The ONE Thing

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  Why Your Business Feels Unpredictable (and how to fix it) w/ Jordan Freed 14.09.2026 32dk

  You work all day and your results still swing month to month. One month you're unstoppable, the next the pipeline is empty and you can't understand why. Jordan Freed says your business has a first down: one repeatable action that makes everything after it predictable, and most of us have never named ours. In this episode, Jay sits down with Jordan Freed - head coach at The ONE Thing and Jay's own former coach. He says he has never coached a real estate professional who hit their listing number every single month and missed the rest of their goals. Just in time for football season, Jay and Jordan break a business down into first downs, first dominoes, and false starts. Jordan's clients are ambitious, and the ambition trips them: they rush from one thing to the next and nothing gets completed. Jay has watched the same people run hot until they burn out, then swing back the other way. Most people never stay consistent long enough to see the other side. Jordan describes it: home to the kids at 5:00 with everything done and the evening already mapped out. In this episode, you'll learn: How to break your business down into something predictable Why your first domino is usually smaller than the action you think you need How false starts create distraction and inconsistency Why ambitious people tend to rush past the real starting point How long-term consistency creates breakthroughs Why predictable success does not have to come at the expense of your health, family, or relationships Chapters:  (00:00) Why Your Business & Life Feel Unpredictable (02:19) How Tom Brady Made History (and what we can learn from it) (08:00) Guesswork Is an Invitation to Distraction (14:21) It Just Takes Longer Than You Think… (18:26) When You’ll Finally See Progress (22:46) How to Truly Be “Done” After Work (26:52) Jordan's 90-Day Challenge Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • Jordan Freed’s Website • Connect with Jordan on LinkedIn • Free Resources Produced by NOVA
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  Success Is Boring (and how to show up anyway) 07.09.2026 29dk

  You know what you should be doing every day. But most days you find a reason to make them tomorrow. Then the year ends looking exactly like the last one. Motivation was never going to carry you through work this boring. The people who show up every day set it up so that skipping costs them something. Jay Papasan edited Mia Hamm's book at HarperCollins. The story that stuck with him had nothing to do with the World Cup. It was wind sprints alone in a park in the off-season heat, and the note her coach left under her windshield wiper. Being number one in your market gets built the same way, out of a few thousand hours nobody sees, and you are wired to avoid every one of them. Willpower runs out long before the work does. Jay has watched three plain strategies carry people through the hours everyone else skips. You only need one. In this episode, you'll learn: Three ways to keep doing boring work after motivation and willpower run out Who else pays when you let yourself off the hook Why the best sales scoreboards track activities, not just sales The goal-setting chain from five years out down to what you do today The first domino: the action that has to happen before the one you keep skipping Which of Gretchen Rubin's four tendencies explains how you respond to expectations Chapters: (00:00) What Mia Hamm's Coach Caught Her Doing Alone (02:15) Why You'd Rather Be Shocked Than Sit Still (04:56) Strategy #1: Make It Bigger Than Yourself (08:09) Who Else Pays When You Skip the Work? (10:15) Strategy #2: Think in Five Years, Act This Week (13:05) The Step Before the Step You Keep Skipping (17:17) Strategy #3: Accountability Without a Boss (20:20) Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel? (24:55) Very Few People Will Do This Every Day Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • Chris Dixon's episode about using the 411 • The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin • Free Resources Produced by NOVA 
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  Ex-Google Leader: How to Actually Grow Into Your New Job Title - Shannon Anderson-Finch 31.08.2026 40dk

  If you've ever taken a new job or a new title and kept feeling like the old you, Shannon Anderson-Finch has a name for it: the gap between a change and a transition. Most people try to skip it. Shannon spent 15 years at Google and Deloitte, where she was named Coach of the Year, before starting her own practice. She now coaches new VPs at a large retailer and a first-time hospital president through that same gap. Her model runs in the wrong order: an ending, then a messy middle where you're neither here nor there, and only then a beginning. The middle is where she watches high achievers get impatient, and it's where she does most of her coaching. Jay tells a story in here about the morning his own affirmation changed one word on its own, and it gave Shannon goosebumps. *** In this episode, you’ll learn: -How to tell the difference between a minor change and a major transition -Why big transitions often require an identity shift -How to navigate the messy middle without rushing through it -Why strengths, feedback, and core values can help you grow into a new role -How experimenting with a new identity can make it start to feel natural Chapters: [00:00] When Change Requires a New Identity [08:38] The End Comes Before the Beginning [12:00] The Strengths That Move With You [19:24] Don’t Rush the Messy Middle [27:09] Becoming Who the New Role Requires [34:59] The Challenge: Try On Your New Identity Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • Anderson Finch Coaching • Free Resources Produced by NOVA 
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  Type 2 Work, and The Hidden Cost of Convenience 24.08.2026 19dk

  We spend a lot of energy trying to make life faster, easier, and more convenient. But what might we lose when we remove too much of the hard? Jay breaks down the “fun scale,” from Type One Fun that feels good in the moment to Type Two Fun that feels difficult while you’re doing it but becomes meaningful in retrospect. Then there’s Type Three Fun: hard experiences that never seem worth it. The difference often comes down to three things: choice, completion, and connection. Did you choose the challenge? Can you see a finish line? Is the struggle connected to something meaningful? Jay also explores what calculators, GPS, AI, and other conveniences can quietly take away when we stop exercising skills ourselves, and why leaders should help their teams “do hard better” instead of trying to remove every challenge. Know someone who may find this episode helpful? Share it with them: https://the1thing.com/podcast-episode/type-2-work-and-the-hidden-cost-of-convenience *** In this episode, you’ll learn: -What Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3 experiences look like -Why some hard experiences become your most meaningful memories -How choice, completion, and connection help you decide if hard work is worth it -Why making everything easier can weaken skills you still need -How to help yourself and your team “do hard better” Chapters:  [00:00] Why We Need More Type 2 Experiences [03:51] What Convenience Is Costing Us [06:43] The 3 Tests for Hard Things [07:29] Why Hard Needs a Finish Line [11:16] How to Do Hard Better [14:48] The Challenge: Test One Hard Thing Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • Oliver Burkeman and his previous conversation with Jay • Free Resources Produced by NOVA 
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  Building a Burnout-Proof Business with Mallory Rowan 17.08.2026 42dk

  Mallory Rowan was building a successful powerlifting apparel company, competing at a high level, and finishing university when her body finally forced her to stop. A routine doctor’s visit revealed that she had been living with pneumonia, but the warning signs had appeared long before: irritability, emotional exhaustion, unexplained health issues, and the growing feeling that she was no longer herself. Mallory joins Jay to share what it took to recover, ask for support, and separate her identity from her work. She explains how burnout changed the way she builds businesses, from creating stronger boundaries to designing for her personality, interests, and changing seasons of life. They also explore Mallory’s “toddler test” for uncovering what you truly want, why financial security can give entrepreneurs more freedom to take meaningful risks, and how expanding your options can protect both your health and your ambition. Know someone who may find this episode helpful? Share it with them: https://the1thing.com/podcast-episode/building-a-burnout-proof-business-with-mallory-rowan/ *** In this episode, you’ll learn:- How to recognize the emotional and physical signs of burnout- Why separating your identity from your work matters- How to design a business around your strengths and season of life- How the “toddler test” reveals what you actually want- Why financial security creates more freedom to take meaningful risks Chapters: [00:00] The Burnout Wake-Up Call [05:37] When Pushing Through Stops Working [13:38] You Are More Than Your Work [19:18] What Do You Really Want? [25:54] Making Work Optional [33:12] Sustainable Ambition [37:07] The Challenge: Find Six Solutions Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • Check out FundClub here • Mallory Rowan’s Website • Follow Mallory Rowan on Instagram • Free Resources Produced by NOVA
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  How Not to Know: The Science of Uncertainty with Simone Stolzoff 10.08.2026 42dk

  Simone Stolzoff, author of How to Not Know, joins Jay to explore why our search for certainty often leads us into three traps: comfort, hubris, and control. They discuss how replacing those instincts with growth, humility, and acceptance can help us move forward without having every answer. Simone shares practical ways to build your tolerance for uncertainty, including introducing small doses of randomness into your routine, looking to your past for evidence that you can handle difficult situations, and trusting your future self to solve future problems. They also break down four questions that can bring clarity during a crisis: What is really happening? What are the trade-offs? What are your priorities? What is the next right action? Know someone who may find this episode helpful? Share it with them: https://the1thing.com/podcast-episode/how-not-to-know-the-science-of-uncertainty-with-simone-stolzoff/ *** We talk about: [00:00] Why Uncertainty Makes Us So Uncomfortable [01:34] The Three Traps of Certainty [06:53] How to Get Better at Not Knowing [11:36] What Happens When You Randomize Your Life [20:58] Four Questions for Navigating a Crisis [34:06] Let Go of the Life You Didn’t Choose [38:52] The Challenge: Choose Who You Want to Become Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • How to Not Know by Simone Stolzoff • The Good Enough Job by Simone Stolzoff • Follow  Simone Stolzoff on Instagram: @thepizza_bagel • Free Resources Produced by NOVA 
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  You’ll Never Get On Top of Everything (And That’s Okay) with Oliver Burkeman 03.08.2026 44dk

  There is no such thing as the perfect productivity system. No matter how optimized your day is, or how many AI agents you have running 24/7, the harsh reality is that you’ll never truly be caught up. And that’s good news. Oliver Burkeman wrote The Guardian's psychology column "This Column Will Change Your Life" for years before his four books on time and ambition. Four Thousand Weeks was an instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, and his follow-up, Meditations for Mortals, is one of Jay's favorite reads of the last two years. Jay and Oliver take apart the fantasy underneath every productivity system: the day you're finally on top of everything. The more you optimize, the more work floods in to fill the space. It's the same reason widening a freeway attracts more cars. Burkeman, a self-described "old man yells at cloud" AI skeptic, has watched people feel guilty at family dinner because their AI agents are sitting idle. And the skill he says this all comes down to is one nobody teaches: "the tolerance of the anxiety of letting all the other things go undone for now." In this episode, you'll learn: - What to do if you're an anxious, insecure overachiever - Why it's so uncomfortable to do nothing - Whether to-do lists actually help - Why you'll have to say no to things you genuinely want - How much of your day you should plan in advance Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:02) Waiting for Real Life to Start (12:48) The Jevons Paradox (17:33) The Discomfort of Doing Nothing (20:57) The Productivity Paradox (30:03) Jay vs. Oliver on Time Blocking (33:58) Time Surfing: A Day With No Plan (39:19) Just Actually Do It Know someone who may find this episode helpful? Share it with them: https://the1thing.com/podcast-episode/youll-never-get-on-top-of-everything-and-thats-okay-with-oliver-burkeman/ *** Links & Resources: • Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman • Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman • Follow Oliver Burkeman on X • Free Resources Produced by NOVA 
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  Put Down The Business Book. Read Fiction Instead 27.07.2026 26dk

  Look at your bookshelf. Business books, biographies, the ones everyone said you had to read. Now be honest: how many did you finish? Jay Papasan should be the last person making this case. He's spent 30 years in business books - first as an editor at HarperCollins, then as coauthor of multiple award winning & bestselling nonfiction books. And this week he's telling you to put the business books down and pick up a novel. Because somewhere between Gordon Gekko and hustle culture, business people decided that serious people read serious books - and quietly abandoned the oldest learning technology humans have. The research says that decision is costing you: focus, empathy, sleep, vocabulary, maybe even years of your life. And the fix can take fifteen minutes a night. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why the business books on most shelves have never actually been read - Why a 12-year Yale study found readers 20% less likely to die - How fiction rebuilds an attention span that's shrunk from three minutes to one - How fiction trains the empathy that tells you what your customer will object to - Which sci-fi novel Gary Keller called the best business book he'd read in ten years - Why you never owe a book more than 50 pages (0:00) Why Business People Stopped Reading Fiction (2:54) The Best-Selling Business Books Are Secretly Fiction (5:51) What Reading Does to Your Lifespan and Focus (10:08) Fiction Improves Your Empathy (13:45) How to Read 50 Books a Year (18:52) Five Sci-Fi Gateways (22:41) Historical Fiction (23:51) Easy Reading (26:49) The Challenge: One Book, 50 Pages The 10 books: Sci-fi - Dark Matter (Blake Crouch), The Martian and Project Hail Mary (Andy Weir), Ready Player One (Ernest Cline), Wool (Hugh Howey) Historical fiction -  Gates of Fire (Steven Pressfield), The Alice Network (Kate Quinn) Great, easy-reading fiction - For Whom the Bell Tolls (Ernest Hemingway), Down River (John Hart), Beartown (Fredrik Backman) Know someone who may find this episode helpful? Share it with them: https://the1thing.com/podcast-episode/put-down-the-business-book-read-fiction-instead/
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  The Science of Excellence: How To Master Your Craft, Passion vs. Obsession, The Myth of Balance, and More w/ Brad Stulberg 20.07.2026 50dk

  The version of success you’ve been sold is really just stress with better branding. Brad Stulberg has spent 20 years researching and reporting on the top 1% in their field - Olympians, powerlifters, bestselling authors - and has written 5 books on what he’s learned, including Peak Performance and his newest, The Way of Excellence. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why work-life balance fails - Whether your obsession with work is fueling you or burning you out - Why hitting a goal you've chased for years can leave you empty - Why positive self-talk doesn't actually work - Why you can't feel fear and curiosity at the same time - How elite performers rest without feeling guilty Know someone who may find this episode helpful? Share it with them: https://the1thing.com/podcast-episode/the-science-of-excellence-how-to-master-your-craft-passion-vs-obsession-the-myth-of-balance-and-more-w-brad-stulberg/ *** Chapters: [00:00] Intro [01:47] What Actually Counts as Excellence? [03:45] The Two Ingredients for Meaningful Work [07:03] The Science of The Last Percent [10:15] Why Fear and Curiosity Can't Coexist [15:10] Self-Soothing Doesn’t Work. This Does. [21:55] Good Passion vs. Obsessive Passion [24:55] Why Does Winning Feel So Empty? [28:03] Is An Identity Crisis Inevitable? [35:02] The Importance of Recovery [41:45] The Value of Inefficiency [47:03] Your Challenge This Week Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • Brad Stulberg  • Follow Brad Stulberg on X  • The Way of Excellence by Brad Stulberg • Free Resources
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  How to Reinvent Yourself: A 4 Step Framework for Starting Over 13.07.2026 46dk

  Jay Papasan talks with Steve Kamb, founder of Nerd Fitness and author of How to Try Again, about what it takes to change course. Steve shares his PACT framework: Pause, Accept, Change, and Try, and explains why real change often feels messy before it feels clear. Together, Jay and Steve explore identity shifts, false expectations, the myth of “normal,” and how small experiments can help you move toward a life that fits the season you’re actually in. Know someone who may find this episode helpful? Share it with them: https://the1thing.com/podcast-episode/how-to-reinvent-yourself-a-4-step-framework-for-starting-over/ *** We talk about: [00:00] Starting Over & Trying Again [04:51] Steve’s 4 Step Framework [12:10] There Is No Normal [19:52] Change is Uncomfortable [24:59] Experiment Your Way Out [42:43] Force Yourself to Be Mid Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • How to Try Again by Steve Kamb • Nerd Fitness • Steve Kamb • Free Resources Produced by NOVA 
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  A Deep Dive on Our Most Impactful Coaching Tool 06.07.2026 19dk

  Get The Someday Letter Worksheet: https://linkly.link/2ld7z Most of us are comfortable setting annual goals. But what happens when you look 10 years into the future and let yourself dream without boundaries? In this episode, Jay Papasan shares one of the most powerful tools used in The ONE Thing coaching program: the Someday Letter. It’s a simple but deeply clarifying exercise that asks you to write a letter to yourself from the future, describing the life, work, relationships, values, and adventures you want to create. Jay opens up about his own resistance to the exercise, why it took him 18 months to finally do it, and the surprising clarity he found on the other side. He explains how the Someday Letter helps you work backward from a future vision, make better decisions in the present, and stop chasing short-term gains that don’t lead where you actually want to go. Know someone who may find this episode helpful? Share it with them: https://the1thing.com/podcast-episode/a-deep-dive-on-our-most-impactful-coaching-tool/ *** We talk about: [00:00] Why This Tool is So Powerful [3:35] How to Write Your Someday Letter [16:10] The ONE Thing Challenge Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • The Someday Letter Workbook • Free Resources Produced by NOVA 
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  Change Your Relationship with The Gap (In Business and in Life) 29.06.2026 41dk

  High achievers know the gap well: the space between where you are and where you want to be. It can drive growth, but it can also become a source of fear, avoidance, and self-judgment. In this episode, Jay talks with five-time entrepreneur and executive coach Hannah Soto about the three ways business owners and high achievers often relate to the gap. They chase it, believing fulfillment lives on the other side. They hide from it by staying busy, over-planning, or avoiding the next scary step. Or they use it as proof they aren’t enough. Hannah shares how her own experience walking the Camino de Santiago changed her relationship with suffering, resilience, and becoming. Together, she and Jay explore how to stop treating the gap like a problem to fix and start seeing it as evidence of a compelling vision. *** We talk about: [00:00] What is The Gap? [04:46] Stop Chasing Fulfillment Like a Finish Line [15:09] Overcoming Avoidance [23:29] Can Coaches Help? [27:13] Self-Doubt And Judgement [38:27] The ONE Thing Weekly Challenge Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • Hannah Soto’s Website • Hannah Soto’s Instagram • Free Resources Produced by NOVA 
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  Getting Unstuck: How to Fix the 3 Most Common Behaviors Holding High Achievers Back 22.06.2026 27dk

  You already know what to do. So why is it so hard to do it consistently? In this episode, Jay Papasan breaks down three patterns that keep entrepreneurs and high achievers trapped in the gap between knowing and doing. First, we often think we’re clear when we’re really being general. Second, we chase new information instead of mastering the system we already have. Third, we let the 80% masquerade as the 20%, allowing urgency, inboxes, DMs, and other distractions to pull us away from the work that matters most. Jay also explores why these patterns persist. Often, they are serving us in the short term, protecting us from discomfort, failure, disappointment, or uncomfortable emotions. But what protects us today can hold us back tomorrow. *** To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods. We talk about: [00:00] The Gap Between Knowing and Doing [02:40] Why You’re Not as Clear as You Think [9:10] Stop Chasing the Shiny New System [15:41] When the 80% Pretends to Be the 20% [21:27] Why These Patterns Keep Repeating [25:11] The Weekly Challenge Links & Tools from This Episode: The ONE Thing Operating System The First Domino training program Free Resources Produced by NOVA 
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  Social Accountability 101: How Peer Pressure Can Help You Achieve Your Goals 15.06.2026 26dk

  You know what to do. You start strong. You have the system, the motivation, and the goal. Then, a few months later, you’re right back where you started. What happened? In this episode, Jay Papasan breaks down one of the biggest reasons high achievers struggle with consistency: they try to go it alone. The solution is social accountability. Not someone forcing you to follow through, but choosing to be accountable to your goals by bringing the right people into your process. Jay shares three simple ways to tap into the power of “we”: doing it in public, doing it with others, and doing it around others. From public progress reports to gym buddies, coworking sessions, and body doubling, each strategy gives you a different way to create positive pressure and follow through when motivation fades. Challenge of the Week: Pick your ONE Thing for the week. Reach out to one person and tell them what you’re committing to. Ask them to check in with you on Saturday and ask how it went. That simple progress report could be the accountability you need to stay consistent. *** To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods. We talk about: [00:00] Why You Can’t Stay Consistent [02:00] Ditching the Lone Wolf Mentality [03:29]  Building in Public [09:02] The Gym Buddy Effect [15:44] Social Pressure is A Good Thing [23:29] Your Weekly Challenge  Links & Tools from This Episode: The ONE Thing Operating System: https://the1thing.com/os Dr. Gail Matthews’ goal-setting research at Dominican University: https://scholar.dominican.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=psychology-faculty-conference-presentations Check Out The Episode with Donald Miller Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHp-XeObSLA  Free Resources: https://the1thing.com/free-resources-v2 Produced by NOVA 
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  How to Build Resilience (Before You Need It) With Valorie Burton 08.06.2026 30dk

  Resilience is often treated like a personality trait. You either have it or you don’t. But Valorie Burton sees it differently: Resilience is a personal system you can build before life demands it from you. In this episode, Jay Papasan sits down with Valorie Burton, CEO of the Coaching and Positive Psychology Institute and author of Rules of Resilience, to unpack what it really takes to bounce back. They talk about the three parts of resilience: adaptive skills, protective resources, and preventive choices. They also dig into why leaders need to expect the unexpected, close their growth gaps, control the controllable, and choose thoughts that strengthen them. This conversation is a practical reminder that challenges are not just something to survive. They are opportunities to grow through, learn from, and use to become the person your goals require. Challenge of the Week: Set aside 30 minutes and ask yourself: What is the opportunity in the challenge I’m facing right now? It could be an opportunity to grow in patience, leadership, communication, courage, consistency, or self-trust. Don’t just go through the challenge. Grow through it. *** To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods. We talk about: [00:00] Resilience As A System [05:32] Expect the Unexpected [9:07] Close the Growth Gap Holding You Back [15:32] Control What You Can [25:10] Your Weekly Challenge Links & Tools from This Episode: Rules of Resilience by Valorie Burton Valorie Burton’s Website Valorie Burton’s Resilience Assessment Free Resources Produced by NOVA 
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  The Isolation of High Achievers: Why All Entrepreneurs Feel Lonely (And How to Fix It) 01.06.2026 24dk

  High performers are often great at building businesses, serving clients, supporting families, and chasing big goals. But there’s one thing they tend to neglect: friendship. In this episode, Jay shares the story of a lonely night in a Nashville hotel room that became a wake-up call. He realized he had been leaning on too few people and needed to intentionally rebuild his support system. With the help of his coach, Jay began “re-engineering his village” by identifying the qualities he wanted in close friends, reaching out more often, and saying yes to the right opportunities. That journey eventually led him to a hiking trail in rural Japan with three friends, where unstructured time, meaningful conversations, and shared adventure helped create deeper bonds. If you’ve been feeling alone while carrying big responsibilities, this episode is a reminder: friendship does not happen by accident. It can be built with purpose. Challenge of the Week: Identify the three to five qualities you want in the friendships you’re building. Get clear on what you’re looking for, then start saying yes to those people, reaching out, and creating space for deeper connection. *** To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods. We talk about: [00:00] The Loneliness Epidemic in Business [02:52] Why High Performers Feel Alone [06:29] How Jay Fast-Tracked Friendship [12:20] The Science of Friendship [15:19] The Truth About How to Make New Friends [21:30] Your Weekly Challenge  Links & Tools from This Episode: The ONE Thing Operating System Jeffrey Hall’s friendship research Free Resources Produced by NOVA 
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  High-Stakes Communication: How to Negotiate Confidently, Ask Smarter Questions, and Build Influence with Phil Jones 25.05.2026 35dk

  Have you ever walked away from a conversation wishing you could go back and say it differently? According to Phil Jones, that doesn’t mean you have a communication problem. You may have a moment problem. Phil, author of the bestselling book Exactly What to Say, joins Jay to talk about the word choices, principles, and preparation that help people show up better in high-stakes conversations. He shares how a simple body of work grew into a global brand, why so many people give up on their greatest hit too early, and how boredom can become a path to deeper mastery. Jay and Phil also unpack the four cornerstones of conversational excellence, including why the worst time to think about what you’re going to say is while you’re saying it. The real challenge is learning to identify your critical conversations, those small moments that have an outsized impact on your results. Challenge of the Week: Identify one critical conversation in your personal life, one as a leader, and one that affects your income. Pick a hyper-specific moment inside each conversation and add more intention to how you show up. *** To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods. We talk about: [00:00] How Phil Jones Built a Career Around Knowing Exactly What to Say [05:02] How Repeated Questions Revealed Phil’s ONE Thing [08:01] Why People Give Up on Their Greatest Hit Too Early [13:45] Why the People You Serve Keep You Committed [19:14] The Four Cornerstones of Conversational Excellence [30:48] The ONE Thing Challenge  Links & Tools from This Episode: Exactly What to Say by Phil Jones Magic Words by Phil Jones Phil Jones’s Website Free Resources Produced by NOVA
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  The Habit Lab: How to Build Consistency in Business & Life with Kim Zuroff 18.05.2026 42dk

  High achievers aren’t held back because they don’t know what to do. The challenge is always consistency. Habits are so powerful because they are automatic - and in this episode, you’ll learn how to harness the power of habit to help you hit your most elusive goals. Today, Jay sits down with Kim Zuroff, Director of Growth and Executive Coach at The ONE Thing, to talk about the art and science of habits. Kim walks through the habit loop of cue, craving, response, and reward, and explains why habits are often a design problem, not a discipline problem. Jay and Kim discuss how distractions like phone notifications and inbox checking can derail your ONE Thing, why tracking your time creates awareness, and how to start small enough that you can keep going even on your worst days. They also explore habit stacking, evening routines, and why the 66-day journey matters when building lasting change. Challenge of the Week: Pick one habit you want to build. Identify the cue, the craving, the response, and the reward. For the best chance of success, attach it to something you already do automatically, such as “After I brew my coffee, I will…” *** To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: https://the1thing.com/pods. We talk about: [00:00] Why High Achievers Struggle With Consistency [02:59] The Habit Loop Reveals What Drives Behavior [07:45] How Habits Show Up in Coaching [11:03] Why the First Domino Has to Be Small [15:22] How Email Becomes Someone Else’s Agenda [20:37] Better Mornings Begin With Better Evenings [39:12] The ONE Thing Challenge Links & Tools from This Episode: The ONE Thing Operating System: https://the1thing.com/os Kim Zuroff’s previous episode on The ONE Thing Podcast, “Is Your Serial Achievement an Addiction?”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/is-your-serial-achievement-an-addiction-heres-how-to/id1191482456?i=1000678146322 Free Resources: https://the1thing.com/free-resources-v2 Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected] or send us an audio note at https://www.speakpipe.com/the1thing. Produced by NOVA: https://novapodcasting.com/
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  Brand Building 101: Content Strategy, Storytelling, Positioning and More with Donald Miller 11.05.2026 34dk

  Entrepreneurs know they need to create content, build trust, and stay visible. The hard part is knowing what to say, how often to say it, and how to make sure your message actually leads people toward your business. In this episode, Jay Papasan sits down with Donald Miller, author of StoryBrand, for a practical masterclass on brand building for entrepreneurs. Donald breaks down how to use content to create curiosity, build familiarity, and guide customers toward commitment. He also explains why the strongest brands are built around a specific problem, a clear promise, and a founder or leader who knows how to show up with both empathy and competence. From personal brand strategy to storytelling, positioning, social proof, and video content, this conversation gives business owners a clearer path for becoming known, trusted, and chosen. Challenge of the Week: Own a specific problem. Identify the negative, painful, or annoying thing you want people to call you for, then start saying it clearly. The more specific the problem, the easier it is for customers to understand why they need you. *** To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods. We talk about: [00:00] Your Brand Is Holding You Back [04:01] Avoid the Biggest Mistake Entrepreneurs Make [11:41] Share the Right Stories to Stay Top of Mind [17:22] Build Trust Before You Ask for the Sale [21:49] Use Proof to Make People Feel Like They Know You [28:45] Own the Problem You Want to Solve Links & Tools from This Episode: Donald’s Book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0 Donald Miller’s Website Free Resources Produced by NOVA 
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  The Making of The ONE Thing: What We Cut From the Book (And Lessons We’d Add Today) 04.05.2026 31dk

  Before The ONE Thing became the bestselling book readers know today, it was a much bigger manuscript, more than 400 pages long. In this episode, Jay Papasan goes back to the final stretch before publication to unpack the hard decisions that shaped the book and made it stronger. Jay shares the lessons behind what got cut, including the idea that low hanging fruit can be a distraction and how maintenance can quietly steal time from the work that matters most. Then he turns to what 13 years of teaching, coaching, and living these principles has taught him since the book came out. He walks through the concepts he would add back today, including core values, the someday letter, taking a bigger view of time with a paper calendar, and the origin story behind the focusing question. Challenge of the Week: Take the biggest project on your plate right now and ask yourself: what is one thing I can subtract to make this simpler, more manageable, and more elegant? Play the subtraction game. *** To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods. We talk about: [00:00] We Cut 50% of The Book [04:39] Low Hanging Fruit is a Trap [08:56] Maintenance Can Quietly Become a Thief of Productivity [13:59] Thirteen Years Later, Jay Knows What He Would Add Back [18:02] A Bigger View of Time Leads to Better Planning [22:37] The Focusing Question Came From a Need for Real Accountability [28:18] The ONE Thing Challenge Links & Tools from This Episode: The ONE Thing Operating System Get the ONE Thing Book Here Free Resources Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected]   Produced by NOVA