The ONE Thing

Most high performers think they have a productivity problem. They don’t. They have a purpose problem.

In this episode, Jay Papasan pulls back the curtain on what The ONE Thing has always been about. Yes, it lives in the productivity section of bookstores. Yes, it teaches focus. But at its core, it’s a purpose book.

Using the iceberg metaphor from the original book, Jay walks through the real order of success: purpose drives priority, and priority drives productivity. When you start at the surface with hacks and tools, you get busyness. When you start beneath the surface with clarity about why you’re working in the first place, everything changes.

He shares stories from Stu McLaren and Pat Flynn, unpacks the rider-and-elephant concept from The Happiness Hypothesis, and challenges you to define your “season” of life. What matters most right now? What role can you not afford to fail?

If you’ve been feeling busy but unfulfilled, this conversation will help you realign your work with what truly matters.

Challenge of the Week:

Block 30 minutes this week and ask yourself one simple question: Why am I working so hard? Journal your answer. Don’t edit it. Just get honest. Clarity begins there.

***

To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods.

We talk about:


[00:00] Productivity vs. Purpose


[01:09] The Busyness Trap


[04:30] The Iceberg


[13:59] Stu McLaren and the Courage to Pivot Toward Purpose


[17:09]  Building a Successful Business Can’t Be The Only Goal


[18:18] Purpose Is Always in Charge


[24:31] The Simple Challenge: Start With Purpose

Links & Tools from This Episode:


The ONE Thing Operating System


The ONE Thing (book)


Stu McLaren Website


Michael Hyatt Website


Pat Flynn


Will It Fly? by Pat Flynn


The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt


Free Resources


Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected]  

Produced by NOVA

At 19 years old, Amy Purdy went to work feeling a little run down. Within 24 hours, she was fighting for her life in the hospital. She beat the odds, and survived a life-threatening infection - but she would ultimately lose both legs below the knee as a result. What followed wasn’t a comeback story built on motivation posters. It was a masterclass in agency.

In this conversation, Amy walks Jay through the moment she asked a life-altering question from her hospital bed: If your life were a book, how would you want the story to go? That question became her anchor. From there, she visualized a future that didn’t yet exist and worked backward, one problem at a time.

Amy shares how she became a pioneer in adaptive snowboarding, literally building the prosthetics she needed to ride again. Along the way, she discovered that challenges don’t block the path. They create it. The same tools that helped her survive her darkest days became the tools that carried her to Paralympic medals, entrepreneurship, and the stage.

This episode is about clarity, purpose, obsession in the right direction, and learning to “bounce forward” when life removes the familiar path.

Challenge of the Week:

Set aside quiet time to visualize your best self. Don’t negotiate with reality yet. See it. Feel it. Then ask, what would have to be true for this to happen? Start there.

***

To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods.

We talk about:


[00:00] This Is a Story About Agency, Not Limitation


[02:30] They Gave Me a 2% Survival Chance. She Beat the Odds.


[11:45] The Idea That Led to Agency


[15:04] Find The Power to Solving Your Own Problems


[17:16] Turning Failure Into a Design Problem


[21:21] Amy’s First Successful Run


[24:45] Everyone Feels incomplete


[28:03] The Power of Visualization


[33:26] Turning Pain into Purpose


[40:16] From Success to Survival


[44:06] Visualizing Your Best Self

Links & Tools from This Episode:


Pre-order Bounce Forward by Amy Purdy


Read On My Own Two Feet by Amy Purdy


Adaptive Action Sports (organization founded by Amy Purdy)


Follow Amy Purdy on Instagram: @amypurdygurl


Free Resources


Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected]  

Produced by NOVA

Are you ghosting your goals? By February, most people have already given up on the goals they set in January. But what if the reason you keep ignoring your goals isn’t a lack of discipline, but a lack of relationship? In this episode, Jay Papasan invites you to stop “proposing” to your goals every January and start dating them regularly instead.

Jay breaks down why most goals fade by February and how to replace goal drift with steady progress. He walks through the full framework, from writing a Someday Letter and working backward into five-year and one-year milestones, to using the 411 to translate goals into weekly, time-blockable actions.

You’ll also learn why a 30-minute weekly “date” with your goals and a five-minute daily check-in before your phone can radically change your focus, reduce the busyness trap, and prevent Groundhog Year from repeating itself.

This episode is a practical reset for anyone who feels busy but stuck. The answer isn’t setting better goals. It’s staying in touch with the ones you already have.

Challenge of the Week:

Schedule a 30-minute appointment with yourself. Review your goals and identify the one thing you can do next week to get back on track. Think big, aim small.

***

To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods.

We talk about:


Why most people ghost their goals by February


How to use the Someday Letter to clarify long-term direction


Turning goals into weekly actions with the 411

Links & Tools from This Episode:


The 411 and Someday Letter Exercises are Available on Our Free Resources


Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected]  

Produced by NOVA

Most people don’t plan for a pivot that changes everything. For Alex Hopes, it started with a moment that stopped his life cold and rerouted it completely. What followed was a decade-long journey of saying yes to what was in front of him, even when it didn’t match the original plan.

In this episode, Jay Papasan talks with Alex, founder of Zilker Bark, about how a simple dog photography project grew into massive dog events attracting thousands of people in the Austin area. They unpack the power of narrowing your focus, why constraints can sharpen creativity, and how community-driven experiences create built-in word of mouth.

Alex also shares the behind-the-scenes lessons of rapid growth, from learning on the fly to finding mentors who help you avoid costly mistakes. At its core, this conversation is about trusting the pivot, choosing depth over breadth, and letting your ONE Thing reveal itself over time.

Challenge of the Week:

Take a step back and look at the unexpected changes in your life or business. Identify one alternative path you may have overlooked and ask what could happen if you leaned into it instead of resisting it.

We talk about:

[00:00] Welcome and Introduction to Alex Hope 

[01:05] Your Side Project Gains Momentum… Now What?

[03:25] The Power of Word-of-Mouth

[05:07] Do Constraints Actually Improve Creativity?

[07:48] One-To-Many: The Transition to Events

[12:32] How Do Community-Driven Events Create Exponential Growth?

[17:20] Managing Explosive Growth

[24:40] How Do You Move Forward When Life Forces a Hard Pivot?

***

To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods.

We talk about:


How focusing on a niche can accelerate growth


Turning community into your best marketing engine


Finding opportunity inside unexpected life pivots

Links & Tools from This Episode:


Follow Alex Hopes on Instagram  


Visit Zilker Bark’s Website


Follow Zilker Bark on Instagram


Free Resources


Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected]  

Produced by NOVA

Elite athletes don’t just train harder. They recover better. Between points, plays, and games, they use small, intentional rituals to reset their bodies and minds so they can perform again at a high level. In this episode, Jay Papasan makes the case that business owners and leaders need the same approach.

Inspired by a classic Harvard Business Review article, Jay breaks down the difference between habits, systems, routines, and rituals—and why rituals stand apart. Habits and systems automate outcomes. Rituals create meaning. That meaning helps us shift emotional states, regain focus, and sustain energy over the long haul.

Jay walks through four key areas where rituals matter most: physical recovery, emotional regulation, mental clarity, and connection to purpose and values. From walking meetings and white space to end-of-day transitions and goal-setting retreats, these practices help prevent burnout while improving results.

The takeaway is simple: if you want rituals of performance, you need rituals of recovery. The goal isn’t just a great year—it’s a great career. 

Shoutout to Anne-Laure LeCunff, author of Tiny Experiments and our guest in episode #497, whose writing on habits, routines, and rituals added depth and scientific grounding to this episode, even though it wasn’t called out during the recording. 

Listen to that episode of the podcast here.

Also, read Anne-Laure LeCunff’s fantastic article, Why Your Brain Needs Everyday Rituals.

Challenge of the Week:

Design one new ritual that adds recovery or meaning to your day. Put it on your calendar and protect it.

We talk about:

[00:00] What Elite Athletes Teach Us About High Performance

[03:45] Habits vs. Routines vs. Rituals

[12:35]  The Importance of Recovery in Any Profession

[14:02] A Ritual for Regulation: Emotional Clarity & Composure

[16:10]  A Ritual of Transition: From Work to Home

[20:02] How Can YOU Build Rituals Into Your Life?

[22:40] Rituals to Realign with Your Core Values

[28:27] What One Ritual Could You Add to Improve Everything Else You Do?

***

To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods.

We talk about:


Why elite performers recover faster than everyone else


The difference between habits, routines, systems, and rituals


How recovery rituals actually increase performance

Links & Tools from This Episode:


The Making of a Corporate Athlete (Harvard Business Review)


The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk


Free Resources


Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected] or send us an audio note at Speakpipe.com/the1thing.


Listen: Permission to Pause: Reclaim Your Identity Outside of Work with Jen Davis 

Produced by NOVA