I do one thing every day. That one thing makes all the difference. This article is about that one thing.

By now, I’ve got you thinking, “I wonder what it is. Does he wake up at 5 AM? Does he run 5 miles? Does he take a cold shower? Does he meditate? Does he drink a gross green smoothie?” Good guesses. None of those things.

It’s popular to talk about life hacks and habits that high-performing leaders do to enhance their performance. This is like that, but a little different. I’ll explain.

I try to do one thing that makes a long-term impact every day. Just one. No more, no less. Leaders get caught up in the urgent, real-time issues of daily work, just like everyone else. I’ve managed to develop a discipline where I intentionally think about what my “one thing” will be each day.

Here’s where the practice gets hard. The “one thing” is rarely the same thing. It takes both thought, presence, and reflection to identify the “one thing.”

I’ll give you some examples to illustrate:

• I spend time caring for a team member who is experiencing a personal crisis.
• I personally invest in a team member’s leadership development.
• I make a bold move and challenge the status quo with poise and confidence.
• I muster the courage to talk to my boss about a sensitive topic.
• I build a partnership with an external party that will create strategic value.
• I influence a group of change-makers that will improve our long-term organizational health.
• I use my creativity and share something artistic.
• I step into an uncomfortable conflict to listen, mediate, and progress forward.

What do these things have in common?

The one thing is:

• Optional. No one is making me do it. If I didn’t do it, no one would notice.
• Generous. It takes my full attention. It requires me to be thoughtful and emotionally intelligent.
• An investment. I won’t see the benefits right away. I may not see a direct benefit at all.
• Risky. Not only may it not work, but it may also backfire.

Like a 401k, I make consistent investments now, to provide for my long-term future. Unlike a 401k, I cannot log onto a website to read the charts to see how my “one thing” investments are performing.

One thing? Why not everything?

Some hold themselves to a standard where everything they do should have long-term strategic merit. If that’s you, that’s awesome. I’m not there yet. I aim for one thing per day. Some days, I get to do two “things.” Some days, I must admit, I don’t do anything that qualifies as my “one thing.” It’s not about perfection, it’s about building a habit of running an average of “one thing” every day.

This article was partially inspired by the book, “The One Thing” by Gary Keller. The book is more broadly applicable to personal productivity for all kinds of work, where this article is specifically about the implementation within my leadership practice.

This article was also partially inspired by the 1991 film, City Slickers. I’ve given you some examples and suggestions for what you should consider for your “one thing.” However, according to the cowboy, Curly, you are the one that needs to figure that out.

Here’s the scene:

Curly: Do you know what the secret to life is?

Mitch: No. What?

Curly: One thing. Just one thing.

Mitch: That’s great but, what’s the one thing?

Curly: That’s what you got to figure out.

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