Just do one thing. It sounds simple, doesn’t it? I wonder why I have only just discovered this amazing insight. I always thought multitasking was the way forward! Be on a call and check emails/ flick between LinkedIn, writing a proposal, texting a mum about a play date. There was so much going on, there always is so much going on.
Have a listened to this episode on my podcast ‘Just Do One Thing’
It’s hard to focus!!
Then one day someone suggested a book to me that has sparked a massive change in the way I work. It was someone in a coaching group I am in and she mentioned a book called the ‘One Thing’ by Gary Keller. Well, I love business books, self-help books, any books like that so I bought it. It was brilliant but incredibly simple – just focus on ONE thing.
What is the one thing in your life/day/hour/relationship/work that you need to do to move the needle so that everything else becomes irrelevant or so much easier? What is the one bit of work that you need to do so that you can move on with your day? It’s about focusing on the ONE important thing.
So now when I am doing the ONE thing, I turn off all my distractions. Shut my emails, close my LinkedIn, do everything I can to not answer my phone. I have my cup of tea ready (but actually realise I am not drinking it as that would be distracting me from my one thing!) and I set to work.
I do 20 min stints or sprints. Not sure what the right word is but one of those works. Then I get up and have a potter, put a wash on, have a little walk, make a phone call, do one of the many life admin jobs that are always there. But for that 20 mins, I am totally on it.
No distractions. Nothing. And it is so efficient
I can get so much done and the work is really good and focused.
This blog, for example, is one thing that I am doing – 12 mins a day in May for a little challenge that I set myself. I set my timer for 10 mins, write for 10 mins and then spend the other 2 tweakings/ correcting the grammar etc. And its good to go – on my blog, on my social media. All done in just 12 minutes. But that’s because its 12 mins of totally focused work with no distractions.
Why do we not learn the ONE thing at school, or at uni? How come its taken me 41 years to work out that it could all be so much easier if I focused on one thing? Obviously, you might have more than one project on the go at a point in time but just focus on one at a time until you have done what needs to be done there.
Sometimes I see chaos when I go into a company – they are trying to do too much – launch too many products in too many countries with too many messages and too many media options. I just want to get them to focus on doing ONE thing really well to start with. Nail the UK and then expand. Sort out the customer journey and then think about subscription or gift vouchers or whatever it is. Do ONE thing well and then move on.
If you do just one thing from reading this blog then buy the book and tell me the ONE thing that resonated with you.
Done dusted with 10 seconds to spare!
(actually, I lie as it took me just over 3 mins to proof-read and correct so let’s say 14 mins)
