The Power of Focus: A Book Review of Gary Keller’s The ONE Thing

Last month, prompted by our CEO at Strudel AI, Kristin Isaac, I read The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. It’s an older book (2013), but it had such an impact on the way I think about priorities that it’s worth reading and worth talking about here. The ONE Thing is an incredibly short book so if you’re busy, it won’t take long to plow through it and absorb the important points. I’ll give you my quick list of takeaways here.

The ONE Question

The whole book centers around one powerful question:

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

This question drives everything else the book discusses. It’s a brilliant little question, really, because it forces you to prioritize and identify the single most impactful task (the “domino” Keller & Papasan call it) that, when pushed, will knock down all the other metaphorical dominos in your life and work.

The core argument is that success is built sequentially, not simultaneously. By identifying your ONE Thing in different areas of your life (e.g., career, personal life, health), you establish a clear priority funnel and you’ll know exactly where to focus your time and energy.

Debunking The Myths of Productivity

Keller and Papasan challenge several common misconceptions that hold people back. This section rings true to me and includes six common myths that you might be inadvertently believing right now. I feel the most important three are:

• Myth 1: Everything Matters Equally. This is the antithesis of the book’s core idea. The authors champion the Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule), arguing that 80% of your results come from 20% of your effort. Your ONE Thing is in that crucial 20%.
• Myth 2: Multitasking. The book firmly asserts that multitasking is a lie. Instead of doing two things well, you do two things poorly. Focus is the only path to mastery. The undoing of this myth is backed by science, of course. We don’t ever multitask, we just switch between things quickly and in doing so become less effective. If you’d like to read the best book (in my opinion) on that subject, check out Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport. I’ve written a quick synopsis of it here.
• Myth 3: A Disciplined Life. The authors argue you don’t need extreme discipline for everything, just enough discipline to establish the habit of doing your ONE Thing and then let momentum take over. There isn’t a lot of specific information about establishing habits in the book, but Atomic Habits by James Clear or Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit should help you out in that department.

Setting Your Own Goals

The most helpful part of this book for me was the practical framework it suggests. I got a lot of clarity out of using their suggested list of questions for setting my own goals, for example. Here are three of the key strategies for execution that the book recommends:

1. Time Blocking: Keller says this is non-negotiable. He recommends blocking off the first four hours of your workday to focus solely on your ONE Thing. Treat this time as a sacred appointment and protect it fiercely from emails, calls, and interruptions. I already do this to a lesser extreme in that I’ve found great value in blocking off the first two hours of my day for my most important things. I’ve been doing that for years and it really is valuable.
2. Goal Setting to the Now: The book outlines a powerful “Goal Setting to the Now” framework, encouraging you to connect a “someday” goal to what you need to do “right now.” You can see the full list of questions in the photo below.
   • What is my ONE Thing for my 5-year goal?
   • Based on that, what is my ONE Thing this year?
   • …this month?
   • …this week?
   • …today?
3. Plan Your Time Off: You can’t be effective if you don’t have rest, so take some time each year or month to plan the time you’ll take for vacation and get it on the calendar now. Read my synopses of Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang and Do Nothing by Celeste Headlee if you want to know more about how important balancing work and rest are.

Purpose -> Priority -> Productivity -> Profit

The ONE Thing also establishes that none of this really matters unless you start with your Purpose, your “Big Why”, which must act as the ultimate compass for your life and work. This Purpose then informs your Priority, guiding you to identify the single most impactful ONE Thing that needs to be done. Focusing all your energy on that Priority drives true Productivity, which is doing the right work, not just doing a lot of work. Finally, this focused Productivity naturally leads to increased Profit (or any other measurable result you’re seeking), making the desired outcome a consequence of a clear, purposeful path.

Should You Read It?

You get a lot of bang for your buck in this little book. Absolutely you should pick it up and read it, especially if you struggle with finding time for your most important work. It’s short, it’s to the point, and it might inspire you to take some unnecessary things off your plate. I know I gained a lot of clarity simply by asking myself the goal-setting questions. Try it and let me know how it goes!