The ONE Thing

If you’re feeling stretched thin, juggling competing priorities, or stuck in a cycle of busyness, you’re not alone. Many leaders and entrepreneurs face the same challenges. In this episode, Jay Papasan sits down with Shawn Blanc, founder of The Focus Course, to explore how to navigate overwhelm, create focus, and build clarity in both life and work. Shawn shares actionable strategies, including the importance of identifying core values, establishing clear priorities, and letting go of distractions to make meaningful progress. You’ll learn how to address misalignment in your work and personal life, set clear goals that resonate with your mission, and develop habits to ensure you stay focused on what matters most. Shawn’s unique framework helps leaders move from survival mode to purposeful action, fostering growth, productivity, and fulfillment. Challenge of the Week: Look at your week and ask yourself: If I only had two hours a week in my business, if I only had two hours to do my job, which two hours would matter most? What’s the meeting with myself or others that makes all the others easier or necessary? Identify that 5%, that first domino in your role or business that drives everything else. That clarity will serve you well. *** To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods. We talk about: How to recognize and overcome overwhelm Why prioritizing clarity can lead to better decision-making Building habits to foster long-term focus and productivity Links & Tools from This Episode: Check out Shawn’s Focus Course If you’re a business owner, visit Focus Like a Boss Follow Shawn on Instagram: @shawnblanc Free Resources Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected] or send us an audio note at Speakpipe.com/the1thing. Produced by NOVA

‘Tis the season for resolutions.  Chances are, you’ve hit the new year with a new resolution—something you wanted to change about your life. In this episode, Jay explains how you can actually stick to your resolution and make your new habit last. Jay breaks down the research behind behavior change and habit formation, giving you three clear actions you need to take to succeed. Plus, he shares the single most impactful habit that he has seen people take on. Challenge of the Week: “Choose goals before phone.” When you wake up in the morning, don’t get on your phone first thing. Look at your list of goals. Take 60 seconds to remember what you are prioritizing. Then you can get sucked into the vortex that is your phone. If you're a bold risk taker who wants to dream big and achieve a higher level of success in your life or business, visit the1thing.com. *** To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods. We talk about: How habit formation takes longer than most people think The importance of accountability in habit formation Why “goals before phone” works Links & Tools from This Episode: Download the 66-Day Challenge for free Read “Make Your Bed” by Admiral William H. McRaven Free Resources Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected] or send us an audio note at Speakpipe.com/the1thing. Produced by NOVA

If you’re listening to this podcast you’re probably a high achiever. A doer. Someone who is in constant motion. That’s all great, but don’t forget to pause and reflect. Purposeful reflection will lead you to more success and satisfaction. Here are the nine reflection questions Jay goes over in today’s episode: What did I accomplish? What challenges did I face? Where did I fail? Who supports me and helps me grow? What relationships are missing in my life? When is enough enough? What do I fear? What brings meaning to my life? Who am I becoming and who will I be in the end? Write down your answers. Identify patterns in your answers. Discuss them with the people closest to you in life and business. Then use it to create your intention for 2025: This is the year that I finally– fill in the blank. Jay walks you through, step-by-step, how to get the most out of this reflection and intention activity. Be sure to tune in. Challenge of the Week: Set a clear intention for 2025. This will be the year that I finally… you fill in the blank. Put that somewhere where you cannot avoid it. You cannot ignore it. You cannot forget it. Set your intention for 2025. You will be surprised at the end of the year how much progress you have made towards that goal.  If you're a bold risk taker who wants to dream big and achieve a higher level of success in your life or business, visit the1thing.com. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods. We talk about: Nine questions to guide your purposeful reflection One sentence to set your intention for the next year The importance of keeping your intentional highly visible throughout the year Links & Tools from This Episode: Read “Managing Oneself” by Peter Drucker Listen to Episode 480: Is Your Serial Achievement an Addiction? Here’s How to Break the Cycle Check out The Ed Mylett Show Free Resources Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected] or send us an audio note at Speakpipe.com/the1thing. Produced by NOVA

Whenever Jay and Gary are out giving talks about The ONE Thing, they inevitably hear someone say, “Oh, you can do that because you are Gary Keller.” The fact is, he is Gary Keller because he has consistently applied The ONE Thing in his life. Gary joins the show today to discuss one of the core principles of The ONE Thing: consistency. Anyone can be consistent, but few people are. Gary and Jay break down the intersection of consistency and motivation, the role of habits and rituals, and the importance of blocking out time for your own ONE Thing. Challenge of the Week: Sit down with your favorite beverage and pick a category in an area that matters to you and ask yourself, what's the one thing that I could do to move this forward such that by doing it, any other thing that I need to do would be easier or unnecessary. Then, once you've identified it, look at your calendar, and ask the question, at what time in the morning should I do that? And then make sure you protect that time. It could be a very small thing, but by putting it on your calendar, you take that first step. You might be surprised—that first step might be all the momentum you need to keep doing it.  If you're a bold risk taker who wants to dream big and achieve a higher level of success in your life or business, visit the1thing.com. *** To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods. We talk about: The power of relentless consistency The importance of identifying “the first domino” The value of work-to-home transition rituals Links & Tools from This Episode: Read “Flip” by Gary Keller, Rick Villani, and Clay Davis Free Resources Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected] or send us an audio note at Speakpipe.com/the1thing. Produced by NOVA