The Focusing Question

The Question

"What's the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?"

This deceptively simple question, from Gary Keller's bestselling book "The ONE Thing," cuts through complexity to identify your highest-leverage action.

How to Use It

Apply to Any Area

For your career: "What's the ONE Thing I can do for my career such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?"

For your health: "What's the ONE Thing I can do for my health such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?"

For your business: "What's the ONE Thing I can do for my business such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?"

Add Time Frames

• "...right now?"
• "...this week?"
• "...this month?"
• "...this year?"
• "...in my lifetime?"

Why It Works

The Domino Effect

Success is sequential, not simultaneous. Like dominoes:

• Each success makes the next one easier
• Small actions can topple much bigger results
• Focus on the lead domino, not all of them

The 80/20 Principle on Steroids

• 20% of efforts create 80% of results
• Within that 20%, there's one thing that matters most
• Finding that ONE Thing multiplies your effectiveness

Examples

Entrepreneur

Question: What's the ONE Thing I can do for my startup? Answer: Get the first 10 paying customers Why: Validates product, generates revenue, provides feedback, creates testimonials

Student

Question: What's the ONE Thing I can do for my grades? Answer: Master active recall study technique Why: Improves retention across all subjects, makes studying more efficient

Health

Question: What's the ONE Thing I can do for my fitness? Answer: Establish consistent morning exercise habit Why: Boosts energy, builds discipline, compound health effects

Common Mistakes

Asking Wrong Questions

Instead of: "What are all the things I need to do?" Ask: "What's the ONE Thing?"

Instead of: "How can I do everything?" Ask: "What can I do such that everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?"

Not Going Small Enough

If your answer feels overwhelming:

• Make it smaller
• Make it more specific
• Focus on the very next action

The Six Lies This Exposes

1. Everything matters equally - It doesn't
2. Multitasking works - It doesn't
3. A disciplined life - Habits beat willpower
4. Willpower is always on will-call - It's finite
5. A balanced life - Success requires imbalance
6. Big is bad - Thinking big is essential

Integration with Time Management

Daily Planning

1. Ask the question each morning
2. Identify your ONE Thing for the day
3. Time block it first, before anything else
4. Protect that time fiercely
5. Everything else is secondary

Weekly Planning

1. Identify ONE Thing for the week
2. Break into daily ONE Things
3. Schedule them in advance
4. Review and adjust

Goal Setting

1. Start with lifetime goal ONE Thing
2. Work backward: 5 years, 1 year, month, week, day
3. Create connected chain of dominos
4. Focus on the very next one

Power of Sequential Success

Rather than trying to do everything at once:

1. Identify the first domino
2. Focus exclusively on it
3. Complete it fully
4. Move to the next one
5. Repeat

Each success builds momentum for the next.

Practical Applications

For Projects

"What's the ONE Thing I can do for this project such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?"

Might reveal:

• Need to get stakeholder buy-in first
• Must validate assumption before building
• Should prototype before full implementation

For Relationships

"What's the ONE Thing I can do for my relationship with [person]?"

Might reveal:

• Schedule weekly quality time
• Have that difficult conversation
• Show appreciation more consistently

For Learning

"What's the ONE Thing I can learn such that by learning it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?"

Might reveal:

• Master touch typing
• Learn to speed read
• Understand fundamentals deeply

Conclusion

The Focusing Question is a mental model that cuts through the noise to identify what truly matters. By asking it consistently and acting on the answer, you create extraordinary results through focused, sequential effort rather than scattered activity.