Drawing on the provided sources, Chapter 2, "The Domino Effect," presents a core metaphor for

understanding how extraordinary results are achieved, emphasizing sequential action over
simultaneous effort. Applying the 80/20 principle to this chapter means identifying the few vital
concepts that convey the most significant understanding of this effect's role in success.
The key ideas representing the impactful 20% of concepts from Chapter 2 are:
• The Domino Effect Metaphor: Success is likened to a line of standing dominoes, where
tipping over the first one sets off a chain reaction. This illustrates the principle that "when
one thing, the right thing, is set in motion, it can topple many things".
• Geometric Progression, Not Just Linear: The crucial insight is that a single domino can
knock down one that is up to 50 percent larger. This isn't just a linear chain; it's a geometric
progression. Starting with a small effort (like a two-inch domino), the effect can quickly
escalate to immense proportions, far exceeding the scale of the initial action.
• Success is Sequential, Not Simultaneous: Extraordinary success is built one thing at a
time, over time. The process involves doing "the right thing and then you do the next right
thing". This sequential building is what unleashes the geometric potential of success.
• Actively Finding and Toppling the Lead Domino: Life doesn't automatically line up your
priorities for you. Highly successful people actively identify their priorities each day, find
the "lead domino" (the most important thing), and focus their energy on knocking it over.
This process applies both to big-picture goals and the smallest daily decisions.
• The Link to Extraordinary Results: Getting extraordinary results is fundamentally about
creating this domino effect in your life by prioritizing and focusing all your energy on
accomplishing the most important thing. The Focusing Question is designed to help you find
this "first domino" and concentrate on it.
These principles highlight that focusing disproportionately on the one right thing creates a powerful
chain reaction that builds over time, leading to results that are far greater than the sum of individual
actions, much like a single small domino initiating the fall of progressively larger ones.

Based on the sources and our conversation, Chapter 3, "Success Leaves Clues," focuses on the idea
that understanding how to achieve extraordinary results is possible by observing those who have
already done so. The core principle (the 80%) is that success isn't random, but follows discernible
patterns or "clues". Applying the 80/20 principle, the minority of key concepts (the 20%)
highlighted in this chapter that provide the most insight into these patterns are the various ways
"The ONE Thing" shows up in successful ventures and lives.
Here are the vital clues representing the approximate 20% of ideas from Chapter 3 that explain the
majority of its message:
• Success is Not Accidental; It Leaves Clues: The fundamental premise is that proof of "The
ONE Thing" is "everywhere". By looking closely at successful companies and individuals,
you can find evidence of the principles that drove their achievements.
• The ONE Thing Appears as a Dominant Product or Service: Extraordinarily successful
companies consistently have one product or service they are most known for or that
generates the majority of their revenue. Examples provided include Colonel Sanders starting
 KFC with one chicken recipe, Adolph Coors Company's growth based on a single product,
Intel's reliance on microprocessors, and the clear identity of Starbucks.
• The ONE Thing Appears as a Key Relationship: In individual success, there is often one
person who was the first or most significant influence, trainer, or manager. The source
states, "No one succeeds alone. No one".
• The ONE Thing Appears as a Defining Passion or Skill: Behind stories of extraordinary
individual success, you will consistently find the presence of one intense emotion or one
learned ability that shines through, defining or driving them more than anything else. The
example of Gilbert Tuhabonye illustrates how his passion for running became a skill, a
profession, and the foundation for a charity, igniting and defining an extraordinary life.
• The ONE Thing as a Fundamental Truth: The chapter concludes by stating that "The
ONE Thing shows up time and again in the lives of the successful because it’s a
fundamental truth". Applying it is presented as the "simplest and smartest thing" to propel
yourself towards the success you desire.
These clues demonstrate that a concentrated focus on one essential element – be it a product, a key
relationship, or a core passion/skill – is a recurring pattern in achieving extraordinary success,
reinforcing the core message of "The ONE Thing" approach.

Part 1 of "The ONE Thing," titled "THE LIES THEY MISLEAD AND DERAIL US," explains the
fundamental falsehoods that prevent individuals from focusing on what truly matters and achieving
extraordinary results. The core message (the 80%) is that ingrained, commonly accepted beliefs feel
like truth but are actually "lies of success" that muddle our thinking, misguide our actions, and
sidetrack our success. Banishing these lies is presented as a necessary step to openly accept and
apply "The ONE Thing".
Applying the 80/20 principle, the vital few lies (the 20%) that contribute most significantly to this
derailment, based on the provided sources, are:
• Everything Matters Equally This is highlighted as a primary lie because it directly
contradicts the fundamental principle of unequal distribution, the 80/20 Principle. The
source states that "equality is a lie". This belief leads people to approach success as a game
won by doing the most things, rather than focusing on the few things that matter most. To-do
lists can reinforce this by making everything on the list seem equally important, when much
of it is "trivial, unimportant stuff". The reality, proven by the 80/20 Principle, is that a
minority of effort leads to a majority of results, and extraordinary results come from
disproportionately fewer actions. To combat this lie, the book advocates for "extreme
Pareto" – continually narrowing down your list until you identify the single most important
thing.
• Multitasking The sources declare multitasking a lie because, despite its mainstream
acceptance, it is not an effective way to get more done; it's an effective way to get less done.
Research shows that "high multitaskers are suckers for irrelevancy" and are "just lousy at
everything" when compared to those who focus. While physically possible to do multiple
things (like walk and talk), our brain cannot effectively focus on two things at once; our
attention bounces back and forth. Trying to focus on multiple things divides brain capability,
makes it harder to return to original tasks, costs time due to switching, distorts the sense of
 how long tasks take, increases mistakes, and causes more stress. Giving undivided attention
to what matters most in the moment is crucial.
• A Disciplined Life This is listed as one of the six lies. The sources briefly mention the lie of
discipline in relation to habit and selected discipline.
• Willpower Is Always on Will-Call The sources explain that willpower is a "limited but vital
resource" that "must be managed". It is depleted by making decisions and controlling
impulses. This contrasts with the lie that it's always available when needed. When willpower
is low, people default to familiar, less effective behaviors. Timing is critical for willpower;
you need it at full strength for your most important task done first, and enough left to
support or avoid sabotaging that work throughout the day.
• A Balanced Life This is called a "myth" and a "lie" because absolute balance in life is
unattainable; it's an "act of balancing" rather than a static state. The idea of balance, aiming
for the middle, prevents the "extraordinary time commitments to anything" required for
extraordinary results. Instead of pursuing balance, the concept of counterbalancing is
introduced, accepting that focusing on what's important means some things will be
"underserved," but ensuring you can find your way back. Professional life often requires
going "long" or being out of balance for periods to focus on the ONE Thing, while personal
life requires going "short" to stay connected to everything that matters most. Prioritizing, not
balancing, is key to achieving extraordinary results and changing your destiny.
• Big Is Bad This lie suggests that thinking or acting big is inherently negative. However, the
sources argue that a big opportunity is better than a small one, and extraordinary results
often require dreaming big and thinking big.
In summary, Part 1 uses the 80/20 principle by focusing on the most impactful lies that keep people
from applying the core concept of "The ONE Thing," highlighting how these common but false
beliefs about equality, multitasking, willpower, balance, and the nature of "big" activities prevent
focused effort and ultimately derail success.

Based on the sources, Chapter 4, "Everything Matters Equally," serves to dismantle a fundamental
"lie of success" that prevents people from achieving extraordinary results. Applying the 80/20
principle to this chapter means focusing on the vital few concepts that explain why everything
doesn't matter equally and how this truth should guide our actions.
The core ideas representing the impactful 20% of concepts from Chapter 4 are:
• Equality is a Lie in the World of Results: The chapter explicitly states that "Equality is a
lie" when it comes to results. While equality is a worthy ideal for justice and human rights,
in the context of achievement, things are never equal. Not all efforts or tasks contribute
equally to success.
• The 80/20 Principle (Pareto's Principle): This principle is the foundational truth that
debunks the lie. It asserts that a minority of causes, inputs, or effort usually lead to a
majority of the results, outputs, or rewards. Discovered by Vilfredo Pareto in the 19th
century based on land ownership and later applied by Joseph Juran to quality control ("vital
few and trivial many"), this principle demonstrates the predictable certainty of unequal
distribution in nature and success. While often stated as 80/20, the specific ratio can vary
 (e.g., 90/20, 70/10, 65/5), but the underlying truth remains: some things matter more than
others—a lot more.
• The Problem with To-Do Lists: The common approach of using extensive to-do lists is
critiqued because it fosters the belief that "Everything Matters Equally". To-do lists can
"tyrannize us with trivial, unimportant stuff that we feel obligated to get done" simply
because they are on the list, leading to busyness rather than productivity. Tackling tasks as
they appear (like dealing with an inbox) means letting "things which matter least" take
precedence over "things which matter most".
• From To-Do List to Success List: Understanding the 80/20 Principle transforms a to-do list
into a "success list" by prioritizing. It highlights that extraordinary results are
disproportionately created by fewer actions. Success isn't about doing the most things, but
about focusing on the few things that matter most.
• Extreme Pareto (Going Small): The chapter advocates taking the 80/20 principle further, to
an "extreme". It's about continually narrowing down the vital few until you identify the
single most important thing, the "imperative ONE". This "going small" means ignoring all
the things you could do to focus on what you should do. It's the process of finding the ONE
Thing by asking, "What's the ONE Thing I can do... such that by doing it everything else
will be easier or unnecessary?" .
In essence, Chapter 4 uses the 80/20 principle to prove that not all activities are equal in their
impact on success. By identifying and focusing disproportionately on the "vital few" tasks or "the
ONE Thing," individuals can move from mere activity and busyness towards true productivity and
extraordinary results, effectively transforming a long list of equally weighted tasks into a prioritized
pathway.

Based on the provided sources and our conversation, Chapter 5, "Multitasking," focuses on
exposing the common belief in multitasking as a detrimental "lie" that hinders productivity and
success. Applying the 80/20 principle, the core message (the 80%) is that multitasking is not an
effective way to achieve extraordinary results; it's counterproductive and causes significant negative
consequences. The vital few concepts (the 20%) that highlight why this is the case are the various
ways multitasking harms focus and effectiveness.
Here are the key concepts representing the approximate 20% of ideas from Chapter 5 that convey
the majority of its message about why multitasking is a lie:
• Multitasking is a Lie and Ineffective: Despite being widely accepted and even listed as a
desirable skill, the sources explicitly state that multitasking "is a lie" and "neither efficient
nor effective". Research, like that by Clifford Nass at Stanford, showed that "high
multitaskers are suckers for irrelevancy" and were "just lousy at everything" compared to
those who focus.
• Humans Cannot Focus on Two Things at Once: While humans can physically do two
simple things at once (like walk and talk), like computers, they cannot effectively focus on
two things simultaneously. Our attention bounces back and forth between tasks. The term
"multitasking" originated with computers, referring to multiple tasks sharing one resource
(the CPU) by switching, not doing them concurrently. Juggling, similarly, is an illusion
achieved by rapidly switching attention between balls, one at a time.
 • Task Switching is Costly: Attempting to do two or more tasks at once requires "task
switching". This switching takes time to activate the "rules" for the new task and reorient to
the original one, especially with complex tasks. This costs time and effectiveness.
Researchers estimate this inefficiency costs up to 28 percent of an average workday.
• Multitasking Divides Focus and Reduces Quality: Trying to focus on multiple things at
once divides brain capability. Divided attention means less effective focus on each task. This
leads to reduced time returning to the original task, increased mistakes, poorer decisions
(often favoring new information over more valuable old information), and distortion of the
sense of time needed for tasks.
• Negative Impacts Extend Beyond Productivity: Beyond just work tasks, multitasking can
have serious, even fatal, consequences, as highlighted by the dangers of driving while using
a phone. It also leads to more stress. Highly successful professionals like pilots and
surgeons are expected to give total concentration, reinforcing the idea that important work
requires undivided attention.
• The Alternative is Undivided Attention: To combat the lie of multitasking, the key
takeaway is to figure out what matters most in the moment and give it your undivided
attention. This means focusing on "the most important thing".
In essence, Chapter 5 uses the 80/20 principle by highlighting that the vast majority of negative
outcomes attributed to multitasking stem from the fundamental truth that our brains cannot
effectively focus on multiple things simultaneously. The solution is to concentrate on the "vital
few," giving your ONE Thing your undivided attention.

Based on the sources and our conversation, Chapter 6, "A Disciplined Life," challenges the
common belief that achieving success requires living a life of constant, pervasive discipline.
Applying the 80/20 principle, the essential takeaway (the 80%) is that the idea you need to be a
"disciplined person" living a "disciplined life" is a lie. Success isn't about mastering every single
action with discipline, but rather something much more focused.
The vital few concepts (the 20%) that deliver this message and explain the truth are:
• The sources state that the pervasive idea of the "disciplined person" is a lie. You don't need
more discipline than you already possess; you simply need to direct and manage it better.
• Success isn't a "marathon of disciplined action," where every single behavior must be
trained and controlled. Instead, it's described as a "short race—a sprint fueled by
discipline just long enough for habit to kick in and take over".
• When something isn't getting done, the thought is often "I just need more discipline".
However, the real need is for the habit of doing it, and just enough discipline to build that
specific habit.
• What appears to be a "disciplined" person is actually someone who has trained a handful
of habits into their life, making them seem disciplined when they are not necessarily
disciplined in all areas.
• Being successful doesn't require being a disciplined person because success is about doing
the right thing, not about doing everything right.
• The key is to choose the right habit and apply just enough discipline to establish it. This
focused approach is referred to as "selected discipline". Michael Phelps, the Olympic
 swimmer, is given as an example of someone who used selected discipline by focusing on
swimming daily.
• Developing the right habit through selected discipline simplifies life. It gives you license to
be less disciplined in other areas because you know what matters most and have built a
habit around it.
• Habits are hard only in the beginning and require much less energy and effort to maintain
than to start.
• Research by University College London suggests it takes an average of 66 days to
establish a new habit. Sticking with the discipline for this period allows the habit to
become routine.
• Successfully acquiring one positive habit can create a "halo effect," making other positive
changes easier as well.
In essence, Chapter 6 focuses on the impactful truth that you don't need to be an inherently
disciplined person across the board to achieve success. By applying disciplined effort strategically
to build one powerful habit at a time, particularly the habit of focusing on your ONE Thing, you
leverage your limited willpower and create a routine that requires less ongoing discipline, ultimately
making extraordinary results more attainable.

Based on the sources, Chapter 7, "Willpower Is Always on Will-Call," tackles the "lie" that our
willpower is constantly available and boundless. Applying the 80/20 principle to this chapter means
extracting the vital few truths (the 20%) that explain why this belief is false and how understanding
the reality of willpower is crucial for achieving the majority (the 80%) of your extraordinary results.
The core message (the 80%) is that willpower is a limited resource that must be managed
strategically. The impactful 20% of concepts that support this are:
• The Lie Itself: The chapter directly states the belief that "Willpower is always on will-call"
is a lie. Unlike the common proverb "Where there’s a will, there’s a way," willpower has
another essential element: timing. It's not simply a matter of character; it's about when you
use it.
• Willpower is a Limited, Renewable Resource: Think of willpower like a battery or a gas
tank. You start the day with a full charge, but every time you use it (for tasks like
implementing new behaviors, resisting temptation, filtering distractions, or making
decisions), you use some up. It depletes throughout the day, but it can be recharged with rest
and replenishment.
• Using Willpower on One Task Reduces It for Subsequent Tasks: Each act of willpower
creates a "win-lose scenario" where successfully using willpower in one situation makes it
more likely you'll "lose" later because you have less of it available. Even small cognitive
loads, like memorizing a slightly longer number, have been shown to significantly reduce
willpower, leading people to make different, less prudent choices (like choosing cake over
fruit).
• Low Willpower Leads to Falling Back on Defaults: When your willpower is low, you tend
to revert to your ingrained "default settings". This was dramatically illustrated by the study
of Israeli parole judges whose decisions were significantly more likely to be negative ("no"
 to parole) at the end of a session before a break or refueling, as their willpower was
depleted.
• Willpower Needs Fuel (Nutrition): The brain, particularly the prefrontal cortex responsible
for willpower, consumes a significant amount of energy. Studies show that exercising
willpower lowers glucose levels in the bloodstream, and replenishing blood sugar (e.g., with
sugar-sweetened lemonade vs. a placebo) can improve subsequent performance on
willpower-requiring tasks. Complex carbohydrates and proteins that provide sustained
energy are ideal fuel.
• Effective Willpower Use is About Timing and Prioritization: Since willpower is limited,
successful people manage it by giving it the time of day it deserves. This means scheduling
and doing your most important work – your ONE Thing – when your willpower is strongest,
which is typically earlier in the day, before it's been significantly drained by other decisions
and tasks.
In summary, Chapter 7 uses the 80/20 principle by emphasizing that the primary challenge with
willpower isn't having enough of it, but understanding its limited nature and strategically applying
its "vital few" moments of strength (the 20% of the day/energy) to your most important task (the
80% of results), rather than spreading it thin across numerous, less impactful activities.

Based on the sources, Chapter 8, "A Balanced Life," directly challenges the widely accepted notion
that a successful or fulfilling life is achieved by maintaining a perfect state of equilibrium or
balance across all areas. Applying the 80/20 principle here highlights that the vast majority of the
negative outcomes and frustrations people experience regarding "balance" stem from believing this
fundamental misconception. The vital few concepts (the 20%) explain why this belief is a lie and
propose a more effective alternative for achieving extraordinary results (the 80%).
The core message conveyed by the chapter is that "A balanced life is a lie" and a "myth—a
misleading concept". The sources argue that nothing in life achieves absolute balance; what appears
balanced is actually a continuous act of "balancing" or "counterbalancing". While people
frequently express a need for more balance, assuming it's the correct pursuit, the sources state this is
not what makes a successful life; instead, it's seeking purpose, meaning, and significance.
Here are the key concepts representing the approximately 20% of ideas from Chapter 8 that deliver
the majority of its message:
• Balance as a Static Myth vs. Life as Dynamic Counterbalancing: The sources explicitly
state, "Balance doesn’t exist" as a static state. It's a noun viewed wistfully but is lived
practically as a verb, a constant act of balancing. What looks like balance, like a ballerina en
pointe, is actually rapid, minute "counterbalancing" adjustments.
• Extraordinary Results Require Leaving the Middle: Thinking of balance as the "middle"
prevents you from making the extraordinary time commitments needed for significant
achievement. Trying to attend to everything in the middle means everything gets
shortchanged. The sources emphasize that the "magic happens at the extremes," not in the
middle.
• Focusing on What Matters Requires Being Out of Balance: Achieving extraordinary
results demands focused attention and time on your ONE Thing. Giving time to one thing
necessarily means taking time away from another, which "makes balance impossible".
 When you focus on what is truly important, something else will always be underserved.
Leaving some things undone is a necessary tradeoff for extraordinary results.
• Counterbalancing Prevents Going Too Far: While you must go out of balance,
counterbalancing is crucial. It means "you never go so far that you can’t find your way back
or stay so long that there is nothing waiting for you when you return". This is not just about
well-being, but essential for being well; habitual long hours can even be deadly.
• Two Buckets, Different Counterbalancing: Counterbalancing occurs in two primary areas:
between work and personal life, and within each.
• For professional success, achieving extraordinary results requires "getting extremely
out of balance in relation to all other work issues". You must give disproportionate
time to your ONE Thing. This means "going long" on your main work priority and
being okay with other lesser work priorities being neglected for periods, with only
infrequent counterbalancing for them. Professional success requires leaving things
undone at work.
• For your personal life, you must maintain constant awareness of key areas like spirit,
body, family, friends, and personal needs. None can be sacrificed. Personal life
requires "tight counterbalancing," moving back and forth quickly and often
combining activities, ensuring none are neglected for long. You should "go short" in
your personal life, avoiding long periods where you're out of balance in any key area.
Personal life requires this constant attention.
• It's About Priority, Not Balance: The question isn't whether you go out of balance, but
whether you go short or long, which is fundamentally a question of "priority". Changing
your language from "balancing" to "prioritizing" brings clarity to your choices.
In essence, Chapter 8 applies the 80/20 principle by revealing that the pursuit of a mythical, static
"balanced life" is the major impediment (80% of the problem) to achieving extraordinary results.
The solution lies in understanding and practicing strategic, dynamic counterbalancing (the 20%
vital few concepts) – focusing intensely on your most important priority (going long at work) while
ensuring essential personal areas receive consistent, frequent attention (going short in personal life).
An extraordinary life is achieved through this intentional act of counterbalancing based on clear
priorities.

Drawing on the sources provided, Chapter 9, "Big Is Bad," is presented as one of the six lies about
success that can mislead and derail us. Applying the 80/20 principle to this chapter reveals that the
central lie itself (the 80% problem) is the belief that "Big is bad", specifically the idea that big
success, big goals, or a big life are inherently negative, complicated, or detrimental. This belief is
highlighted as "quite possibly the worst lie of all" because it causes people to "either avoid it or
sabotage your efforts to achieve it".
The vital few concepts (the 20%) that explain why this is a lie and provide the key takeaways for
achieving the majority of extraordinary results are:
• The sources state that the idea that "big and bad go together" is a lie, emphasizing they are
not inherently related or synonymous. While a big problem might be bad, a big opportunity
is better than a small one.
 • Many people associate big achievement with being hard, complicated, time-consuming,
overwhelming, and intimidating. There is a fear that big success brings crushing pressure
and stress, potentially robbing them of time with family and friends and even their health.
This creates a "dis-ease" with big, or "megaphobia," the irrational fear of big.
• Believing "big is bad" triggers "shrinking thinking," where lowering your trajectory or
staying where you are feels safe and prudent. However, this is where the opposite is true;
when big is seen as bad, "small thinking rules the day and big never sees the light of it".
• Historically, people have been remarkably poor at estimating their limits. What people
once thought was impossible (breathing underwater, flying, space travel) has been achieved.
Similarly, "small boxes are often the root cause" when people talk about reinventing careers
or businesses, trapping them instead of serving as a platform for the next level.
• Thinking big provides the "best chance for extraordinary results today and tomorrow".
Pursuing a big life means pursuing greatness and the greatest life possible. Achievement and
abundance are described as the "natural outcomes of doing the right things with no
limits attached".
• The sources urge readers not to fear big, but rather to fear mediocrity, waste, and the lack of
living to their fullest. Thinking big requires moving past doubts.
• To counteract this lie and achieve extraordinary results, the chapter offers several "Big
Ideas":
• Think big: Avoid incremental thinking and ask bigger questions, such as doubling
your current goal to force a plan that guarantees the original goal.
• Don't order from the menu: Like historical figures who transformed the world,
imagine outcomes that don't currently exist and create your own solutions instead of
choosing from limited options.
• Act bold: Big thoughts require bold action. Imagine life with the answer to your big
question or study others who have achieved similar big goals. What works for others
will "almost always work for us".
• Don't fear failure: Failure is a necessary part of the journey to extraordinary results;
"we fail our way to success". Failure is a learning process that helps us grow and
keep striving for true potential.
• Ultimately, the message is that only living big allows you to experience your true life and
work potential.
In essence, Chapter 9 leverages the 80/20 principle by highlighting how the pervasive lie "Big Is
Bad" represents the primary barrier (80%) preventing people from pursuing their full potential and
achieving significant outcomes. The key to overcoming this (the 20%) lies in understanding that big
is not inherently bad, embracing big thinking and bold action, and accepting that failure is a step on
the path, thereby unlocking the possibility of extraordinary results (the other 80%).

Drawing upon the sources and our previous discussion about the "lies" presented in Part 1, Part 2,
titled "THE TRUTH THE SIMPLE PATH TO PRODUCTIVITY," unveils the core principles
that represent the vital few (the 20%) leading to the majority of extraordinary results (the 80%).
While Part 1 identifies the common misconceptions that mislead us, Part 2 offers the simple,
powerful method to counteract them and achieve high levels of productivity and success.
The central concept presented in Part 2 (Chapters 10, 11, and 12) is The ONE Thing itself,
primarily embodied by The Focusing Question. Applying the 80/20 principle here means that
focusing on this single, vital question and the actions it dictates (the 20% effort) is what ultimately
drives the majority of desired outcomes (the 80% results).
Here are the key elements of Part 2, viewed through the lens of the 80/20 principle:
1. The Focusing Question is the Core Tool (the 20% effort): Instead of tackling everything
(the ineffective 80% approach like to-do lists and multitasking), the Focusing Question
directs you to the "essential ONE". It asks, "What’s the ONE Thing I can do... such that
by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?". This question is designed to
apply the 80/20 principle by forcing you to identify the single, most leveraged activity. It's
the simple starting point that, when answered and acted upon, has the power to move the
"first domino" and make numerous other tasks less difficult or entirely irrelevant. The magic
isn't in doing more; it's in identifying and doing the ONE Thing.
2. The Success Habit (making the 20% action automatic): Understanding the Focusing
Question isn't enough; the key is to make asking and acting on it a habit. This habit is
described as the "ultimate Success Habit" and is crucial for fully engaging the power of
the ONE Thing to get extraordinary results. By making this vital habit automatic (which
research suggests takes around 66 days), you reduce the discipline required over time,
allowing you to consistently focus your energy on the most productive actions (the 20%
effort). This consistency, fueled by the habit, leads to disproportionately better results (the
80% outcome).
3. The Path to Great Answers (finding the high-leverage actions): Achieving extraordinary
results (the 80%) requires not just asking the Focusing Question but finding a "Great
Answer". Great Questions (like those generated by the Focusing Question) are described as
being "big and specific". A Great Answer isn't usually obvious or easy; it lives "outside
your comfort zone" and often requires thinking beyond what is currently known or done.
The process involves research, studying high achievers, and then benchmarking and
trending to find a "possibility answer". This focus on finding the most impactful, often non-
obvious, answer is another application of seeking the vital few actions that yield the vital
few results. It's the "one-two punch" for extraordinary results: asking a great question and
finding a great answer.
In summary, Part 2 presents the fundamental "truth" that counteracts the "lies" by applying the
80/20 principle. It teaches that the simple path to productivity is not through broad effort across
many tasks but through a focused approach: consistently asking the Focusing Question to identify
the most important task (the vital few), developing the habit of acting on it, and seeking high-
leverage, "Great Answers" that live outside the ordinary. By concentrating your effort on this vital
few approach (the 20%), you unlock the possibility of achieving the majority of the extraordinary
results (the 80%) you desire.

Drawing upon the sources and our conversation history, Chapter 10, titled "THE FOCUSING
QUESTION," is presented as the core tool and the simple formula for applying The ONE Thing
principle to achieve extraordinary results. Using the 80/20 principle, we can see that the Focusing
Question itself represents the vital few effort (the 20%) that, when consistently applied, leads to
the majority of desired outcomes (the 80%).
The central lie addressed by this chapter (which relates to the "Everything Matters Equally" lie from
Part 1) is the tendency to feel overwhelmed by numerous tasks or directions. The truth, as revealed
by the 80/20 principle and embodied in the Focusing Question, is that not all things matter
equally. A small amount of causes creates most of the results.
Here's a summary of Chapter 10 through the lens of the 80/20 principle:
• The 20% Effort: The Focusing Question
• The chapter posits that the quality of answers is directly determined by the quality of
the question. Great questions are the path to great answers.
• The Focusing Question is presented as a "great question" and the "uncommon
approach" to finding exceptional answers. It collapses all possible questions into one
essential query: "What's the ONE Thing I can do... such that by doing it
everything else will be easier or unnecessary?".
• This question forces you to identify the single, most important action, ignoring
what is merely doable and drilling down to what is necessary and possible to act
upon ("can do" vs. "should do").
• It is designed to find the "first domino" – the task that, when completed, will
leverage other tasks, making them easier or eliminating the need to do them at all.
• The Focusing Question serves a double duty: it helps find your overall direction
("big picture") and also the specific action to take right now ("small focus").
• The 80% Results: Extraordinary Outcomes
• By consistently asking and acting on the answer to the Focusing Question (the 20%
effort), you align your actions and make the best decision, ultimately leading to
extraordinary results.
• This focused approach combats the tendency to carry "too many baskets," which
breaks most people's "eggs". Instead, it directs you to the single basket that matters
most.
• Applying this question repeatedly lines up tasks in their "levered order of
importance", building success sequentially through a domino effect. When you do
the right task first, it builds the right mindset, skill, and relationship first.
• Asking the Focusing Question and acting on the answer is described as the "ultimate
Success Habit". Making this habit automatic (which research suggests takes about
66 days) ensures you consistently focus your vital few efforts on the highest-impact
tasks, driving the majority of your results.
• The chapter introduces the concept of Great Questions being Big & Specific.
Turning a Big & Specific question into the Focusing Question forces you to identify
the single action that is absolutely necessary for achieving that significant goal. This
combination of a Great Question and finding a Great Answer is the "one-two punch"
for extraordinary results.
In essence, Chapter 10 teaches that achieving disproportionate results (the 80%) doesn't come from
doing more, but from identifying and doing the single most important thing (the 20%). The
Focusing Question is the crucial tool provided to help you consistently find and act on that ONE
Thing in every area of your life, thereby leveraging your effort for maximum impact.

Drawing upon the sources and our conversation history, Chapter 11, "THE SUCCESS HABIT,"
builds directly upon the concept of the Focusing Question (Chapter 10) by explaining how to make
its consistent application a powerful driver of results. Using the 80/20 principle, this chapter
positions the habit of asking and acting on the Focusing Question as the vital few effort (the
20%) that reliably leads to the majority of extraordinary outcomes (the 80%) over time.
Here's a summary of Chapter 11, viewed through the lens of the 80/20 principle:
• The Core Lie Addressed: Chapter 11 implicitly addresses the lie of "A Disciplined Life"
(Chapter 6), which suggests success requires being a "disciplined person" constantly. The
truth, as presented here, is that success doesn't require a marathon of discipline, but rather a
sprint of discipline long enough to build powerful habits. This allows you to achieve
extraordinary results with less discipline than you might think, by focusing that discipline on
building the right habit.
• The 20% Effort: The Success Habit
• The chapter identifies the habit of asking the Focusing Question – "What’s the
ONE Thing I can do... such that by doing it everything else will be easier or
unnecessary?" – as the "ultimate Success Habit".
• This habit is the key to fully engaging the power of The ONE Thing and the
Focusing Question to achieve the extraordinary results you desire. By making this
specific action (using the question) routine, you ensure your efforts are consistently
directed toward the most important task.
• Building this habit requires initial discipline. However, once the habit is formed, it
requires significantly less energy and effort to sustain. Research suggests habits, on
average, take about 66 days to form. The sources emphasize sticking with the
discipline until it becomes routine.
• The 80% Results: Extraordinary Outcomes & Simplified Life
• By consistently focusing on the ONE Thing identified by the habit of asking the
Focusing Question (the 20% effort), you achieve the disproportionately better
results (the 80%) that stem from doing what matters most.
• This focus allows you to get more done, achieve better results, and earn far more
in your hours than others. Great success isn't about doing everything right, but about
doing the right thing.
• A significant benefit mentioned is that developing the right habit simplifies your life.
When you know what you need to do well (your ONE Thing), you gain license to be
less disciplined or concerned about numerous other tasks.
• There is also evidence of a "halo effect". Successfully acquiring one positive habit
(like consistently using the Focusing Question) can positively influence other areas
of your life, leading to improvements in stress levels, spending, health habits, and
more. This demonstrates how one vital few habit can positively impact many areas
(the majority).
• Making it Happen (Applying the 20%): To build this vital habit, the sources offer "BIG
IDEAS":
 • Understand and believe in the concept.
• Actively use the Focusing Question daily.
• Commit to making it a habit, understanding it takes time (around 66 days).
• Use reminders (like notes, signs, or screen savers) to prompt yourself to use the
question.
• Recruit support from colleagues or family, as others can significantly influence
habit formation.
In summary, Chapter 11 applies the 80/20 principle by identifying that the habit of using the
Focusing Question is the critical input (the 20%) that directs your efforts towards the highest-
leverage activities. Developing this habit through initial discipline (the sprint) makes consistent
focus achievable, leading to disproportionately positive outcomes and a simpler life (the 80%
results).

Drawing upon the sources and our conversation history, Chapter 12, "THE PATH TO GREAT
ANSWERS," outlines the second crucial step in achieving extraordinary results after asking the
powerful Focusing Question (Chapter 10). This chapter inherently embodies the 80/20 principle by
emphasizing that finding the right answer (the vital few output of your inquiry, or potentially the
20% effort in the search process) is what truly unlocks the majority of disproportionate results
(the 80% outcome).
Here's a breakdown of Chapter 12 through the lens of the 80/20 principle:
1. The One-Two Punch: Great Question, Great Answer (Identifying the Vital Few
Actions) The chapter presents the process of achieving extraordinary results as a "one-two
punch": first, Ask a Great Question (the Focusing Question), and second, Find a Great
Answer. This sequence highlights the 80/20 idea because asking the right question, and then
diligently pursuing the best possible answer to that single, leveraged question, represents
focusing your effort (the 20%) on the activities most likely to produce the significant results
(the 80%).
2. Framing the Great Question (Directing the Initial 20% Effort) Building on Chapter 10,
the sources reiterate that Great Questions, like great goals, are Big & Specific. They push
you, stretch you, and leave no room for ambiguity about the desired outcome. The "Great
Question" matrix illustrates how only the Big & Specific quadrant (Quadrant 1) forces you
to think beyond incremental gains and aim for a truly significant target (the 80% result) .
Turning this into the Focusing Question ("What's the ONE Thing... to double sales in six
months such that...") further refines this by forcing you to identify the single most important
action (the vital few effort) to achieve that big, specific goal. This initial focus on framing
the right question ensures your subsequent search for an answer is directed efficiently
towards high-impact potential.
3. Understanding Answer Categories (Differentiating High and Low-Leverage) The
sources categorize answers into three types: Doable, Stretch, and Possibility.
• Doable answers are easy, within your current reach, and require little change. These
are the "trivial many" answers – low effort, likely producing only minor results .
 • Stretch answers are at the edge of your current abilities, potentially achievable but
requiring effort and research. These require more effort than "doable" but might still
not yield truly extraordinary results without pushing further .
• Possibility answers are the ones high achievers seek . These live outside your
comfort zone and existing knowledge, and finding them requires you to stretch
what you believe is possible. This focus on Possibility answers aligns with the 80/20
principle: these are the vital few types of answers that, when found and acted upon,
have the potential to produce disproportionate, extraordinary results.
4. The Path to Possibility Answers: Benchmark and Trend (Focusing Effort on High-
Impact Search) Finding a Possibility answer requires a specific, focused process – the 20%
effort dedicated to uncovering the 80% answer.
• It starts with research and studying high achievers ("Has anyone else studied or
accomplished this?").
• But it doesn't stop there; it requires benchmarking (understanding today's success)
and trending (anticipating tomorrow's success).
• This process involves looking beyond what is currently known or done to find a truly
original, "new answer". By focusing your search on this specific, high-leverage
method of benchmarking and trending, you concentrate your effort (the 20% in the
search process) on discovering the answer that is most likely to produce exceptional
results (the 80% outcome). This requires a commitment to "maximize your reach" to
"maximize your life".
In essence, Chapter 12 demonstrates the application of the 80/20 principle by showing that
achieving truly extraordinary results (the 80%) is not about finding any answer to any question, but
about consistently focusing your efforts (the 20%) on asking the Big & Specific Focusing
Question and diligently seeking Possibility Answers through processes like benchmarking and
trending. This focused approach to finding the highest-leverage answer is the key to unlocking
disproportionate success.

Based on the provided sources and our conversation history, PART 3, "EXTRAORDINARY
RESULTS UNLOCKING THE POSSIBILITIES WITHIN YOU," integrates the core principles
discussed in previous sections, applying the 80/20 principle to guide you toward significant
achievements. This section posits that achieving extraordinary results (the 80% outcome) is
primarily driven by focusing on a few crucial elements and actions (the 20% effort).
Here's a summary of Part 3 through the lens of the 80/20 principle:
• The Core Formula: Purpose, Priority, and Productivity (The 20% Inputs Leading to
80% Outcomes)
• Part 3 presents a simple formula for achieving extraordinary results: purpose,
priority, and productivity. These three are described as bound together and
continually confirming each other.
• Your "big ONE Thing" is your purpose, acting as your compass. Your "small
ONE Thing" is the priority you take action on daily to achieve that purpose.
Productivity is the outcome of connecting purpose and priority.
 • This framework embodies the 80/20 principle: defining your purpose (the vital few
ultimate goal) allows you to identify the single most important priority (the vital few
action), which when acted upon consistently (the focused 20% effort), drives
disproportionately high productivity and results (the 80% outcome).
• Finding Your Focused Effort (The 20% Actions & Mindset)
• Achieving extraordinary results is about "going small". This means ignoring all the
things you could do (the trivial many) and focusing on what you should do (the vital
few). Extraordinary results are directly determined by how narrow your focus can be.
Going small is the way to get to the ONE Thing.
• The concept of "Extreme Pareto" is emphasized – applying the 80/20 principle
repeatedly until you narrow down to the single most important thing. This iterative
process is the focused effort required to find the ONE Thing amidst many
possibilities.
• Time blocking your ONE Thing is presented as the practical implementation of this
focused effort . The sources explicitly state that if disproportionate results come from
one activity, you must give that one activity disproportionate time. This is the
critical 20% activity that drives the 80% results.
• Committing to your ONE Thing involves three key aspects, representing vital few
mindsets and approaches:
• Following the Path of Mastery: Committing to becoming your best at your
most important work.
• Moving from “E” to “P”: Shifting from an "Entrepreneurial" approach
(relying only on natural ability, which hits a ceiling) to a "Purposeful"
approach (actively seeking better models and systems to break through
ceilings of achievement). This is a clear 80/20 application: focusing your
effort on finding the vital few best methods ("P") rather than just doing what
comes naturally ("E").
• Living the Accountability Cycle: Taking ownership of your outcomes and
seeking support (like coaching) to stay on track. Accountability is the vital
few habit that ensures perseverance through challenges.
• Avoiding Productivity Thieves requires actively protecting your focus . Saying
"No!" to the rest is a fundamental 20% action that enables your most emphatic
"Yes!" to your ONE Thing. Prioritizing health habits provides the essential energy
for focused effort .
• The Extraordinary Outcomes (The 80% Results)
• By consistently focusing your vital few efforts (the 20%) on your ONE Thing, you
achieve extraordinary results (the 80%).
• This focused approach leads to high productivity, getting more done in the hours
worked. Those who time block their ONE Thing become known for it and become
highly valuable.
• Focusing on the ONE Thing, while potentially leading to temporary chaos in other
areas, ultimately leads to a simpler life because you are clear on what matters most
and gain the ability to manage the resulting mess.
 • Consistently focusing on the ONE Thing allows you to achieve Big & Specific goals
and unlock possibilities that were previously unimaginable. Success is built
sequentially, like falling dominoes, starting with the first, most important one.
• Living a life driven by purpose and focused action on your priority is the path to
happiness and fulfillment.
In essence, Part 3 teaches that extraordinary results are not achieved by balancing many tasks or
being constantly busy, but by applying the 80/20 principle to focus on the vital few (the 20%)
aspects: defining your purpose, identifying your single most important priority (your ONE Thing),
time blocking it consistently, committing to mastery and purposeful action, and actively saying no
to distractions. This concentrated effort reliably leads to the majority of desired outcomes (the
80%).

Based on the provided sources, Chapter 13, "Live with Purpose," emphasizes the foundational role
of purpose in achieving extraordinary results, directly aligning with the 80/20 principle by
identifying purpose as a vital few (20%) input that drives a majority (80%) of desired outcomes
like extraordinary results and happiness.
Here's a summary of Chapter 13 through the lens of the 80/20 principle:
• Purpose as the Foundation (The Vital Few Input) The chapter presents a simple formula
for achieving extraordinary results: purpose, priority, and productivity . These three are
described as bound together and continually confirming each other . Your "big ONE
Thing" is your purpose, serving as your compass . This highlights purpose as the crucial,
fundamental element (the 20%) that directs all subsequent actions and outcomes. The more
productive people are, the more purpose and priority are pushing and driving them .
• The Connection: Purpose Sets Priority, Priority Drives Productivity (The 20%
Sequence) The sources explain that your purpose sets your priority, and your priority
determines the productivity your actions produce . The most productive people start with
purpose and use it like a compass to determine the priority that drives their actions . This
connection is a clear application of the 80/20 principle: focusing effort (20%) on defining
purpose allows you to identify the single most important priority (the next 20% focus),
which in turn drives the majority of your productive actions and results (the 80%). Purpose
without priority is powerless .
• Purpose Leads to Happiness and Fulfillment (The 80% Outcome) The chapter asserts
that a life lived on purpose is the most powerful and the happiest . While most people seek
happiness directly, the surest path to lasting happiness is making your life about something
bigger, bringing meaning and purpose to your everyday actions . This positions happiness
and fulfillment as major outcomes (the 80%) that arise from the focused effort (the 20%) of
identifying and living in alignment with your purpose.
• The Power of Purpose and the "Big Why" (Driving the 80%) Knowing what matters to
you (your purpose) is the prescription for extraordinary results . Purpose is described as the
straightest path to power and the ultimate source of personal strength, leading to clearer
direction, more conviction, faster decisions, and ultimately, the best possible outcomes and
experiences . This "Big Why" or core drive is the vital few element that provides the energy
 and focus needed to achieve the majority of disproportionate results. When what you do
matches your purpose, your life feels in rhythm .
• Defining Purpose (The Focused 20% Effort) Finding your purpose can be as simple as
deciding the ONE Thing you want your life to be about more than any other . It involves
asking yourself what drives you, what gets you up in the morning and keeps you going .
Using the Focusing Question – "What's the ONE Thing I can do in my life that would mean
the most to me and the world, such that by doing it everything else would be easier or
unnecessary?" – is presented as a way to use the power of The ONE Thing to bring purpose
to your life. This focused questioning and reflection (the 20% effort) is the key to
uncovering the guiding purpose (the foundation for the 80% outcomes).
In summary, Chapter 13 highlights that living with purpose is not just a philosophical concept but a
practical application of the 80/20 principle. By investing focused effort (the 20%) in defining and
aligning your actions with your purpose, you unlock disproportionately high productivity,
extraordinary results, happiness, and fulfillment (the 80%) .

Based on the provided sources and our conversation history, Chapter 14, "Live by Priority,"
explains how to translate your overarching purpose into the specific actions that drive extraordinary
results, emphasizing the 80/20 principle as the guiding force behind this process. The core idea is
that achieving the majority of your desired outcomes (the 80%) comes from focusing your effort
on a minority of crucial actions (the 20%).
Here's a summary of Chapter 14 through the lens of the 80/20 principle:
• The Singular Nature of Priority (The Vital Few - The 20%): The chapter highlights that
the word "priority" originated in the 14th century from the Latin word prior, meaning "first,"
and remained singular until the 20th century. To achieve extraordinary results, the meaning
must revert to its original intent: ONE Thing. This is a direct application of the 80/20
principle – recognizing that out of everything you could do, there is one thing that matters
the most and should come first.
• Going Small and Extreme Pareto (Applying the 80/20 Effort): Living by priority means
understanding that not all things matter equally. Instead of trying to do everything on a to-
do list (which the sources suggest is often just a "survival list" lacking the intent of success
and treating everything equally), you must "go small" by ignoring the many things you
could do and focusing on the few things that matter most. The path to priority is to take the
80/20 Principle to an extreme. This means identifying the vital few (the 20%) and then
repeatedly applying the principle to find the vital few of the vital few, continuing until you
narrow down to the single most important thing. Extraordinary results are
disproportionately created by fewer actions than most realize.
• Goal Setting to the Now (Connecting Future Outcomes to Present Effort): The sources
introduce "Goal Setting to the Now" as the method for determining your most important
priority. This process involves starting with a big future goal (your ultimate 80% outcome or
purpose) and methodically drilling down through nested goals (e.g., someday goal -> 5-year
goal -> 1-year goal -> month -> week -> day) until you arrive at the single most important
thing you must do right now. Each step in this nesting process is an application of finding
the vital few priority that supports the next level goal, demonstrating how a small, focused
 effort ("right now") builds up to a big outcome over time. Skipping these steps makes it
difficult to identify the powerful priority needed in the present moment.
• Priority is Purpose-Driven (The 20% Foundation for 80% Direction): Living with
purpose (your "big ONE Thing") allows you to know where you want to go. Purpose then
acts as the compass that sets your priority. Your "small ONE Thing," which is the priority
you act on, is determined by your purpose. The sources state that the most productive people
start with purpose and use it to determine their priority. Purpose without priority is
powerless. Therefore, your purpose provides the essential direction (a vital few guiding
principle) that ensures the priority you choose (the vital few action) is the correct one to
move you towards your most important outcomes.
• The Result: Extraordinary Outcomes (The 80% Results): Consistently identifying and
acting on your singular priority – the ONE Thing you can do such that by doing it
everything else will be easier or unnecessary – is the path to extraordinary results. By
focusing your limited time and energy (your 20% effort) on this vital few priority, you
achieve disproportionately positive outcomes (your 80% results).
In essence, Chapter 14 frames living by priority as the practical application of the 80/20 principle
and Extreme Pareto. It's about the focused effort of identifying and committing to the single most
important action (the 20%) right now by understanding your purpose and using Goal Setting to the
Now, thereby driving you towards extraordinary results (the 80%).

Based on the provided sources and our conversation, Chapter 15, "Live for Productivity," centers
on transforming purpose and priority into tangible results by focusing effort on the actions that
matter most, which is a practical application of the 80/20 principle. The chapter emphasizes that
extraordinary results (the 80% outcome) come from focused effort on a vital few activities (the
20% input), primarily through the method of time blocking.
Here's a summary of Chapter 15 through the lens of the 80/20 principle:
• Productivity as the Outcome of Purpose and Priority (The Visible 80%): The sources
describe a formula for extraordinary results: purpose, priority, and productivity. These three
are interconnected, with productivity being the visible outcome driven by the foundational
purpose and the derived priority. Living for productivity is presented as the way to produce
extraordinary results. This reinforces the idea that productivity isn't about doing everything
or being busy, but about getting the most out of what you do, when what you do matters.
• Time Blocking the ONE Thing (Focusing the Vital Few Effort): The core method for
living productively is time blocking. Instead of just managing time, time blocking is a
results-oriented way of using time by making sure what has to be done gets done. It involves
identifying your ONE Thing – your top priority based on your purpose – and dedicating
maximum time to it. The sources explicitly state that if disproportionate results come from
one activity (the 80/20 idea), then you must give that one activity disproportionate time.
This is the direct application of the 80/20 principle to your schedule: investing a significant
portion (the 20% or more) of your available time on the vital few activity that will produce
the majority (the 80%) of your desired results.
• Protecting the Time Block (Eliminating the Trivial Many): Achieving high productivity
on your ONE Thing requires fiercely protecting the time block dedicated to it. This means
 consciously saying "not now" or "never" to other things you could do until your most
important work is complete. Allowing mess or "chaos" in other areas while focusing on the
ONE Thing is an inevitable consequence, and resisting this fear is crucial for productivity.
By saying "no" to the "everything else", you effectively eliminate the trivial many (the 80%
of tasks that yield minimal results) to focus your limited resources (time, energy, willpower)
on the vital few (the 20% of tasks). Asking the Focusing Question specifically for your
blocked time helps identify the most leveraged activity for that time, further refining this
concentrated effort.
• Prioritizing Time Allocation (Structuring the 20%): The sources recommend time
blocking three things in a specific order to ensure maximum productivity: time off, your
ONE Thing, and planning time. Time blocking time off first allows you to recharge and be
more productive during work time. Blocking your ONE Thing second reinforces its
importance as the most important appointment. This structured allocation ensures that the
vital few priorities (rest and the ONE Thing) get dedicated time, preventing the trivial many
from consuming it.
• Managing Energy and Environment (Supporting the Focused Effort): High
achievement requires big energy, and productivity is supported by managing your spiritual,
physical, emotional, and mental energy. Creating a supportive environment, both in terms of
people and physical surroundings, also aids productivity by providing optimism and
physical lift for your ONE Thing. While not explicitly tied to the 80/20 numbers, these
practices support the effectiveness of the focused effort during the vital few time blocks,
ensuring that the 20% effort is as powerful as possible to yield the 80% result.
In essence, Chapter 15 operationalizes the 80/20 principle by advocating for a highly focused
approach to work. It teaches you to identify the vital few tasks (the ONE Thing) based on your
purpose and priority, dedicate disproportionate time (the 20%) to these tasks through time
blocking, protect that time fiercely by saying no to the trivial many (the other 80% of tasks), and
manage your energy and environment to maximize the effectiveness of your focused effort, thereby
unlocking extraordinary results (the 80% outcome).

Based on the provided sources and our conversation history, Chapter 16, "The Three
Commitments," outlines the essential mindsets and actions required to successfully implement the
ONE Thing and achieve extraordinary results. These commitments inherently align with and
reinforce the 80/20 principle, emphasizing that focused effort on a vital few areas drives the
majority of your success.
Here is a summary of the three commitments through the lens of the 80/20 principle:
1. Follow the Path of Mastery: This commitment is about dedicating yourself to becoming
the absolute best you can be at your ONE Thing. Mastery is presented as a journey rather
than a final destination. By choosing to pursue mastery in your most important work, you
are focusing your energy and learning on the vital few skills or knowledge (the 20%) that
will disproportionately make "everything else you do either easier or no longer
necessary" (leading to the 80% outcome). The sources mention that becoming an elite
performer often requires around 10,000 hours of practice, which translates to about 4 hours a
day for work-related skills over a year. This highlights the need for disproportionate time
 blocking (a focused 20% or more of your work day) specifically for your ONE Thing to
progress significantly on the path to mastery.
2. Move from "E" to "P": This commitment describes the shift from an "Entrepreneurial"
approach (doing what comes naturally or what's needed in the moment) to a "Purposeful"
approach (consciously seeking out and adopting the best models and systems to achieve
your goals). While the "E" approach might yield some results, the "P" approach is focused
on finding the vital few, high-leverage methods or systems (the 20%) that will drive you
furthest and fastest towards your desired outcome. It's about being intentional in your
choices and approaches, ensuring that your limited effort is directed towards the most
effective strategies to produce the majority of your results (the 80%). Being purposeful
means not settling for what's easy but actively seeking the best way.
3. Live the Accountability Cycle: Taking complete ownership of your outcomes is described
as potentially the most important commitment. Accountability means holding yourself
responsible for your results and persevering through challenges. The sources emphasize
practical steps like writing down your goals and, crucially, sharing your progress with
someone else. Research shows that those who wrote down their goals were significantly
more likely to achieve them (39.5% more likely), and those who also sent progress reports to
friends were even more likely (76.7% more likely). This demonstrates a clear application of
the 80/20 principle: the vital few actions (the 20%) of writing down goals and sharing
progress reports disproportionately increase your likelihood of success (the 80%).
Accountability provides the necessary framework to ensure your focused efforts on the ONE
Thing consistently happen, preventing distractions and setbacks from derailing your
progress. Coaching is also noted as an invaluable support for accountability and the other
commitments.
In summary, "The Three Commitments" are the foundational behaviors and mindsets (the vital
few - the 20%) that support focusing on the ONE Thing. By committing to mastery, a purposeful
approach ("E" to "P"), and accountability, you ensure that your efforts are directed towards the most
impactful activities, thereby unlocking extraordinary results (the majority - the 80%) over time.

Based on the sources and our conversation, Chapter 17, "The Four Thieves," addresses the
obstacles that can derail your efforts to live for productivity and achieve extraordinary results by
preventing you from focusing on your ONE Thing, which is the core application of the 80/20
principle. These "thieves" undermine your ability to dedicate disproportionate time and energy to
the vital few activities that produce the majority of results.
Here's a summary of The Four Thieves through the lens of the 80/20 principle:
The chapter opens with the "Good Samaritan Experiment," illustrating how even with good
intentions, distractions (like being in a hurry) can prevent people from acting on what they know
matters most. Just as lies mislead, these "Four Thieves" can hold you up and rob your productivity.
Successfully implementing the ONE Thing requires being vigilant against them.
The Four Thieves are listed as:
1. Inability to Say "No"
2. Fear of Chaos
 3. Poor Health Habits
4. Environment Doesn’t Support Your Goals
From the perspective of the 80/20 principle:
• Inability to Say "No": This is perhaps the most direct thief attempting to steal your ability
to live by the 80/20 principle. The principle states that a small minority of efforts lead to the
majority of results. The ONE Thing is the ultimate example of this – focusing on the vital
few. Saying "yes" to the "everything else" – the trivial many things that don't matter equally
and yield minimal results – means you are not saying "yes" or dedicating your limited time
and energy to your ONE Thing. The source states that one "yes" must be defended by 1,000
"nos" over time. To protect the disproportionate time required for your ONE Thing, you
must say "not now" to anything else until your most important work is done. The inability to
say "no" allows the trivial many (the 80% of tasks that yield little result) to consume the
time and energy needed for the vital few (the 20% of tasks that yield major results).
• Fear of Chaos: While not extensively detailed in the provided Chapter 17 snippet, this thief
implies that focusing intensely on your ONE Thing (the vital few) will inevitably mean other
less important areas experience some level of disorder or "mess" [implied by the intense
focus on one thing]. The fear of this chaos can prevent individuals from fully committing to
the deep focus required by the ONE Thing time block. Overcoming this fear is necessary to
truly dedicate effort to the vital few and allow the trivial many to be less perfect or even
neglected temporarily. The alternative is to spread yourself thin (like multitasking),
achieving less overall on the most important thing.
• Poor Health Habits: The source lists this as a thief. While the direct explanation of how it
steals productivity isn't fully detailed in the provided Chapter 17 text, other parts of the
sources discuss how high achievement requires "big energy" and that willpower is a limited
resource. Poor health habits deplete this energy and willpower, making it harder to exercise
the discipline needed to stick to time blocks and resist distractions. By eroding your physical
and mental resources, poor health makes it more difficult to consistently apply focused effort
on your ONE Thing, thus hindering the effective execution of the vital few tasks.
• Environment Doesn’t Support Your Goals: Your environment, including the people you
are surrounded by and your physical space, can either support or steal your productivity. If
your environment encourages or allows frequent interruptions and distractions, it constantly
pulls you towards the trivial many. The source notes that anyone or anything can divert
attention from your most important work. Conversely, surrounding yourself with high
achievers can positively influence your motivation and performance. A supportive
environment helps you protect your time block and stay focused on your ONE Thing,
enabling you to make the vital few efforts count and achieve extraordinary results. Without a
supportive environment, it's harder to resist engaging with the 80% of less important things
and focus on the critical 20%.
In summary, Chapter 17, "The Four Thieves," identifies the key internal and external obstacles that
specifically undermine your ability to apply the 80/20 principle by robbing you of the time, energy,
and focus needed for your ONE Thing. Overcoming the inability to say "no," the fear of chaos, poor
health habits, and an unsupportive environment is essential to protect the disproportionate time
dedicated to your vital few activity, which is the path to extraordinary results.
Chapter 18, "The Journey," emphasizes the consistent application of the principles outlined in the
book, particularly the focus on the ONE Thing, as the path to achieving extraordinary results over
time. This chapter reinforces the 80/20 principle by highlighting that sustained, focused effort on
the vital few activities is what ultimately drives the majority of success.
Here's a summary of "The Journey" through the lens of the 80/20 principle:
• Success is a Sequential Journey, Not a Single Leap: The chapter starts by stating that
"One step at a time" is true, and the journey to anything you want "always starts with a
single step". This single step is called the ONE Thing. The source also previously
highlighted that success is "built sequentially", "one thing at a time", and "over time". This
aligns with the 80/20 principle because it's not about doing many things simultaneously, but
rather consistently taking the vital few key steps (the 20% of actions) that compound over
time to create the majority of your success (the 80% of results). Trying to do "everything
else" simultaneously (the trivial many - the other 80% of activities) is not the path to
extraordinary results.
• Thinking Big, Going Small, and Taking the First Step: The chapter prompts you to
imagine your life as "big as it can possibly be". However, it immediately connects this big
vision to the necessity of going small, emphasizing that the journey starts with a "single
step". The concept of "thinking big, but going very small" is fundamental to the book. The
80/20 principle applied to the extreme suggests focusing on the 20% of the 20%, and so on,
until you arrive at the single most important thing. Chapter 18 reinforces that this singular
focus (the extreme 20% effort) is the starting point and the continuous method ("keep on
stepping") to achieve the big vision (the 80% outcome).
• Connecting Future Goals to Present Action (Goal Setting to the Now): The "Goal
Setting to the Now" process is how you connect your "someday" goal to the "ONE Thing I
can do right now". This structure is a practical application of the 80/20 principle over
different time horizons. Your long-term goal (the 80% outcome you want far in the future) is
dependent on identifying and executing the vital few priorities today, this week, this month,
etc. (the 20% of immediate effort). Consistently focusing on the "powerful priority" in the
present moment, which is the result of drilling down from your big goal, is the high-leverage
activity that makes everything else "easier or unnecessary" over time. Visualizing the
process (the steps/priorities), not just the outcome, helps you plan and execute the vital few
actions needed.
• Time Blocking as the Engine of the Journey: The chapter mentions the importance of time
blocking, a concept discussed earlier in the book as crucial for living for productivity . Time
blocking your ONE Thing ensures that you dedicate disproportionate time to the
disproportionately important activity. This dedicated time block is the practical
mechanism for living the 80/20 principle daily – ensuring the vital few tasks (your ONE
Thing) get the time and focus they deserve to produce the majority of your results. "An
appointment with yourself is the surest path to ensuring you achieve extraordinary results".
• Habit Formation and Consistency: Achieving extraordinary results requires consistency.
The source notes that it takes "on average 66 days to create a new habit". By focusing on
your ONE Thing long enough for it to become a habit, you embed the consistent
application of the 80/20 principle into your daily routine. Once the vital few actions
 become habitual, they require less conscious discipline, making the journey towards the
majority of your results more sustainable.
In essence, Chapter 18 frames the lifelong pursuit of extraordinary results as a journey defined by
the continuous application of the ONE Thing. This journey is the practical manifestation of the
80/20 principle: consistently identifying and focusing the majority of your effort and time (the
20%) on the single activity (the vital few of the vital few) that will create the largest and most
significant outcomes (the 80%) over time.

The section "Putting The ONE Thing to Work" serves as a practical guide for implementing the
core concepts of the book, fundamentally applying the 80/20 principle (Pareto's Principle) to
various aspects of your life and work. The principle states that a minority of effort leads to a
majority of results, emphasizing that not everything matters equally. This section shows how to
identify and focus on the "vital few" (the ONE Thing) that will produce the "trivial many" (the
everything else) either easier or unnecessary, thus driving the majority of your results.
Here's how this section aligns with the 80/20 principle:
• Identifying the Vital Few with the Focusing Question: The central tool for putting the
ONE Thing to work is the Focusing Question: "What's the ONE Thing I can do... such that
by doing it everything will be easier or unnecessary?". This question is a direct application
of the 80/20 principle, pushing you to identify the single, most important action (the vital
few of the vital few) that will have the biggest impact (the majority of results) on your
goal. The section encourages applying this question to your personal life, job, work team,
non-profit, school, place of worship, and community. By continually asking this question,
you pinpoint the highest-leverage activity (the 20% effort) within any domain that will
disproportionately contribute to your desired outcome (the 80% result).
• Devoting Disproportionate Time to the Vital Few: The section strongly emphasizes time
blocking the ONE Thing. This is the practical mechanism for living the 80/20 principle
daily. If disproportionate results come from one activity, then you must give that one activity
disproportionate time. Time blocking ensures that your most important, high-leverage
activity (the 20% effort) receives dedicated, protected time, preventing it from being
consumed by less important tasks ("everything else" or the trivial many).
• Thinking Big, Going Small: The book's mantra of "thinking big, but going very small" is
reiterated in this section. Thinking big involves setting ambitious goals or a grand purpose
(the potential 80% outcome). Going small means drilling down using the Focusing Question
to identify the single, vital step (the 20% effort) needed right now to move towards that big
goal. This is extreme Pareto in action – continuously narrowing focus until you arrive at the
essential ONE.
• Consistency and Habit Formation: Achieving extraordinary results through the ONE
Thing isn't a one-time event; it requires consistency. The section reminds that it takes time
(around 66 days on average) to make the habit of applying the ONE Thing and the Focusing
Question routine. Consistent focus on the vital few activities is what allows success to be
built sequentially over time.
• Prioritizing What Matters Most: Ultimately, putting the ONE Thing to work is about
prioritizing effectively. It's about understanding that not everything matters equally and
 focusing on what matters most. This is the fundamental insight of the 80/20 principle –
recognizing and acting on the unequal distribution of importance.
In summary, the "Putting The ONE Thing to Work" section translates the abstract concept of the
80/20 principle into actionable steps for everyday life. By consistently using the Focusing Question
to identify the vital few and time blocking to dedicate disproportionate effort to it, individuals can
actively live the principle, moving past the "Everything Matters Equally" lie and achieving
extraordinary results in any chosen area.

Based on the sources provided and our conversation, the section "On the Research" details the
extensive effort undertaken to provide a strong foundation for the book's principles. When viewed
through the lens of the 80/20 principle, this section primarily illustrates the magnitude of the effort
(the inputs) made to validate the principles (including 80/20 itself), rather than describing the
research process as an application of 80/20.
Here's a summary of "On the Research" using the 80/20 principle framework:
• Disproportionate Effort to Validate the Vital Few Principles: The "On the Research"
section highlights a massive research effort undertaken for the book, starting in earnest in
2008. They archived "well over a thousand scholarly articles, scientific studies, and
academic papers; hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles; and a large library of books
written by the foremost experts in their fields". Binder after binder covered their writing
space. This describes a significant input of resources and time dedicated to investigating and
supporting the core concepts of the book, which include the 80/20 Principle itself. The
research gathered aimed to confirm that focusing on the vital few actions or efforts indeed
leads to the majority of results.
• Research Confirms the Principle of Unequal Distribution: While the section doesn't
detail applying 80/20 to the research process itself (e.g., that 20% of the sources provided
80% of the insights), the results of this vast research effort ultimately support the core
message of the book: that not everything matters equally. This unequal distribution is the
foundation of the 80/20 principle. The research provided the "discoveries, facts, and
anecdotes" that illustrate concepts like the Domino Effect, Success Leaves Clues (which
includes examples of companies and individuals focusing on their ONE Thing), and
explicitly introduced Pareto's Principle and Juran's work.
• Providing a Researched Basis for Focusing Effort: The extensive research described
serves to lend credibility and depth to the book's argument for focusing on the ONE Thing –
the application of the 80/20 principle to the extreme. By drawing on a wide range of
studies and experts, the authors aimed to convincingly demonstrate that focusing your effort
on the single most important thing is a "provable, predictable certainty of nature" for
achieving extraordinary results, much like Pareto's Principle itself.
In essence, the "On the Research" section demonstrates the authors' commitment to conducting a
comprehensive investigation (a large input) to build a solid case for their core message, including
the 80/20 principle and its extreme application to the ONE Thing, which they present as the key to
achieving a majority of desired results (the desired outcomes).
Based on the sources and our conversation, the "Index" section of the book can be viewed through
the lens of the 80/20 principle as a tool designed to provide disproportionate access to the most
important information.
Here's how the Index reflects or leverages the 80/20 principle:
• High-Leverage Navigation: The Index, which spans multiple pages, serves as a
navigational tool for the reader. In the context of the 80/20 principle, using the index is a
high-leverage activity (part of the 20% effort) that allows a reader to quickly find specific,
core concepts and topics within the book (providing access to a significant portion,
potentially the 80%, of the relevant information they seek at that moment). Without the
index, finding specific details would require significantly more effort (scanning or rereading
the entire book).
• Highlighting the Vital Few Concepts: The entries listed in the Index are typically the vital
few key ideas and subjects that the book focuses on. These include terms like "80/20
Principle" itself, "Focusing Question," "Time Blocking," "Purpose," "Priority,"
"Productivity," the "Six Lies Between You and Success," "Habits," "Willpower," and more.
These are the concepts that, according to the book's overall message, represent the 20% of
principles or actions that drive 80% or more of the extraordinary results. By indexing
these terms, the book implicitly reinforces their importance as the core elements to focus on.
• Efficiency in Finding Information: The existence of the Index allows readers to bypass the
"trivial many" pages of the book to quickly locate the "vital few" discussions related to a
specific topic. This mirrors the book's overall message of going small and focusing on what
matters most.
In essence, the Index doesn't apply the 80/20 principle as a process itself, but it is a feature of the
book that exemplifies the principle's value. It provides a tool for the reader to efficiently access the
book's most important content, which are the concepts (themselves based on the 80/20 principle)
intended to help the reader achieve extraordinary results by focusing on their own vital few
actions.

Based on the sources and our conversation history, the "Acknowledgments" section doesn't explain
the 80/20 principle directly, but it provides insight into how the principle was applied (or enabled)
in the creation of the book itself.
Here's a summary of the Acknowledgments section through the lens of the 80/20 principle:
• Focusing Authors' Effort (Their ONE Thing): The Acknowledgments highlight the many
individuals and teams whose contributions allowed the authors, Gary Keller and Jay
Papasan, to concentrate on their vital few task: writing the book. Other team members
stayed focused on their "ONE Thing" so the authors could do theirs. This exemplifies the
80/20 principle in action – by having others handle the "trivial many" tasks (various aspects
of design, production, marketing, research coordination, IT, etc.), the authors could devote
disproportionate time and effort to the "vital few" activity that produced the majority of the
core output (the book's text).
 • Prioritizing Core Content: The authors explicitly mention that when putting the book
together, they agreed to organize it using the principles of The ONE Thing. This meant
deviating from traditional book structures that include extensive front matter before the main
text. By prioritizing the Table of Contents and the "actual text" early in the book, they
applied the 80/20 principle by focusing on getting the most important content (the "vital
few") to the reader quickly, rather than getting bogged down in the "trivial many"
preliminary pages.
• Acknowledging the Vital Few Contributors (relative to the final output): While the list
of acknowledgments is extensive, it represents the individuals and groups who provided the
most significant support, expertise, and resources ("the vital few inputs") that were critical to
the book's success ("the majority of the output"). These include research teams, editors,
designers, marketing staff, business partners, and external experts. The list implicitly focuses
on those whose efforts disproportionately contributed to bringing the book to fruition.
In essence, the Acknowledgments section demonstrates the supportive ecosystem and
organizational choices that allowed the book's creators to embody the principles (like focusing on
the ONE Thing and prioritizing) that the book champions, thereby enabling them to produce the
book efficiently and effectively – an outcome that aligns with the results achieved by applying the
80/20 principle.

The "About the Authors" section, when viewed through the lens of the 80/20 principle, showcases
how the authors, Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, have applied the concept of focusing on their vital
few core activities to achieve extraordinary results.
Here's how it aligns:
• Gary Keller's ONE Thing is Teaching: According to the sources, Gary Keller's
professional "ONE Thing" is teaching. He achieved success as a real estate salesperson,
sales manager, and cofounder of Keller Williams Realty International by focusing on
teaching clients, training agents, and coaching. His definition of leadership is centered on
teaching people how to think and act effectively. He also helped others find success by
guiding them to narrow their focus to their own ONE Thing. This demonstrates how his
dedication to a single, high-leverage activity (teaching/coaching) disproportionately
contributed to his significant professional achievements (building a large company, writing
bestselling books, helping others succeed). Beyond his professional life, his single greatest
achievement is noted as the life he's built with his wife and son, suggesting a prioritization
of his personal life as a vital few area.
• Jay Papasan's ONE Thing is Writing: Similarly, Jay Papasan's professional "ONE Thing"
is writing. He pursued writing from a young age, studied it academically, worked in
publishing, and became a coauthor of multiple award-winning or bestselling titles with Gary
Keller. While he also speaks and has other ventures, his primary professional identity and
contribution, leading to the book itself and the Millionaire Real Estate series, stem from this
focused effort on writing. This illustrates how a concentrated effort on a specific skill
(writing) can yield a majority of professional output and recognition.
In summary, the "About the Authors" section provides real-world examples, from the authors
themselves, of how focusing on a single, vital activity – their declared "ONE Thing" – has been the
minority effort that led to a majority of their professional success and enabled them to produce
works like "The ONE Thing". It reinforces the book's core message that extraordinary results come
from identifying and committing to the vital few actions that matter most, a direct application of the
80/20 principle taken to the extreme.