?
Ask: what's the one thing I can do such that everything else becomes easier or unnecessary? Success comes from narrowing focus.
Is The ONE Thing worth reading?
Our verdict is some value given. One strong question, padded into a full book.
Who should read The ONE Thing?
People spread across too many priorities.
What is the focusing question in The ONE Thing?
What's the one thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary? You can ask it about your year, your week or the next hour.
What's the main idea of The ONE Thing?
Ask what one thing you could do that would make everything else easier or unnecessary, then protect time every day to do it before anything else.
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- Every 125x guide
125x is a web app at 125x.app that turns your YouTube subscriptions into a feed with a summary on every video, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips, so you can see what's worth opening before you spend the time.
125x is made by Blake Labs Inc. 125x is not made by YouTube or Google.