35 pages • 1 hour read
Gary Keller, Jay PapasanThe ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
Gary Keller, Jay PapasanNonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2013A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 2, Chapters 10-12Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 2: “The Truth”
Part 2, Chapter 10 Summary: “The Focusing Question”
Common sense warns a person not to “put all their eggs in one basket.” Keller dismantles this idea by referencing a quote from the enormously successful industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who suggested that a person should put all their eggs in one basket and then watch that basket carefully. Keller recommends that a person practice the “Focusing Question” technique to narrow down their tasks or ideas and find the ONE Thing that is most significant. He defines the Focusing Question as, “What’s the one thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” (106). Starting with a good question is the key to pinpointing what to focus on in the pursuit of the goal that a person wants to accomplish.
Part 2, Chapter 11 Summary: “The Success Habit”
Keller developed the Focusing Question in the context of business. However, he believes it is helpful in all realms of life, including jobs, relationships, health, spirituality, business, and finances. For instance, a person might ask, “What’s the ONE Thing I can do to help others…?” in the context of their spiritual life (115). Likewise, in the realm of key relationships, they might ask, “What’s the ONE Thing I can do to make my family stronger…?” (116). Similarly, a person might ask themselves the question, “What’s the ONE Thing I can do to eliminate my credit card debt?” in regards to their finances (116).
Part 2, Chapter 12 Summary: “The Path to Great Answers”
Keller discusses the idea of the Focusing Question further, defining what makes for a “Great Question.” Questions about goals can take different forms: They can be big and specific, small and specific, small and broad, or big and broad. Keller lays these types of questions out on a quadrant and argues that big and specific questions are those most likely to generate a Great Question. Big and specific questions relate to large, long-term goals, but they are also focused and thus achievable.
A Great Question can in turn lead to a “Great Answer.” Types of answers include those that are doable, those that are a stretch, and those that are a possibility. Keller suggests thinking about the outer limits of your achievement—what seems beyond your grasp—in order to achieve real success. At the same time, you must realistically acknowledge the difficulty involved in and the effort required to meet such an achievement. With that in mind, you can generate a Great Answer from a Great Question. For inspiration, Keller recommends looking to stories of people who have worked hard and achieved great success. Doing so will help you focus your questions and keep an eye on what is trending.
Part 2, Chapters 10-12 Analysis
In Part 2 of The ONE Thing, Keller shifts from busting the myths surrounding productivity and success to providing direct suggestions to help readers lay a foundation for their goals. Thus, after breaking down received ideas in Part 1, The ONE Thing builds up new ideas in Part 2. In the new section, Keller identifies what is perhaps the most important concept in his book: the Focusing Question, or, “What’s the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” (106). This question gives the book its title, but it also distills Keller’s emphasis on focusing and prioritizing.
The Focusing Question shows how deeply Keller values reflection. Implicit in his method is the argument that one must think carefully before taking any serious action; thinking itself is a means to focus. The Focusing Question is a heuristic: a practical method of discovery to solve a problem. For Keller, this problem is the matter of setting a purpose. “Start with the big stuff and see where it takes you” (13), he writes. By orienting the Focusing Question in terms of important priorities (the “ONE Thing”), you can more easily align your work with your purpose. The results, Keller argues, are worth the effort, as a “Great Question” is likely to lead to a “Great Answer.”
Keller implies that his method of approaching goals in business (and life) has the potential to lead to exceptional insights and ways of working and being that are extraordinary. This is clear when he writes, “Anyone who dreams of an uncommon life eventually discovers there is no choice but to seek an uncommon approach to living it” (106). The kind of exceptional success he has had, and which he wants readers to attain as well, entails unorthodox approaches. Those who accept Keller’s ideas must be open to adaptation, for “[a] new answer usually requires new behavior” (125).
Though Part 2 aims at lofty heights of success, it stays grounded in terms of how to get there. Keller argues consistently that success is a matter of building habits over time, not something achieved instantly. Success requires work and constant reflection; we must return to the Focusing Question again and again. Part 2 also continues one of the sub-themes of The ONE Thing—the value of learning from others—when it discusses studying historical examples, working with mentors, and reading others’ stories as necessary to achieving success.
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