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The ONE Thing - The Magic of the Focusing Question

Published 3 months ago • 2 min read

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Unlock Your Hidden Productivity Superpower

Hi Reader,

💡 Today's Niblit: In “The ONE Thing,” Gary Keller reveals the deceptively simple question that has powered billion-dollar businesses and extraordinary lives. This Focusing Question will cut through your overwhelm and pinpoint exactly what matters most.

🔑 Key Insight: The Focusing Question—"What's the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?"—acts as a compass that instantly clarifies what deserves your attention. This question works like a scalpel, cutting away the nonessential and revealing your highest leverage action.

Think of your focus like a magnifying glass in the sun. When sunlight is scattered, it merely warms your hand. But when concentrated through the lens onto a single point, it creates enough heat to start a fire. Your attention works exactly the same way—diffused across many tasks, it produces warmth; focused on ONE thing, it ignites breakthrough results.

Why does this matter? In a world designed to fracture your attention, this question becomes your secret weapon. When everything feels important, the Focusing Question reveals what truly is. It transforms anxiety into clarity, busy work into productive work, and ordinary results into extraordinary outcomes.

🦉 Nibble of Wisdom: "Extraordinary results are directly determined by how narrow you can make your focus." (Chapter 10)

🛠️ Practical Tip: Write the Focusing Question at the top of your to-do list or planner each morning, then honestly answer it before planning your day.

🚀 Quick Action: Take 60 seconds right now to ask yourself: "What's the ONE Thing I can do today such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?" Write down your answer and block off 90 minutes tomorrow to work on just that task.

🔍 Further Exploration:

  • Consider how the Focusing Question might transform your approach in different areas: health, relationships, career, and finances.
  • Notice how many items on your current to-do list would become unnecessary if you truly nailed your ONE Thing.
  • Explore the concept of opportunity cost and how it relates to choosing your ONE Thing versus juggling multiple priorities.

🎬 Wrapup: The most successful people aren't doing more — they're doing less, better. The Focusing Question is your gateway to that clarity. Write it down, use it daily, and watch as your productivity transforms from scattered effort to laser-focused impact.

🔗 Links:

Finding focus with you,

Tom "still asking the question" Bernthal

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Niblits - little bites of big ideas

by Tom Bernthal

Get key insights from top books like “Atomic Habits,” “The Psychology of Money,” “Find Your Why,” “Never Split the Difference,” and more. You get practical tips and powerful ideas on productivity, personal growth, money, business, and beyond. Just 1-2 minutes a day unlocks big ideas and boosts your success. Subscribe to my Niblits newsletter and awaken your greatness within, one bite at a time!

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