I’m always looking for books that will help me live a simpler but more meaningful life. How can I increase my productivity while minimizing my stress?
Gary Keller is an American entrepreneur, he’s the founder of Keller Williams Realty International, which is the largest real estate company in the world by agent count. His books include The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, The Real Estate Investor, and The ONE Thing.
The ONE Thing has been on more than 400 national bestseller lists, including #1 Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and USA Today. It has won 12 book awards and has been translated into 30 languages. It’s been voted as one of the Top 100 Business Books of All Time on Goodreads.
Brief Synopsis: The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results helps you focus on what matters most in your personal and professional life. It’s a simple lesson, focus on the one thing that is going to help you the most. It asks you to zero in on your most important priority and focus in on that. Then, it gives you tips on how to boost your productivity.
Top 5 Quotes:
“Achievers operate differently. They have an eye for the essential. They pause long enough to decide what matters and then allow what matters to drive their day. Achievers do sooner what others plan to do later and defer, perhaps indefinitely, what others do sooner. The difference isn’t in intent, but in right of way. Achievers always work from a clear sense of priority.”
“Instead of a to-do list, you need a success list – a list that is purposefully created around extraordinary results.”
“Success is actually a short race – a sprint fueled by discipline just long enough for habit to kick in and take over. When we know something that needs to be done but isn’t currently getting done, we often say, ‘I just need more discipline.’ Actually, we need the habit of doing it. And we need just enough discipline to build the habit.”
“The surest path to achieving lasting happiness happens when you make your life about something bigger, when you bring meaning and purpose to your everyday actions.”
“I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is, above all, to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.” – screenwriter Leo Rosten
A Good Story: As an example of a CEO who believed in “going small” or saying no a lot was Steve Jobs. In the two years after his return from Apple, in 1997, he took the company from 350 products to ten. He explained, “When you think about focusing, you think, ‘Well, focusing is saying yes.’ No! Focusing is about saying no.”
Statistics or Research:
Individuals with written goals are 39.5% more likely to succeed. Individuals ho wrote their goals and sent progress reports to friends are 76.7% more likely to achieve them.
Takeaway Tips:
Do what matters most first each day, when your willpower is the strongest.
Think BIG, aim high and act bold. “Avoid incremental thinking that simply asks, ‘What do I do next?’..Ask bigger questions. Set a goal so far above what you want that you’ll be building a plan that practically guarantees your original goal.”
Rest and recharge. Take that time off. Block out long weekends and long vacations. “You’ll be more rested, more relaxed, and more productive afterward.”
Find time to reflect on where you are and where you want to go. Block an hour each week to review your annual and monthly goals.
My Biggest Takeaway: Find your purpose in life. For me, that means inspiring and empowering women to be bold as well as helping to erase the stigma of mental illness. “When you have a definite purpose for your life, clarity comes faster, which leads to more conviction in your direction, which usually leads to faster decisions. When you make faster decisions, you’ll often be the one who makes the first decisions and winds up with the best choices. And when you have the best choices, you have the opportunity for the best experiences.” It’s taught me to write down my goals and keep them close.
Who is This Book For?: Anyone who’s interested in simplifying their life while still achieving a high level of productivity.
Why Do I Recommend This Book?: This book taught me that life comes down to finding your purpose and setting your priorities. “Purpose without priority is powerless.” Work on the one thing that matters most to you. “Tap into your purpose and allow that clarity to dictate your priorities.” It’s all about purpose and priorities!
– I’ve always suffered from acne. In high school it was bad, I would have these massive volcano eruptions on my face and as I got older there would be little bumps everywhere. I went to the dermatologist and he recommended 
– On my search for the perfect, most comfortable legging, all signs pointed to LuLaRoe. Being an introvert, I decided I would never go to one of their parties to buy their leggings so I hopped onto eBay and bought their leggings…for more than retail! To me, it was worth it, though. No uncomfortable chit chat. Then, I discovered VIV Collection leggings. Like LuLaRoe they have some God awful patterns so I stick to just black but I can attest to the fact that they’re buttery soft like LuLaRoe and they’re hella cheap at $12.99. 
– If you’re looking for the perfect laptop bag for your boyfriend or husband, check this one out. It has tons of places for cords and it’s big enough to fit a 17 inch MacBook Pro. I like the little details like how there’s faux fur lining in the laptop compartment so it protects the computer. Sam used to carry around a beat up North Face bag, this one is much sleeker and he really loves the minimalist design.
– This steamer completely changed the way I take care of my clothes. I used to be an “ironing” girl, but after I found this steamer, I can take out all the wrinkles in my favorite shirts in a quick few minutes. This is great for those of you who’ve purchased 
– Again, I’m a big fan of confetti so when I saw these earrings, I knew I had to have them. They’re the perfect size, not too big or too small and they liven up any outfit. They’re a bit bigger than your average studs. They’re more like a statement piece.
– For Christmas this year, my two boys got their own Apple iPad minis. We try to limit screen time since they’re semi-addicted to the game Minecraft. It’s amazing what they can build, though! Sometimes our whole family jumps on and we “virtually” say “hi” to each other. I like how this iPad is small enough for the boys to carry around, our old ones, that we passed down to them were too bulky and slow.
– Simon Sinek’s book, Start With Why, really made me think about why I wanted to start Skylar Yoo. What was my purpose? If you’re starting your own business, this is a great book to read. 
: This short story gives you some heartfelt lessons on business and life in general. It outlines five laws for stratospheric success. I love the concept of giving without asking for anything in return. Here’s a good quote: “Watch out for the other guy. Watch out for his interests. Watch his back. Forget about fifty-fifty, son. Fifty-fifty’s a losing proposition. The only winning proposition is one hundred percent. Make your win about the other person, go after what he wants. Forget win-win – focus on the other person’s win.”
– Lately, I’ve been waking up early to journal. It’s a great, refreshing way to start the day (or end it). There’s tons of notebooks out there but this one spoke to me because it’s timeless, it’s not too bulky or too thin, and it has this handy pen loop so you’ll never lose your pen again. I’ll still collect my notebooks, but for my journals, I think I’ll stick to this one.
: This is by far the best pen I’ve ever used. It’s just so smooth and the the way it grips makes it feel so natural. I want 1000 of these. Speaking of pens, I use 
this black one for my journaling. Love it, too.
: Now that I’m past 40, I need me some eye cream. I checked Amazon and this one was far and away the best seller. Tried it on and loved it! It feels gel-like at first but then quickly absorbs into the skin. I used to suffer from dryness around my eyes but that’s all been cured. 
– This is kind of an older book (2005) but it still has a lot of valuable life lessons. Maxwell is a pastor so there are some references to God but overall you can learn a lot of what you can do today to be successful tomorrow. He includes a ton of quotes in this book so if that’s your jam, you’re going to love this. He narrows down the areas for critical success to 12 or what he calls the “”Daily Dozen.” This includes having a positive attitude, sticking to priorities and investing in good relationships. Solid.
