Havi Brooks recently wrote a post on her blog that introduces a simple concept for GTD (Getting Things Done): the “Just One Thing” approach. The idea is extremely simple, almost obvious, but amazingly effective: If you could do just one thing right now, what would you do? Actually her words are better here:

“If I were going to just do one thing, and that thing were ridiculously easy to do, what would that thing be?”

The “thing” should have a purpose, preferably to get you back into the “zone,” or a productive state of mind. However, the “thing” could be as simple as getting out of bed, since most of us can’t really complete daily tasks in bed. Whether you’re interested in how to start a business or how to lose weight, productivity can be the deciding factor in your success or failure!

I have mentioned before that I’m lazy and unorganized. But with a small bit of direction and/or purpose, I’m pretty damn productive (ask Brandon sometime how driven I get when he asks me to build him a website…). The problem is, I’m habitually ready to just sit on my ass and think about how I could be getting something done instead of actually doing it. I need a way to get myself back into my “zone” so I can get stuff done. So I’m officially trying this little experiment:

For {however long I feel like keeping it up}, I will ask myself {whenever I consciously think about it} “what’s ONE thing {preferably small and trivial} that I can do RIGHT NOW?”

It begins now: “I will get off my derrier and run (maybe on a treadmill so I can also read). I don’t know how long, but I’ll just get up and do it.”

For Havi, this tactic effectively helped her focus on one small, seemingly insignificant thing that inevitably would lead to getting bigger projects done. For example, “I will get out of bed” might lead to “I will brush my teeth” and since most of the waking up process is complete, “I guess I will write a blog post…”

The idea isn’t to create a mental to-do list, but simply focus on ONE THING at a time! Instead of making yourself sick wondering how you’ll get done all the crap you’ve got to do tomorrow, take super-ultra-uber baby steps. Don’t think about anything in the future (whether it’s tomorrow or 5 minutes from now), and don’t try to set up a one-thing-leads-to-another chain of events. That should happen by itself.

Try it (notice these are all in the present tense and should be acted upon immediately):

• I will get off the couch
• I will run a mile
• I will finish that image for my website
• I will call my client back
• I will go fishing
• I will go swimming
• I will put the fork down and stop eating
• I will feed my tortoise
• I will write down some possible blog topics

The alternative approach to this idea is the emotional-proactive mindset. “I will be productive today” isn’t going to help me get anything done. Neither will “I will focus on my studies more today” and “I will work on my websites.” These are safe, but not effective. The secrets to making an effective “Just One Thing” statement are:

1. Make sure it’s in the present tense (or as close as possible). “I will” counts if you are implying that you will right now.
2. Create specific boundaries. “Working” is not specific, but “Working on a blog post I started yesterday” is.
3. Include measurable opportunities. If you look back in an hour and you haven’t worked on that blog post, you lose.

Get started on the path to productivity with me (and Havi) and let me know how it goes!

Related posts:

1. Productivity 101: Every Time You Sit Down, Make Something Happen
2. Social Media Influence: 3 Steps to Boost Your Social Media Productivity

Brandon, Havi Brooks