The One Question That Simplified My Life—and How It Can Do the Same for You

If you don't feel like reading, you can listen to the full episode on Spotify here. But if you're up for a story, let’s dive in. PS: it will take longer to read ;D

I used to believe that the more I did, the more I’d accomplish. But if life is a to-do list, mine felt like one that stretched endlessly into the horizon, the kind that keeps you running but never lets you arrive. And then, one day, I stumbled upon a question—a single question—that made me pause.

Not just any question. This one stopped me in my tracks.

"What’s the one thing I can do, such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?"

It’s a question from The One Thing by Gary Keller, and I’ll admit, it sounded almost too good to be true. Just one thing? Surely life was more complicated than that. We’re supposed to juggle, multitask, and check all the boxes, right?

Wrong. But let me explain how I learned that.

A while back, I was drowning in work. My calendar looked like someone spilled ink all over it, smudging every hour with meetings, deadlines, and tasks I couldn't even remember agreeing to. I was exhausted, burnt out, and—worst of all—stuck. I was running around trying to do everything, and nothing was getting done.

Then one day, I found myself flipping through The One Thing, a book that had been gathering dust on my shelf. There it was: Keller’s focusing question. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I remember thinking, "What’s one thing I can do to make this chaos disappear?"

I stared at that question for a while. Slowly, I realized I didn’t need to do everything. I just needed to figure out the one thing that would make the rest of my tasks easier or unnecessary. So I did it.

Let’s be real for a second: Life is full of noise. It’s like a bad concert where all the instruments are playing at once, and you can’t make out a melody. You’ve got work demands, personal relationships, finances, health goals, spiritual aspirations—all playing in the same room, competing for your attention. It’s overwhelming. But what if you could quiet the noise?

The focusing question is like a volume knob. Turn down the distractions, and you can hear what’s important.

When I started applying this question to different areas of my life—my job, my health, my relationships—it was like magic. Suddenly, everything started to click. At work, I stopped chasing ten different projects and instead focused on that one critical meeting I needed to set up. That small move? It cleared up the rest of my week. In my personal life, it meant reaching out to someone I’d been meaning to catch up with, rekindling that connection. And in my health? It was as simple as blocking out time in the morning to hit the gym.

And here’s the crazy part: It worked. Focusing on less gave me more.

Here’s the truth: Every second you spend on things that don’t move you toward your goal is time you’ll never get back. And that’s a tough pill to swallow. But what if, instead of trying to manage it all, you cut out the noise? What if you let go of the things that don’t matter and laser in on the one thing that does?

Maybe you’re reading this right now feeling overwhelmed by the demands of life. Maybe you’ve got a to-do list a mile long and not enough hours in the day. I get it. I’ve been there. But I’ve also learned this: Success isn’t about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things—the things that matter most.

So here’s what I want you to do. Right now. Take a deep breath, pick one of the seven life categories Keller talks about (spirituality, health, relationships, work, business, finances), and ask yourself that magical question: “What’s the one thing I can do this week such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”

It could be setting up that meeting that’s been hanging over your head. It could be sending a text to a friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with. Or it could be something as simple as blocking out time for yourself to think. Just one thing. Start there.

If you liked this article, check out all past episodes of my podcast What’s Your 1 THING? [here]. Every week, I break down real, actionable ways to simplify your life and focus on what truly matters. You don’t have to do it all—just the one thing that matters most.

Let’s keep the conversation going, one thing at a time.