I have a confession to make: I often get intimidated by books, lessons, or seminars because they offer so much good stuff and I want to absorb ALL OF IT and apply EVERYTHING right away.
Can you relate?
I have learned there is a better way. A kinder approach to learning and growing that does not end in guilt and frustration. My secret?
I focus on One Thing.
I will select ONE activity, strategy, or practice from the session or book that I will put into practice. Ideally I pick something I can start doing immediately.
That’s all. Just one.
Do you see how freeing the One Thing approach is?
It nips overwhelm in the bud. Sometimes I am reluctant to begin a book because I know it will give me SO MUCH wonderful information. There will be too much to absorb and I’ll feel bad for not instantly adopting all the wisdom on offer. It can be enough to avoid the book altogether. Picking One Thing relieves that pressure and makes me more willing to open the book and begin.
It produces better results. If I want to apply the Ten Best Ideas from a seminar I will fail. I cannot tackle ten new tasks on top of everything else—no matter how excited I am to try them. But I can handle one new thing. And making one positive change is progress.
It eliminates the guilt. If I try to apply multiple ideas I will most likely get bogged down and fail to follow through with any of them. If instead I focus on one thing, I can take the time to absorb it properly and then I can implement it successfully.
It gives permission to stop. Let’s say I find a useful strategy to adopt in chapter two of a book. Great! If I choose, I can give myself permission to set that book aside (for now, anyway). If the book has given me what I needed to learn at this moment then it doesn’t owe me anything more, and I don’t owe it any further obligations.
How do I choose my One Thing?
In my experience, whenever I attend a seminar or read a how-to book, there are a few key concepts that apply to where I am right now. There will be one or two items that really resonate because they apply directly to what I am already wrestling with. Those are the items that are candidates for the One Thing. (The rest may be reminders of what I’ve already learned or good advice for the future, but they are not something I need to implement right away.)
What if I want to focus on more than One Thing?
It may be that you can easily absorb and utilize several new lessons. Awesome! But never consider a book or seminar a waste if you apply only One Thing. Every One Thing you put into practice is a step in the right direction. Every One Thing makes a difference.
So give yourself permission to learn One Worthwhile And Applicable Thing today. And then count your day a success.
