Minute With Mallon: The One Question!
Welcome to Minute with Mallon!
Something I Taught:
Back in 2013, I read a book called "The One Thing" by Gary Keller. A fantastic book, and I gave it a 10 on a scale of 1-10.
In the book he talks about what he calls "The Focusing Question:" "What's the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?"
It's so simple that its power is easily dismissed by anyone who doesn't closely examine it.
This question helps you think both big picture (Where am I going? What target should I be aiming for?) and small picture (What must I do right now to move toward that target? What's the bull's-eye?)
I teach this to many of the leaders I work with because it helps them focus on the most important things instead of simply staying busy.
But the question itself has often bothered me.
The concept is brilliant. But I've never loved the wording of the question itself. I think it's just a matter of semantics. But I have never liked how the question read.
Over the years, I've experimented with different ways of asking the same question that better fit how my brain works. And I came up with these option:
What's the one thing I can do right now that would have the biggest positive impact?
What's the one thing I could accomplish that would make the rest of my day go better?
What's the one thing that, if completed, would create the most momentum?
What's the one thing that would move me closest to my goal?
What's the one thing I could do today that my future self would thank me for?
What's the one thing that deserves my best attention right now?
If I could only accomplish one thing today, what should it be?
Or My Favorite:
What's the one thing that would make the biggest difference? (Or pick one of the options above that most resonates with you.)
Before you finish reading this newsletter, ask yourself:
"What's the one thing that would make the biggest difference?"
Then go do it.
Tomorrow, ask it again.
And the next day.
It's a habit worth developing.
Something to Ponder:
"Be forgiving with your past self. What's done is done. No sense in beating yourself up about it.”
James Clear
Something I Learned:
I'm reading a book called "The Great Mental Models Volume One." It's a designed to upgrade your thinking with the best, most useful and powerful tools so you always have the right one on hand. This volume helps you to improve your decision making, your productivity, and how clearly you see the world.
In the book he talks about a concept called Hanlon's Razor. It states that we should not attribute to malice that which is more easily explained by stupidity. You 🤭
Here's an excerpt:
Consider road rage, a growing problem in a world that is becoming short on patience and time. When someone cuts you off, to assume malice is to assume the other person has done a lot of risky work. In order for someone to deliberately get in your way, they have to notice you, gauge the speed of your car, consider where you are headed, and swerve in at exactly the right time to cause you to slam on the brakes yet not cause an accident. That is some effort. The simpler, and thus more likely, is that they didn't see you. It was a mistake. There was no intent.
So why would you assume the former? Why do our minds make these kinds of connections when logic says otherwise?
When we see something happen that we don't like and that seems wrong, we assume it's intentional. But it's more likely that it's completely unintentional.
Failing to Prioritize stupidity over malice causes things like paranoia. Always assuming malice puts you at the center of everyone else's world. This is an incredibly self-centered and impractical approach to life. In reality, for every act of malice, there is almost certainly far more ignorance, stupidity, and laziness at work.
As I thought about this concept, I realized how often it applies to everyday life.
A coworker doesn't return our email.
A friend forgets to call.
A spouse says something that comes across wrong.
Our minds immediately begin creating stories about why they did it.
But what if they're just busy?
What if they forgot?
What if they're dealing with something we know nothing about?
One of the healthiest habits we can develop is giving people the benefit of the doubt before assigning negative motives to their actions.
This week, before assuming the worst, ask yourself:
"What's another explanation?"
You may find that extending a little grace gives you a lot more peace.
Something I Saw:
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Hope you have an incredible week!
Robert
