“If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one.”

This Russian proverb opens The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. At the heart of this book is the question: How do you want to spend your time and energy? Some weeks it definitely feels like I am chasing two rabbits running in different directions and still not crossing things off my To Do List. The authors of this book suggest we use the 20/80 principle to leverage and focus our time and energy. They also suggest focusing our attention on doing the one thing that will make the rest of the tasks on the To Do List easier or unnecessary.

Overall I really liked this book and it’s easy going tone. I felt empowered enough to take the 66 day challenge suggestedby the authors. That is, I have committed to doing my One Thing first thing in the day for 66 days in a row. According to the authors 66 days makes a habit. Here’s hoping I can make a good habit stick!

A Few Key Points of the Book

• Multitasking is a myth. The authors point out that when we do more than one thing at a time, we are really short changing both of those things. They suggest paring down your list of To DO’s to the smallest amount possible and focus on getting those done.
• The 80/20 Principle. This is not original to the book, but the authors remind us that 20 percent of our efforts are responsible for 80 percent of our outcomes. If you know this, you can focus your efforts onto the most important 20%.
• Figure out your ONE THING of the day. They suggest using the focusing question: What is the ONE THING I can do that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?
• Motivation fluctuates throughout the day. Most of us start the day with energy that tapers off about mid-afternoon. That is why the authors suggest doing your ONE THING first thing when motivation and will power are high.

Overall, I really did like this book. It’s a quick read with helpful graphics throughout to illustrate their points. I also really enjoyed the motivational quotes sprinkled throughout the book. So wish me luck with my 66 day challenge. I’ll let you know how it goes!