Matt McCall, a successful Venture Capitalist suggests an interesting success formula. Here it is:

ONE THING

80 = 80%

80 x 80 = 64%

80 x 80 x 80 = 50+%

• If you’re going after one thing, you have, roughly an 80% chance of success.
• Try to do two things and you have an 80% x 80% likelihood of success. A 64% chance of success
• Add a THIRD thing to the mix and your success math is 80% x 80% x 80%. Just over 50%.

Gary Keller, in his book, The ONE Thing: The Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, says the same thing slightly different. He states that, “Going small is ignoring all of the things that you could do and doing what you should do. It is recognizing that not all things matter equally and finding the things that matter the most. It is a tighter way of connecting what you do with what you want. It is recognizing that extraordinary results are directly determined by how narrow you can make your focus.” In other words the way to get the most out of your work and life is to go as small as possible.

Most people think the opposite, believing that bigger is better. In Indiana the mantra is “Go Big or Go Home!” Perhaps Hoosiers need to step back and re-learn some life lessons. In thinking that bigger is better we end up with crowded To-DO-LISTS, quickly becoming over-worked and over-loaded. We remain clueless that big success actually means going smaller. Over time expectations are lowered and we aim for less which in turn increases the probability of abandoning our dream all together.

If you desire that your achievements should add up, then you must start subtracting things out of your life! When you go as small as possible, you will be starting at one thing – that is the point! Here are some questions that demand answers:

How do I want to spend my days?

What should my One Thing be?

Why do I want my One Thing?

How will I achieve my One Thing?

Do I possess the will to win?

Do I give up to soon?

Can I adapt and shift in today’s time?

Can I change bad habits?