Move That Mountain – Do One Thing

Sometimes we have a task before us that seems to much to tackle. All we see is a big mountain of work and we don’t know where to start. The secret to creating momentum and getting the job done is simple and only one step – you just need to do one thing.

The inspiration for this came from a blog post by author and thought leader Seth Godin. Seth is the author of best-selling books like “Tribes” and “Purple Cow”, among others. I have found his books compelling and totally in tune (if you will pardon the musical expression) with today’s world, online and off, and I subscribe to his daily blog.

Not long ago, he posted “The Simple Power of One a Day.”   He reminds us that there are at least 200 working days in a year, and if we just did one marketing task each day, we would make astounding progress by the end of a year.

I believe this is a useful approach to anything we undertake, whether it’s practicing, marketing, writing, or any other endeavor. For instance, I recently decided to re-read the Bible, cover to cover. I’ve done it before; it’s a big book with long stretches that any good editor would have excised. But I found a plan that spreads the readings in daily chunks and includes readings from several different sections of the Bible each day, making it easier to keep focused. Not only am I enjoying the readings, but I know that with just one short reading a day, I will be finished in a year. One reading a day.

Here are some short sample “One Thing” ideas to get you moving:

Do One Thing: Practicing
1. Learn one difficult passage.
2. Practice your most challenging scale.
3. Play through an “old” piece for review.

Do One Thing: Getting Gigs
1. Call a potential client.
2. Put business cards up at the music store.
3. Update your website.

Do One Thing: Homework
1. Read one chapter.
2. Outline a report.
3. Recopy your notes from class.

Do One Thing: Organizing
1. Deal with one pile of papers. Trash or file each one.
2. Balance your checkbook.
3. Check through your harp strings and find which ones are missing.

Do One Thing: Cleaning
1. Dust your desk.
2. Pick up anything on the floor.
3. Clean behind the refrigerator.

You get the idea. As Seth Godin says, “Enough molehills is all you need to have a mountain.”

What “One Thing” can you do today?