The ONE Thing

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583

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Discover the surprisingly simple truth behind extraordinary results. Learn how the most successful people in the world approach productivity, time management, business, health and habits with The ONE Thing. A ProduKtive® Podcast.

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60 recent

September 7, 202629 min

Success Is Boring (and how to show up anyway)

You know what you should be doing every day. But most days you find a reason to make them tomorrow. Then the year ends looking exactly like the last one. Motivation was never going to carry you through work this boring. The people who show up every day set it up so that skipping costs them something. Jay Papasan edited Mia Hamm's book at HarperCollins. The story that stuck with him had nothing to do with the World Cup. It was wind sprints alone in a park in the off-season heat, and the note her coach left under her windshield wiper. Being number one in your market gets built the same way, out of a few thousand hours nobody sees, and you are wired to avoid every one of them. Willpower runs out long before the work does. Jay has watched three plain strategies carry people through the hours everyone else skips. You only need one. In this episode, you'll learn: Three ways to keep doing boring work after motivation and willpower run out Who else pays when you let yourself off the hook Why the best sales scoreboards track activities, not just sales The goal-setting chain from five years out down to what you do today The first domino: the action that has to happen before the one you keep skipping Which of Gretchen Rubin's four tendencies explains how you respond to expectations Chapters: (00:00) What Mia Hamm's Coach Caught Her Doing Alone (02:15) Why You'd Rather Be Shocked Than Sit Still (04:56) Strategy #1: Make It Bigger Than Yourself (08:09) Who Else Pays When You Skip the Work? (10:15) Strategy #2: Think in Five Years, Act This Week (13:05) The Step Before the Step You Keep Skipping (17:17) Strategy #3: Accountability Without a Boss (20:20) Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel? (24:55) Very Few People Will Do This Every Day Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • Chris Dixon's episode about using the 411 • The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin • Free Resources Produced by NOVA 

August 31, 202640 min

Ex-Google Leader: How to Actually Grow Into Your New Job Title - Shannon Anderson-Finch

If you've ever taken a new job or a new title and kept feeling like the old you, Shannon Anderson-Finch has a name for it: the gap between a change and a transition. Most people try to skip it. Shannon spent 15 years at Google and Deloitte, where she was named Coach of the Year, before starting her own practice. She now coaches new VPs at a large retailer and a first-time hospital president through that same gap. Her model runs in the wrong order: an ending, then a messy middle where you're neither here nor there, and only then a beginning. The middle is where she watches high achievers get impatient, and it's where she does most of her coaching. Jay tells a story in here about the morning his own affirmation changed one word on its own, and it gave Shannon goosebumps. *** In this episode, you’ll learn: -How to tell the difference between a minor change and a major transition -Why big transitions often require an identity shift -How to navigate the messy middle without rushing through it -Why strengths, feedback, and core values can help you grow into a new role -How experimenting with a new identity can make it start to feel natural Chapters: [00:00] When Change Requires a New Identity [08:38] The End Comes Before the Beginning [12:00] The Strengths That Move With You [19:24] Don’t Rush the Messy Middle [27:09] Becoming Who the New Role Requires [34:59] The Challenge: Try On Your New Identity Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • Anderson Finch Coaching • Free Resources Produced by NOVA 

August 24, 202619 min

Type 2 Work, and The Hidden Cost of Convenience

We spend a lot of energy trying to make life faster, easier, and more convenient. But what might we lose when we remove too much of the hard? Jay breaks down the “fun scale,” from Type One Fun that feels good in the moment to Type Two Fun that feels difficult while you’re doing it but becomes meaningful in retrospect. Then there’s Type Three Fun: hard experiences that never seem worth it. The difference often comes down to three things: choice, completion, and connection. Did you choose the challenge? Can you see a finish line? Is the struggle connected to something meaningful? Jay also explores what calculators, GPS, AI, and other conveniences can quietly take away when we stop exercising skills ourselves, and why leaders should help their teams “do hard better” instead of trying to remove every challenge. Know someone who may find this episode helpful? Share it with them: https://the1thing.com/podcast-episode/type-2-work-and-the-hidden-cost-of-convenience *** In this episode, you’ll learn: -What Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3 experiences look like -Why some hard experiences become your most meaningful memories -How choice, completion, and connection help you decide if hard work is worth it -Why making everything easier can weaken skills you still need -How to help yourself and your team “do hard better” Chapters:  [00:00] Why We Need More Type 2 Experiences [03:51] What Convenience Is Costing Us [06:43] The 3 Tests for Hard Things [07:29] Why Hard Needs a Finish Line [11:16] How to Do Hard Better [14:48] The Challenge: Test One Hard Thing Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • Oliver Burkeman and his previous conversation with Jay • Free Resources Produced by NOVA 

August 17, 202642 min

Building a Burnout-Proof Business with Mallory Rowan

Mallory Rowan was building a successful powerlifting apparel company, competing at a high level, and finishing university when her body finally forced her to stop. A routine doctor’s visit revealed that she had been living with pneumonia, but the warning signs had appeared long before: irritability, emotional exhaustion, unexplained health issues, and the growing feeling that she was no longer herself. Mallory joins Jay to share what it took to recover, ask for support, and separate her identity from her work. She explains how burnout changed the way she builds businesses, from creating stronger boundaries to designing for her personality, interests, and changing seasons of life. They also explore Mallory’s “toddler test” for uncovering what you truly want, why financial security can give entrepreneurs more freedom to take meaningful risks, and how expanding your options can protect both your health and your ambition. Know someone who may find this episode helpful? Share it with them: https://the1thing.com/podcast-episode/building-a-burnout-proof-business-with-mallory-rowan/ *** In this episode, you’ll learn:- How to recognize the emotional and physical signs of burnout- Why separating your identity from your work matters- How to design a business around your strengths and season of life- How the “toddler test” reveals what you actually want- Why financial security creates more freedom to take meaningful risks Chapters: [00:00] The Burnout Wake-Up Call [05:37] When Pushing Through Stops Working [13:38] You Are More Than Your Work [19:18] What Do You Really Want? [25:54] Making Work Optional [33:12] Sustainable Ambition [37:07] The Challenge: Find Six Solutions Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • Check out FundClub here • Mallory Rowan’s Website • Follow Mallory Rowan on Instagram • Free Resources Produced by NOVA

August 10, 202642 min

How Not to Know: The Science of Uncertainty with Simone Stolzoff

Simone Stolzoff, author of How to Not Know, joins Jay to explore why our search for certainty often leads us into three traps: comfort, hubris, and control. They discuss how replacing those instincts with growth, humility, and acceptance can help us move forward without having every answer. Simone shares practical ways to build your tolerance for uncertainty, including introducing small doses of randomness into your routine, looking to your past for evidence that you can handle difficult situations, and trusting your future self to solve future problems. They also break down four questions that can bring clarity during a crisis: What is really happening? What are the trade-offs? What are your priorities? What is the next right action? Know someone who may find this episode helpful? Share it with them: https://the1thing.com/podcast-episode/how-not-to-know-the-science-of-uncertainty-with-simone-stolzoff/ *** We talk about: [00:00] Why Uncertainty Makes Us So Uncomfortable [01:34] The Three Traps of Certainty [06:53] How to Get Better at Not Knowing [11:36] What Happens When You Randomize Your Life [20:58] Four Questions for Navigating a Crisis [34:06] Let Go of the Life You Didn’t Choose [38:52] The Challenge: Choose Who You Want to Become Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • How to Not Know by Simone Stolzoff • The Good Enough Job by Simone Stolzoff • Follow  Simone Stolzoff on Instagram: @thepizza_bagel • Free Resources Produced by NOVA 

August 3, 202644 min

You’ll Never Get On Top of Everything (And That’s Okay) with Oliver Burkeman

There is no such thing as the perfect productivity system. No matter how optimized your day is, or how many AI agents you have running 24/7, the harsh reality is that you’ll never truly be caught up. And that’s good news. Oliver Burkeman wrote The Guardian's psychology column "This Column Will Change Your Life" for years before his four books on time and ambition. Four Thousand Weeks was an instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, and his follow-up, Meditations for Mortals, is one of Jay's favorite reads of the last two years. Jay and Oliver take apart the fantasy underneath every productivity system: the day you're finally on top of everything. The more you optimize, the more work floods in to fill the space. It's the same reason widening a freeway attracts more cars. Burkeman, a self-described "old man yells at cloud" AI skeptic, has watched people feel guilty at family dinner because their AI agents are sitting idle. And the skill he says this all comes down to is one nobody teaches: "the tolerance of the anxiety of letting all the other things go undone for now." In this episode, you'll learn: - What to do if you're an anxious, insecure overachiever - Why it's so uncomfortable to do nothing - Whether to-do lists actually help - Why you'll have to say no to things you genuinely want - How much of your day you should plan in advance Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:02) Waiting for Real Life to Start (12:48) The Jevons Paradox (17:33) The Discomfort of Doing Nothing (20:57) The Productivity Paradox (30:03) Jay vs. Oliver on Time Blocking (33:58) Time Surfing: A Day With No Plan (39:19) Just Actually Do It Know someone who may find this episode helpful? Share it with them: https://the1thing.com/podcast-episode/youll-never-get-on-top-of-everything-and-thats-okay-with-oliver-burkeman/ *** Links & Resources: • Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman • Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman • Follow Oliver Burkeman on X • Free Resources Produced by NOVA 

July 27, 202626 min

Put Down The Business Book. Read Fiction Instead

Look at your bookshelf. Business books, biographies, the ones everyone said you had to read. Now be honest: how many did you finish? Jay Papasan should be the last person making this case. He's spent 30 years in business books - first as an editor at HarperCollins, then as coauthor of multiple award winning & bestselling nonfiction books. And this week he's telling you to put the business books down and pick up a novel. Because somewhere between Gordon Gekko and hustle culture, business people decided that serious people read serious books - and quietly abandoned the oldest learning technology humans have. The research says that decision is costing you: focus, empathy, sleep, vocabulary, maybe even years of your life. And the fix can take fifteen minutes a night. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why the business books on most shelves have never actually been read - Why a 12-year Yale study found readers 20% less likely to die - How fiction rebuilds an attention span that's shrunk from three minutes to one - How fiction trains the empathy that tells you what your customer will object to - Which sci-fi novel Gary Keller called the best business book he'd read in ten years - Why you never owe a book more than 50 pages (0:00) Why Business People Stopped Reading Fiction (2:54) The Best-Selling Business Books Are Secretly Fiction (5:51) What Reading Does to Your Lifespan and Focus (10:08) Fiction Improves Your Empathy (13:45) How to Read 50 Books a Year (18:52) Five Sci-Fi Gateways (22:41) Historical Fiction (23:51) Easy Reading (26:49) The Challenge: One Book, 50 Pages The 10 books: Sci-fi - Dark Matter (Blake Crouch), The Martian and Project Hail Mary (Andy Weir), Ready Player One (Ernest Cline), Wool (Hugh Howey) Historical fiction -  Gates of Fire (Steven Pressfield), The Alice Network (Kate Quinn) Great, easy-reading fiction - For Whom the Bell Tolls (Ernest Hemingway), Down River (John Hart), Beartown (Fredrik Backman) Know someone who may find this episode helpful? Share it with them: https://the1thing.com/podcast-episode/put-down-the-business-book-read-fiction-instead/

July 20, 202650 min

The Science of Excellence: How To Master Your Craft, Passion vs. Obsession, The Myth of Balance, and More w/ Brad Stulberg

The version of success you’ve been sold is really just stress with better branding. Brad Stulberg has spent 20 years researching and reporting on the top 1% in their field - Olympians, powerlifters, bestselling authors - and has written 5 books on what he’s learned, including Peak Performance and his newest, The Way of Excellence. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why work-life balance fails - Whether your obsession with work is fueling you or burning you out - Why hitting a goal you've chased for years can leave you empty - Why positive self-talk doesn't actually work - Why you can't feel fear and curiosity at the same time - How elite performers rest without feeling guilty Know someone who may find this episode helpful? Share it with them: https://the1thing.com/podcast-episode/the-science-of-excellence-how-to-master-your-craft-passion-vs-obsession-the-myth-of-balance-and-more-w-brad-stulberg/ *** Chapters: [00:00] Intro [01:47] What Actually Counts as Excellence? [03:45] The Two Ingredients for Meaningful Work [07:03] The Science of The Last Percent [10:15] Why Fear and Curiosity Can't Coexist [15:10] Self-Soothing Doesn’t Work. This Does. [21:55] Good Passion vs. Obsessive Passion [24:55] Why Does Winning Feel So Empty? [28:03] Is An Identity Crisis Inevitable? [35:02] The Importance of Recovery [41:45] The Value of Inefficiency [47:03] Your Challenge This Week Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • Brad Stulberg  • Follow Brad Stulberg on X  • The Way of Excellence by Brad Stulberg • Free Resources

July 13, 202646 min

How to Reinvent Yourself: A 4 Step Framework for Starting Over

Jay Papasan talks with Steve Kamb, founder of Nerd Fitness and author of How to Try Again, about what it takes to change course. Steve shares his PACT framework: Pause, Accept, Change, and Try, and explains why real change often feels messy before it feels clear. Together, Jay and Steve explore identity shifts, false expectations, the myth of “normal,” and how small experiments can help you move toward a life that fits the season you’re actually in. Know someone who may find this episode helpful? Share it with them: https://the1thing.com/podcast-episode/how-to-reinvent-yourself-a-4-step-framework-for-starting-over/ *** We talk about: [00:00] Starting Over & Trying Again [04:51] Steve’s 4 Step Framework [12:10] There Is No Normal [19:52] Change is Uncomfortable [24:59] Experiment Your Way Out [42:43] Force Yourself to Be Mid Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • How to Try Again by Steve Kamb • Nerd Fitness • Steve Kamb • Free Resources Produced by NOVA 

July 6, 202619 min

A Deep Dive on Our Most Impactful Coaching Tool

Get The Someday Letter Worksheet: https://linkly.link/2ld7z Most of us are comfortable setting annual goals. But what happens when you look 10 years into the future and let yourself dream without boundaries? In this episode, Jay Papasan shares one of the most powerful tools used in The ONE Thing coaching program: the Someday Letter. It’s a simple but deeply clarifying exercise that asks you to write a letter to yourself from the future, describing the life, work, relationships, values, and adventures you want to create. Jay opens up about his own resistance to the exercise, why it took him 18 months to finally do it, and the surprising clarity he found on the other side. He explains how the Someday Letter helps you work backward from a future vision, make better decisions in the present, and stop chasing short-term gains that don’t lead where you actually want to go. Know someone who may find this episode helpful? Share it with them: https://the1thing.com/podcast-episode/a-deep-dive-on-our-most-impactful-coaching-tool/ *** We talk about: [00:00] Why This Tool is So Powerful [3:35] How to Write Your Someday Letter [16:10] The ONE Thing Challenge Links & Tools from This Episode: • The ONE Thing Operating System • The Someday Letter Workbook • Free Resources Produced by NOVA 