Eliminate distractions and focus on one priority at a time to achieve meaningful, measurable results.
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Introduction
The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan presents a transformative approach to achieving extraordinary success by focusing on a singular priority at any given time. The book challenges conventional beliefs about productivity and success, offering a clear path to personal and professional growth through prioritisation, disciplined focus, and intentional living.
Keller and Papasan identify six common misconceptions that hinder productivity and dilute focus:
By addressing these lies, Keller encourages readers to discard ineffective habits and adopt a mindset that embraces simplicity and focus.
At the heart of the book lies the focusing question:
“What’s the ONE thing I can do such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”
This question helps identify the highest-priority task that drives meaningful progress. By narrowing focus to a single impactful action, individuals can achieve exponential results.
Keller introduces the concept of the domino effect, where small, focused actions create a chain reaction, leading to significant achievements over time. Success is built sequentially, not simultaneously, and each accomplishment builds momentum for the next.
Time blocking involves dedicating uninterrupted time to focus solely on the ONE thing. This strategy guards against distractions and ensures consistent progress on high-priority tasks.
The authors stress that extraordinary results stem from living with:
To achieve success, individuals must commit to:
Keller identifies four obstacles that undermine focus:
Addressing these challenges ensures a clear path to extraordinary results.
Keller and Papasan conclude that success is not about doing more but doing what matters most. By focusing on the ONE thing, individuals can simplify their lives, maximise productivity, and achieve extraordinary results.
The One Thing is a powerful guide for anyone seeking clarity, focus, and purpose in their pursuit of success.
I’ve helped B2B service companies scale — not with random tactics, but with clear systems that align marketing and sales into one predictable growth engine. Built on 15 years of hands-on experience — helping teams move from random tactics to repeatable, scalable results.
15 years experience
1,500 marketers trained since 2015
Exited 6 companies
Founders
Springlab
Nestmanager
Booomtag
Transpack Packaging
Strategiefabriek
Easy Ergonomics
Cortazu
The Talent Institute
Ligo
Amberscript
Snappcar
SOPHIA MAE
Mooie Boules
Klup
Bridgefund
Kees de Boekhouder
Yaya
NU
Decathlon
Friesland Campina
My name is Ewoud Uphof, a marketing strategist with 15 years of experience. I've been fascinated by growth since 2010, and I created this guide out of a passion for sharing what I've learned. These guides are a way for me to give back to the marketing community and are also linked to my video course, which covers these topics in even greater depth.
Kanbox turns LinkedIn into a streamlined, end-to-end revenue engine for B2B marketers—combining advanced scraping, message automation and a live Kanban pipeline in one workspace.
Eliminate distractions and focus on one priority at a time to achieve meaningful, measurable results.