The One Thing - Review

What’s the ONE Thing you can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary? This is one of the questions asked by Gary Keller and Jay Papsan in their book The One Thing. The authors have captured a powerful idea that uncovers the lies and truth behind extraordinary results. Your excuse of being too busy does not fit into this model of productivity. They argue that you being too busy is evidence of a distracted life with misaligned priorities. This is an extremely well organized book. The arguments are presented with crystal clarity and move the reader toward action. The authors do a wonderful job stringing together a web of ideas and concepts. Every piece fits and the big picture is compelling. The first section discusses the lies of extraordinary results. Part two reveals a series of truths regarding extraordinary results, and the third part more clearly defines the types of results that can be called extraordinary.

This book will move you to action.

I would recommend reading this book. Understand that it is more than another read: it is a project. There is no way to walk away from The One Thing without responding to the call of the authors. My primary criticism is that the majority of the book adopts a strong task-oriented style of productivity that might not fit different types of producers. Therefore this model may not resonate with all readers. However, the big ideas contained in this book are powerful for all types of personalities, and productivities.