About Orna Drawas
Life is filled with rules. Get in line. Wait your turn. Be on time. Rules, rules, rules! We’re all just tired of all the rules. Well, there are some rules that can actually create magic. One of the most magical rules is known as The Rule of One. And it’s jam-packed with an incredible power that can transform our lives.The Rule of One states: Do one thing every single day to move you closer to achieving your most important goal in life or at work. Sounds pretty simple. Just do one thing, no matter how small, no matter how simple, no matter how difficult. Do one thing every single day and watch a miracle unfold.
Just imagine accomplishing one goal-oriented activity every day. Five activities every week. Twenty things done every month. You will be impacting your life and your career in a really meaningful way. Without even realizing it, you will be moving closer and closer to your goal. That’s the magical power of the Rule of One.
But… isn’t that just the way life is? There is always a “but.” That but is – I’m so busy. I have so many distractions. I have so much to do. So many people need me, interrupt me, have expectations of me. I often can’t find the time to do anything for myself.
Well, stop your hemming and hawing and your shilly-shallying. No sympathy for complaining or making excuses. The Rule of One makes it so easy. It’s magical because it helps you gain control. It’s there to help you change your reality. It’s an approach that is used every day by the successful people around you. They’ve found the way to stop the wheel spinning and get back on the road to making things happen. Here is how to take back control of your life so you can start realizing the dreams you have for yourself, for your professional life and for those who depend on your personal success.
Try this. For a short period of time every single day, shut down your communication links. Put your cell phone on mute. Minimize your e-mail. Don’t check twitter or text. Close your door. And simply eliminate any and all distractions. You can do this. We’re talking about time for you. And not a lot of time, say half an hour or an hour.
When I’ve suggested this during my seminars you’d think I was asking people to give up their first-born child. “That’s impossible!” they’d shout out. “I need to be accessible.” “My clients expect me to respond immediately.” “My boss would have my head.” “There could be an emergency!”
Let’s be honest, if there really was an emergency, believe me, you would be found. But the key concept here is that you have no choice. You must make time to focus on those things that really matter to you and move yourself closer, even by a fraction, to achieving your goals. This is about you. Why not be serious about getting yourself to where you really want to go? Why not?
This brings me to a story that I attribute to the infamous Dale Carnegie. There once were two woodchoppers working side by side. One woodchopper chopped wood diligently all day long. He started chopping early in the morning and took no breaks until lunch. He ate a quick lunch and got back to chopping wood all afternoon. The second woodchopper, however, started chopping wood early in the morning, but then stopped for a nice mid-morning break. He chopped wood until lunch and took a fine little nap before returning to work. At the end of the day both woodchoppers looked at their wood piles and they noticed that the second woodchopper’s pile was significantly bigger than the first.
“How could that be?” screamed the first. “How is it that your woodpile is bigger than mine when every time I turned around you were either taking a nap or taking a break?”
“Did you notice,” said the second woodchopper, “that every time I took a break I was sharpening my saw?” That’s what it’s all about. Take some time to sharpen your saw, focus on your priority, do that one thing towards moving you closer to your goal … every single day. If you don’t, you will be destined to spend your day and your life working on other people’s priorities.
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Perhaps I’m just showing my age, but because I remember living without this instant access, it never occurs to me that it’s impossible to live without it. I think the younger generation could really learn from such exercises.
Just about the best motivator for my teens is the threat of having their cell phone confiscated. HORRORS!!!
Instant access is great, but if you spend your entire life responding to others…. you get distracted from your own goals and then blame others for your lack of progress. Yes, you’re right… those of us who remember life before “instant” can imagine responding to a phone call in an hour or even a few hours. My kids also, can’t live without HOLDING their cell phones at all times! We have to adjust to a whole new etiquette!
Thanks for your comment! Orna Drawas, author, Perform Like a Rock Star and Still Have Time for Lunch.
I just started meditating and it sure has paid off!
It seems like I’m working less- or maybe just with less stress!
Either way I feel better and work better, so there’s something to it.
I will admit I honestly do feel lost sometimes with out my computer but I have been actively trying to curb my online time in the past few months.
I have to agree with Alison….cell phones are great motivators. We took my daughters the other night because she wasn’t doing what we asked her to do.
You would think we cut off her right arm!
She almost had a conniption fit
Have a great day!
Carolee
Hahahaha……. perhaps a meditation app is in order!
I’m a big believer in the magic of one. At the same time, it’s so true that we have to beat down all the resistance or cajole into quiet or romance it into submission! So glad you mention the challenges too.
Sandra, not sure if we’re responding to “resistance” and interruptions or really procrastinating. Sometimes it’s a little bit of both
!
Thank you for this post I will start using the power of 1 today and I am looking forward to the result
Irene…. let us know how it works!! You can’t go wrong as long as you keep your eye on the prize!
It’s such a simple task to do just one thing a day and I wonder why I’m just not doing that (or at least haven’t been). I like simple solutions and this looks like one. Thanks.
The secret is consistency. Do it every day and never give up…. then tally up your progress after the first month. You’ll be hooked!
I remember a similar quote from Abraham Lincoln, who said “If I had 8 hours to chop a tree down, I’d spend 6 hours sharpening my axe”.
Great read Orna, there’s benefits to single-minded focus and avoiding the traps of multi-tasking. You’ve summed them up well
Interesting quote! Thanks for the feedback.
Thank you for sharing the lovely story, Orna! I love it! I practice having quiet time almost daily. I would even take longer breaks, if needed, such as logging off the internet for a few days.
YIKES! Logging off the Internet? You are brave
! These days, smartphones don’t let people log off…. every new e-mail pings the user. STOP the insanity!
That’s a great anecdote, Orna. Most folks huff, puff and toil convincing themselves that they are up to something. The modern endemic of multi-tasking is the illusion of progress. The reality is that focused attention on one thing is real progress. Breakthroughs come from the daily discipline of repeating thoughts in mind and daily ACTING on those thoughts … gradually then all of a sudden, miracles occur!
WOW…. WE can make miracles happen!! I like the way you think…. it’s very empowering. Thanks for the great comment.
Hi Orna. Anything to the power of one is, well, one
So I guess that really is the key (1) be focussed on what you want to achieve and (1) to show yourself some compassion, give yourself a break and kick ‘but’ into touch. That way, you will be better placed to help others. Enjoyed your article, thanks, Stephen
Nice, ONE, Stephen!! You make a good point…. ONE represents FOCUS. Without focus, we are left with distractions, no firm direction and no real results. Thanks for the perspective! Orna
Dear Orna.
Thank you for sharing the magical power of the Rule of One. I’m a deep believer of removing distractions in one’s creative space and decreasing urgency. I actually laughed out loud with your suggestion for giving oneself just 30 minutes of uninterrupted time. I know how unique it is in today’s work culture. Good on you.
When I was a corporate executive in a very busy office in order to provide that creative solace for my own productivity I would post up this message on my office door: “Susie is in Time Out — please knock in case of a fire.” This bit of humor allowed my colleagues to know that I needed a quiet hour without distraction and at the same time, was trying to model it for them.
Many thanks.
Susie
i LOVE it!! In fact, I laughed out loud reading your comment. If more people took a TIME OUT, then more people would probably notice what a good idea and perhaps (I know it’s a long shot), but perhaps that will become part of our changing culture. We could try to make TO (Time Out) the new LOL!! Thanks for the comment, Orna
Thanks for the motivation here. I’m definitely sharpening my saw – every single day .
Sharpen away! Not only will you get better results if you sharpen your saw every single day, but you will also enjoy your day a lot more if you take a breather, get perspective and accomplish something significant! Dream big every day! Orna
There’s a quote saying: “For peace of mind, resign as general manager of the universe.” (Author Unknown) We all take ourselves too seriously as though the world will stop moving without us, and hence all the excuses for not taking a break. Orna, your Rule of One is simple yet fabulous! thanks~
WOW…. that is a great quote. Just be general manager of your most important goal. Focus on it and let the other stuff go. You will achieve great things and you won’t need excuses to enjoy life. You are so spot on, Noel! Thanks, Orna
Thanks for all the great comments. I appreciate that you read the blog and thought about it enough to comment. I apologize for my delayed responses. I have been traveling in Israel and have only had periodic access to the internet over the past week. I’m back now
!! You all Rock! Orna
Hi Orna,
Cultivating greater awareness is a high priority for me. I’m committed to working out/exercising every morning. One of the pleasant but unintended consequences is seeing where I’m on automatic pilot which gives me the opportunity for behavioral change. It’s amazing how much we have been conditioned by habit and how unproductive and unnecessary many tasks are that we do without thought. Awareness (and action) can free up so much time and resources for new activities. It’s quite exhilarating. Wish you the best
Riley
Great comment Riley…. even worthy of an entire blog post! The challenge is to create a positive and productive “habit” that propels us where we really want to go. That is a winning strategy! Thanks for this great input! YOU Rock!
Orna
Hi Orna,
loved the story about the woodchopper- so true that we can be working intently at something and without taking our breaks to re-focus, to sharpen our saws, then we can be wasting so much time and effort and not making the progress that we really are hoping for.
thanks for the reminder
David
David | Listen Feel Breathe recently posted..Mindlessness is downright dangerous