Life is filled with rules. Get in line. Wait your turn. Be on time. Rules, rules, rules! We're all just tired of all the rules. Well, there are some rules that can actually create magic. One of the most magical rules is known as The Rule of One. And it's jam-packed with an incredible power that can transform our lives.The Rule of One states: Do one thing every single day to move you closer to achieving your most important goal in life or at work. Sounds pretty simple. Just do one thing, no matter how small, no matter how simple, no matter how difficult. Do one thing every single day and watch a miracle unfold.
Just imagine accomplishing one goal-oriented activity every day. Five activities every week. Twenty things done every month. You will be impacting your life and your career in a really meaningful way. Without even realizing it, you will be moving closer and closer to your goal. That's the magical power of the Rule of One.
But… isn't that just the way life is? There is always a "but." That but is – I'm so busy. I have so many distractions. I have so much to do. So many people need me, interrupt me, have expectations of me. I often can't find the time to do anything for myself.
Well, stop your hemming and hawing and your shilly-shallying. No sympathy for complaining or making excuses. The Rule of One makes it so easy. It's magical because it helps you gain control. It's there to help you change your reality. It's an approach that is used every day by the successful people around you. They've found the way to stop the wheel spinning and get back on the road to making things happen. Here is how to take back control of your life so you can start realizing the dreams you have for yourself, for your professional life and for those who depend on your personal success.
Try this. For a short period of time every single day, shut down your communication links. Put your cell phone on mute. Minimize your e-mail. Don't check twitter or text. Close your door. And simply eliminate any and all distractions. You can do this. We're talking about time for you. And not a lot of time, say half an hour or an hour.
When I've suggested this during my seminars you'd think I was asking people to give up their first-born child. "That's impossible!" they'd shout out. "I need to be accessible." "My clients expect me to respond immediately." "My boss would have my head." "There could be an emergency!"
Let's be honest, if there really was an emergency, believe me, you would be found. But the key concept here is that you have no choice. You must make time to focus on those things that really matter to you and move yourself closer, even by a fraction, to achieving your goals. This is about you. Why not be serious about getting yourself to where you really want to go? Why not?
This brings me to a story that I attribute to the infamous Dale Carnegie. There once were two woodchoppers working side by side. One woodchopper chopped wood diligently all day long. He started chopping early in the morning and took no breaks until lunch. He ate a quick lunch and got back to chopping wood all afternoon. The second woodchopper, however, started chopping wood early in the morning, but then stopped for a nice mid-morning break. He chopped wood until lunch and took a fine little nap before returning to work. At the end of the day both woodchoppers looked at their wood piles and they noticed that the second woodchopper's pile was significantly bigger than the first.
"How could that be?" screamed the first. "How is it that your woodpile is bigger than mine when every time I turned around you were either taking a nap or taking a break?"
"Did you notice," said the second woodchopper, "that every time I took a break I was sharpening my saw?" That's what it's all about. Take some time to sharpen your saw, focus on your priority, do that one thing towards moving you closer to your goal … every single day. If you don't, you will be destined to spend your day and your life working on other people's priorities.
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