What’s Your One Thing for this Year?
“What’s the one thing I can do, such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” That’s the provocative question asked in The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.
Their premise is that extraordinary results are achieved by focusing on “one thing” in each of the most important areas of your life. That is, if the one thing you focus on is the lever that makes achieving other important outcomes easier or irrelevant. What you choose to focus on makes all the difference. Literally.
Think big first. What do you really want to accomplish in 2014? Or in the next five years? Or perhaps in your lifetime? What comes into focus? It only matters that it matters to you. It may be restoring your physical health, or bringing your life back into integrity with a value you’ve been compromising, or stepping out to champion a cause that’s meaningful to you.
For me, personally, the focus of my work is making coaching a way of life. I can envision a world where integrating coaching approaches into our conversations to help each other learn, grown and untangle sticky situations just how we do things. We won’t have to think about it anymore. It will simply a part of the fabric of our relationships and how people around the world relate to each other. I’ll admit that’s pretty big. To me, it’s worth going for. I know it will change the world in significant and worthwhile ways so I’m willing to do what I can to do to make my intention a reality.
The one thing to focus on is the thing that, by doing it, it makes accomplishing your larger goal easier and faster. If you’re restoring your health, it might be changing your diet. If you’re honoring a value, it may be giving up a limiting habit. For me, it’s finally writing a book about coaching-based leadership. If you know me well, you know that writing my book has been on my mind – and my to do list – for years. I have many drafts. I’ve devoted many hours to the effort. But I don’t have a book.
When I stood back and looked at my desire to make coaching a way of life for the world sharing my thoughts and ideas on how to get there is the one thing that I believe will make the greatest difference. So that’s my one thing for 2014. What’s yours?
Bringing my book to life will require me to make writing a priority in my life. I’ll need to set aside time every week, create structure to keep myself on track, and seek support, as needed, to move through the challenges that have derailed me in the past.
How about you? What commitments, structures and support do you need to accomplish your one thing? I suggest you make a plan right now. Write it down. Pin it up. Share it with the people who will lovingly support you. Envision success. And notice how good it will feel to accomplish your goal. Keep your felt sense of what success will feel like as a touchstone for the tough times. Now go for it!
Wishing you and yours a very happy and successful New Year!
Dianna Anderson, MCC
CEO, Cylient
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What’s The One Thing you’re going to focus on accomplishing in 2014?
