What is Achievement from your point of view? To complete something or to take something? No!
“An award given for accomplishing a specific task or meeting a goal is called Achievement “
You can accomplish almost anything in life… As long as you concentrate on completing one task at a time. It’s a tried-and-true strategy used by many successful people.
Gary Keller and Jay Papasan wrote an entire book about this simple concept. But don’t be fooled by the idea’s simplicity. It’s one of the most difficult things to do in your life.
How can we concentrate or focus on one thing?
Human beings are unpredictable. Our desires change all the time. We pursue new activities before completing our previous objectives. We’re dealing with an unseen force that is constantly attempting to perplex us. Instead of focusing on one thing at a time, we set multiple goals and believe we can multitask our way to success. Thats the ultimate hurdle in the way of achievement.
There is a gap between what we know (focusing on one thing at a time) and what we do (focusing on everything at the same time). The question is not whether focusing on one thing is a good strategy rather, it is How can someone stick to it. In this article, I’ll explain how I use this strategy in my daily life. But first, we need to know, what exactly is the “One Thing” strategy?
What is a Strategy?
A strategy is a plan of action for achieving short, medium, and long-term objectives.
Because the resources available to achieve goals are usually limited, strategy is essential for achievement. Setting goals and priorities, determining actions to achieve the goals, and mobilizing resources to carry out the actions are all part of the strategy. A strategy describes how the means will be used to achieve the ends (goals) (resources). Strategy can be deliberate or emerge as a pattern of activity as an organization adapts to or competes in its environment. It entails tasks like strategic planning and strategic thinking.
One item for each part of your life
Too often, people believe that you should only concentrate on one thing in your life. But that isn’t the point of this strategy. It’s all about being strategic about what you pursue. Yes, you are capable of accomplishing a great deal… However, not at the same time.
You can’t build a career, get in shape, run marathons, write a book, start a business, have kids, and travel the world all at the same time. But you can accomplish all of that in a single lifetime.
Limit yourself to one major priority in each area of your life. Your life is divided into the following categories: career, health, learning, money, and relationships.
That is, you should never work on more than one major project at a time. You must be either writing a book or developing an online course. We should also only learn one skill at a time. And we should either be saving or looking to invest money. We should either be working on our strength or endurance for our health. So on and so forth.
These categories are solely based on our point of view on life. We are free to categorize your life in any way we see fit. You also don’t have to judge how others compartmentalize their lives. What is important is that we understand how we classify our own lives. There would be no structure otherwise. And when there isn’t any structure at all. There is anarchy. And there is no one when there is chaos.
Control Your Desires
Most people’s natural reaction is to begin setting goals or focusing on a single priority. It’s not a good idea, however, unless you’ve trained your mind to focus on one thing. First and foremost, you must strengthen your focus muscle. Otherwise, you set a goal, concentrate on one thing, and then revert to your old habits within a week. You want to alter your perspective. Change your mindset from “I want everything” to “I appreciate what I have.” That is the only way to put this “one thing” concept into action. Control your desires, in other words.
For that, I recommend practicing Mindfulness or Stoicism. Both philosophies emphasize the importance of distancing ourselves from our desires. I believe our insatiable desire for more is the source of our inability to focus on a single task.
“Freedom is secured not by satisfying men’s desires, but by removing desire.”
When you manage your desire, you attack the root of the problem. You can’t live a calm and focused life if you’re constantly desiring more and new things, in my experience. All of this is not to say that we should not strive to improve our lives. On the contrary, the entire purpose of life is to progress. So, don’t be afraid to set goals and strive for greatness. Just do one thing after another. This will lead to achievement.
Practice Single-Tasking
It’s now time to put your knowledge to the test. Do only one thing at a time for the next week. That will be extremely difficult if you are a modern human being who is accustomed to technology. But I’m guessing you enjoy a good challenge because you’re reading this. So, here’s an idea:
- Take a walk (or exercise) without listening to music.
- Set your phone to Do Not Disturb Mode for the day.
- If you’re having a conversation, don’t pick it up.
- When working, concentrate on a SINGLE task at a time.
- Do not check your email during meetings.
This is also known as being present. Simply be less distracted. That’s it. And you can practice with anything by doing just one thing at a time. This will lead your way to achievement.
It’s time to set one goal for each area of your life.
Only after you’ve learned to control your desires and practice doing one thing at a time will you be ready to apply the “One Thing” strategy to your life. You want to practice because life is short. The more time you devote to becoming less distracted by desires, the more dependable you will become. You will develop into someone who does what they say. You will grow into someone who accomplishes what they set out to do. And as you begin to accomplish one thing after another, you will gain momentum. It is your responsibility to maintain the momentum. This is how people become happy and prosperous. Both things accumulate over time.
Always keep the big picture in mind. You WILL achieve all of your objectives. Who cares if you accomplish them now or later? What matters is that you are not swayed by desire or external forces. Greed won’t give you any benefit so try to be more focused on your life and organize it. You are the architect of your own life.
