The ONE Thing

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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