What Does it Take to Create an Extraordinary Life?

Take a minute and ask yourself, “If I could only do one thing today, what would it be that would make the biggest difference?”

There’s no right or wrong answer. However, this should lead you toward financial freedom and allow you to enjoy life to the fullest extent possible.

In order to reach success at the highest level, Jay Papasan has developed a roadmap for himself, which has been shared with others now pursuing the same goal.

At Keller Williams Realty, one of the nation’s largest and most trusted real estate firms, Jay serves as Vice President and Executive Editor. With more than 180,000 working agents, Keller Williams has more than 1,000 offices around the world. 

His bestseller, The ONE Thing, was co-authored with Gary Keller and has sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide.

With that said, in this blog post will show you how to create a life that is extraordinary by using the ONE Thing.

Identify your ONE Thing.

To get started, identify your ONE Thing. If you do this well, everything else will fall into place.

Consider asking yourself the following questions as you identify your ONE Thing:

• What is the most important goal in my life?
• What will make the biggest difference in my life?
• Is there anything I am most passionate about?

However, Jay adds, “Ask a bigger question because sometimes you’ll surprise yourself, and you’ll find the answer. But if you only ask questions you know the answer to, you’re never really stretching.”

Regardless of how you get here, put your ONE Thing in a place where you will see it each day once you’ve identified it.

Eliminate distractions.

When you have identified your ONE Thing, remove everything that distracts you. In the end, distractions can keep you from focusing on your priorities by: 

• Creating anxiety and stress
• Extend the duration of a project
• Making it difficult to focus
• Reducing your ability to recall information later
• Creating disruptions in your work flow
• Keeping you from reaching your goals

One of the main goals of the book is teaching people to work from priority, which is what we call a success habit, says Jay. Each morning as you wake up, you look at all of your goals and you ask yourself, “What’s the one thing I could knock out and everything will be like getting better? ” 

The practice of constantly asking myself what’s my true priority in any situation or at any moment is also something Jay encourages.

Focus on your ONE Thing every day.

The way Gary sets goals, explains Jay, is that he says, for example, “I want to be a millionaire.” 

His next question will be, “How do I behave every single week so that that happens?”

Rather than checking off tasks and things, it’s more like, who must I become for that behavior to be natural? Jay continues. He then devotes 100% of his energy to becoming that individual.

In other words, taking action on your ONE Thing every day requires scheduling time to work on it. If you can only spare 15 minutes, dedicate some time to the thing that matters most to you.

Be aware of your ONE Thing and why it is so important to you if you find yourself getting distracted or sidetracked. If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask.

Celebrate your successes.

When you succeed at your ONE Thing, it is important to celebrate your accomplishments. Staying motivated and on track will help you achieve your goals.

Whenever you achieve an important milestone, take a moment to celebrate. Consider taking a day off, eating out, or rewarding yourself in any way you like.

How to use the ONE Thing in different areas of your life.

There are countless uses for the ONE Thing, including career development, relationships, and personal growth.

Career.

Getting a promotion, starting your own business, or finding a new job you love could be your ONE Thing if you’re looking to advance in your career.

If you want to focus on your ONE Thing, you must create a plan for how you will accomplish it. There should be clear goals, a timeline, and action steps in this plan.

For example, Jay borrowed the Coffee with a Strange concept to network as an introvert. Jay then set a goal of meeting with 50 people without an agenda, just people who others thought were talented over the course of a year.

Relationships.

Spending more time with your family and friends, communicating more effectively, and being supportive could improve your relationships.

Make it a point to spend time with your loved ones every day so that you can focus on your ONE Thing. It doesn’t matter how long it is, make sure to spend some quality time with them

Personal development.

Learning a new skill, reading a book a week, or exercising regularly could be your ONE Thing.

Make sure you schedule time each day to work on your ONE Thing.  As an example, if you are interested in learning a new skill, you might schedule 30 minutes a day to study.

Here are some additional tips for using the ONE Thing principle:

• Be specific about your ONE Thing. By being more specific, you will be able to focus more easily. In other words, rather than saying you want to “get in shape,” say that you want to “exercise three times a week for 30 minutes.”
• Write down your ONE Thing. You will be more likely to remember and stay focused on your ONE Thing if you write it down.
• Share your ONE Thing with others. Keeping yourself accountable and motivated will be easier if you tell others about your ONE Thing.
• Review your ONE Thing regularly. Be sure your ONE Thing is still aligned with the outcome you desire. It is okay to make adjustments if it is not.

It is possible to live an extraordinary life by following the ONE Thing principle. When you focus on a single task at a time, you will eliminate distractions, make better progress, and reach your goals faster.