The ONE Thing

Elite athletes don’t just train harder. They recover better. Between points, plays, and games, they use small, intentional rituals to reset their bodies and minds so they can perform again at a high level. In this episode, Jay Papasan makes the case that business owners and leaders need the same approach.

Inspired by a classic Harvard Business Review article, Jay breaks down the difference between habits, systems, routines, and rituals—and why rituals stand apart. Habits and systems automate outcomes. Rituals create meaning. That meaning helps us shift emotional states, regain focus, and sustain energy over the long haul.

Jay walks through four key areas where rituals matter most: physical recovery, emotional regulation, mental clarity, and connection to purpose and values. From walking meetings and white space to end-of-day transitions and goal-setting retreats, these practices help prevent burnout while improving results.

The takeaway is simple: if you want rituals of performance, you need rituals of recovery. The goal isn’t just a great year—it’s a great career. 

Shoutout to Anne-Laure LeCunff, author of Tiny Experiments and our guest in episode #497, whose writing on habits, routines, and rituals added depth and scientific grounding to this episode, even though it wasn’t called out during the recording. 

Listen to that episode of the podcast here.

Also, read Anne-Laure LeCunff’s fantastic article, Why Your Brain Needs Everyday Rituals.

Challenge of the Week:

Design one new ritual that adds recovery or meaning to your day. Put it on your calendar and protect it.

We talk about:

[00:00] What Elite Athletes Teach Us About High Performance

[03:45] Habits vs. Routines vs. Rituals

[12:35]  The Importance of Recovery in Any Profession

[14:02] A Ritual for Regulation: Emotional Clarity & Composure

[16:10]  A Ritual of Transition: From Work to Home

[20:02] How Can YOU Build Rituals Into Your Life?

[22:40] Rituals to Realign with Your Core Values

[28:27] What One Ritual Could You Add to Improve Everything Else You Do?

***

To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods.

We talk about:


Why elite performers recover faster than everyone else


The difference between habits, routines, systems, and rituals


How recovery rituals actually increase performance

Links & Tools from This Episode:


The Making of a Corporate Athlete (Harvard Business Review)


The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk


Free Resources


Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected] or send us an audio note at Speakpipe.com/the1thing.


Listen: Permission to Pause: Reclaim Your Identity Outside of Work with Jen Davis 

Produced by NOVA

Public speaking consistently ranks as one of our biggest fears, but what if the real issue isn’t technique at all? In this episode, Jay sits down with
Tristan de Montebello, co-founder of Ultraspeaking, to explore why confidence breaks down when we communicate and how to rebuild it from the inside out.

Tristan shares his rapid journey from beginner to finalist in the World Championship of Public Speaking and the lessons that reshaped how he thinks about mastery, coaching, and performance. Together, they unpack the idea of “leaking” insecurity, why audiences feel it instantly, and how small moments like pausing, blanking, or making mistakes can actually build trust when handled with confidence.

The conversation moves beyond stages and spotlights into everyday moments: meetings, conversations, questions left unasked, and opportunities we quietly avoid. This episode is about learning to stay present, trusting what’s already inside you, and stepping into discomfort long enough to let your best thinking show up.

Challenge of the Week:

Volunteer for something without fully preparing. Raise your hand, ask the question, or take the turn you’d normally avoid and notice what shows up when you stay confident anyway.

We talk about:

[00:00] Intro: What is Ultraspeaking?

[02:21] What People Get Wrong About Public Speaking

[04:33] Why Do “Quick Fixes” Not Help in Speaking?

[05:58] Speaking Is About One Thing: Psychology

[08:28] Are You Leaking Your Insecurity? The Impact of Stumbling in a Speech

[10:28] Small Signals of Confidence - How to Stop Leaking

[18:47] Tristan’s Journey at The World Championship of Public Speaking

[24:16] The Truth about Great Public Speakers

[36:16] Your Weekly Challenge

***

To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods.

We talk about:


Why confidence leaks before technique ever matters


The role of coaching and deliberate discomfort in mastery


How staying present changes the way people receive your message

Links & Tools from This Episode:


Ultraspeaking Website 


World Championships of Public Speaking


The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey


Free Resources


Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected] or send us an audio note at Speakpipe.com/the1thing.

Produced by NOVA

How do you stay afloat when everything is falling apart? Life can - and will - hit you hard. And how can you lead others when you feel like you can’t lead yourself?

This week, Jay sits down for an interview with Tiffany Fykes and Sarah Reynolds from Empire Building, to share some of the deeply personal hardships he has navigated in the past several years, and opens up about what it really looks like to lead when your systems, confidence, and energy are all under strain.

Rather than pretending strength means pushing through alone, Jay shares how adversity can become an ally if you’re willing to learn from it. He introduces the idea of building “lighthouses”: simple frameworks, reframes, and support systems that help you navigate future storms with more clarity and less damage.

You’ll hear why reframing self-talk matters most when standards feel impossible, how recalibrating expectations can keep you moving forward, and why re-engineering your village is essential for sustainable leadership. This conversation is an honest reminder that extraordinary results don’t come from avoiding storms, but from learning how to lead through them with grace, transparency, and purpose.

Challenge of the Week:

Take one challenge you’re facing right now and turn it into a solution. Then ask: can this solution become a simple framework, checklist, or ritual for my future self?

We talk about:

[00:00] Introduction to Empire Building and Jay Papasan[03:38] Jay's Personal Storm[10:00] Building Lighthouses and Helping Others[15:50] Reframing Standards and Recalibrating Priorities [20:42] What Does “Doing Your Best” Actually Mean Right Now[24:17]  How Do You Re-Engineer Your Support System[34:00] What Changes When You Build Rituals of Connection[37:46] Why Coaching is so Important 

***

To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods.

We talk about:


How to reframe adversity without lowering your standards  


Why done is good and good is great in hard seasons  


The power of intentionally rebuilding your support system

Links & Tools from This Episode:


The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan  


Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy  


Empire Building podcast


Free Resources


Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected] or send us an audio note at Speakpipe.com/the1thing.

Produced by NOVA

Big goals have a way of starting strong and slowly falling apart. Motivation fades. Life intervenes. Momentum stalls. In this episode, Jay Papasan shares what actually separates the people who follow through from those who stay stuck in restart mode.

After studying more than 400 entrepreneurs and business owners who went through The First Domino program, Jay distills their success into five repeatable commitments. This is not about working harder or piling on more habits. It’s about design. Alignment before action. Simplicity before scale.

Jay explains how identifying your first domino, the small but meaningful action that starts momentum, creates progress even on your worst days. He walks through why time blocking turns intention into execution, how defending your calendar protects what matters most, and why accountability beats willpower every time.

If you’ve ever felt busy but not effective, driven but burned out, this episode offers a clearer path forward. Small actions. Smart structure. Consistent momentum.

Challenge of the Week:

Make a commitment to apply the five practices from this episode for the year ahead. Ask yourself: Are my goals truly in alignment with what matters most to me? Have I gone upstream far enough to identify my real first domino? Have I put that action on my calendar? Am I actively defending it over time? And do I have some form of accountability beyond just relying on my own willpower?

We talk about:

[00:00] Introduction and Welcome

[03:16] Defining the First Domino

[04:28] Principle One: Alignment

[09:58] Principle Two: Focus

[20:05] Principle Three: Time Blocking

[25:35] Principle Four: Defend

[32:22] Principle Five: Commit

[40:39] Conclusion and Call to Action

***

Sign Up for The First Domino Course Here

We talk about:


Why alignment prevents burnout before it starts


How to find the first domino that actually creates momentum


The role of time blocking and accountability in keeping promises to yourself

Links & Tools from This Episode:


Sign Up for The First Domino Course


Jordan Freed’s Website


Warren Buffett, Chairperson of Berkshire Hathaway


Core Values Workshop & Free Resources


Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected] or send us an audio note at Speakpipe.com/the1thing.

Produced by NOVA

For years, Jen Davis did what high performers are taught to do. Say yes. Move faster. Carry more responsibility. Lead at a high level and keep pushing. From the outside, her career looked like the definition of success.

Then she was forced to pause. And that pause completely shifted her thinking. She had been running full speed ahead, without realizing the impact it was having on the things that matter most to her - her family.

In this conversation, Jay Papasan sits down with Jen to talk about the moment she realized her calendar no longer reflected her priorities, her identity had become tied to her work, and margin had disappeared from her life. Stepping away from running one of the largest coaching organizations in the industry wasn’t about quitting. It was about creating space to think, to feel, and to reconnect with who she wanted to be as a mom, leader, and human being.

Jen shares what surprised her most during the pause, why busyness can be a form of self-soothing, and how decision fatigue quietly erodes both joy and clarity. Together, she and Jay unpack the difference between reacting and responding, the power of reflection, and why 15 minutes of intentional thinking can become the first domino toward a healthier, more grounded life.

Challenge of the Week: 

Set a timer for 15 minutes. Put your phone face down in another part of the room. No scrolling. No reading. No to-do lists. Just sit with your thoughts and decide what truly matters today. 

***

To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods.

Links & Tools from This Episode:


Visit Jen Davis’s Website


The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham


Follow our friend Jordan Freed on Instagram


Dr. Robyne Hanley-Defoe


Free Resources


Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected] or send us an audio note at Speakpipe.com/the1thing.

Produced by NOVA