The ONE Thing

When the world feels heavy, hope can feel fragile, or even out of reach. In this episode, Jay sits down with award-winning behavioral psychologist Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe to unpack what hope really is and why it matters so much in difficult seasons. Dr. Robyne explains that hope is not the same as optimism. Optimism is often tied to a specific outcome, while hope is the steady belief that no matte...

When something bad happens in the world, every business leader has a difficult decision to make - the decision to speak up, or to stay silent. In the past, silence was the safest option - today, that’s no longer the case. In such a chaotic world full of conflict, inequality, and political polarization, it’s never been more important to get this question right. In this episode of The ONE Thing Podc...

A lot of talented people assume that if they work hard enough, they’ll eventually get noticed. Courtney Johnson says that’s simply not how careers work. In this episode, Jay sits down with Courtney, author of Career Cheat Codes, to unpack the unwritten rules that often separate people who get promoted, hired, and remembered from those who get overlooked. They explore how visibility, relationship-b...

If you want to achieve real and sustainable success, you don’t need another productivity system - try this instead. In this episode, Jay Papasan sits down with Director of Training Chris Dixon to unpack one of the most requested teachings in The ONE Thing community: the 411. They explain why to-do lists, project management tools, and reactive planning often leave people busy but not truly producti...

What if the biggest thing holding you back isn’t your skills, your resources, or even your discipline—but your beliefs? In this conversation, Jay sits down with Nir Eyal to unpack the hidden force behind motivation and persistence. While most people think success comes from knowing what to do, Nir makes a compelling case that the real driver is belief. If you don’t believe the effort will pay off—...

Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of the loss of a child and experiences of grief. It may be distressing for some listeners. Please listen with care and take the space you need. Resilience isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build—often in the moments you’d never choose. In this episode, Jay sits down with Julia Lashay to explore how adversity shapes leadership. Fr...

When the world feels heavy, many of us fall into the same cycle: doom scrolling, numbing out, or waiting for things to improve In this episode, Jay shares a powerful perspective shift inspired by a lesson from Mr. Rogers: instead of just looking for the helpers, as Mr. Rogers suggests - become one. Rather than waiting for change, we must act. Jay breaks down the science behind action and emotions,...

Jay sits down with research scientist-turned-entrepreneur David Priemer to do a deep dive into the proven science and psychology of sales. In this conversation, David shares how curiosity - not charisma - became his competitive advantage, and the foundation of his newest business, Cerebral Selling. He breaks down the psychology behind buying decisions and explains why the best sales conversations...

If you feel like you have 30 browser tabs open in your brain, you’re not alone. Most business owners don’t have a capacity problem—they have a clarity problem. In this episode, Jay Papasan unpacks the science behind overwhelm, including the Zeigarnik effect and additive bias, and explains why unfinished tasks drain your mental bandwidth. When you try to multitask your way out, you only slow everyt...

Most high performers think they have a productivity problem. They don’t. They have a purpose problem. In this episode, Jay Papasan pulls back the curtain on what The ONE Thing has always been about. Yes, it lives in the productivity section of bookstores. Yes, it teaches focus. But at its core, it’s a purpose book. Using the iceberg metaphor from the original book, Jay walks through the real order...

At 19 years old, Amy Purdy went to work feeling a little run down. Within 24 hours, she was fighting for her life in the hospital. She beat the odds, and survived a life-threatening infection - but she would ultimately lose both legs below the knee as a result. What followed wasn’t a comeback story built on motivation posters. It was a masterclass in agency. In this conversation, Amy walks Jay thr...

Are you ghosting your goals? By February, most people have already given up on the goals they set in January. But what if the reason you keep ignoring your goals isn’t a lack of discipline, but a lack of relationship? In this episode, Jay Papasan invites you to stop “proposing” to your goals every January and start dating them regularly instead. Jay breaks down why most goals fade by February and...

Most people don’t plan for a pivot that changes everything. For Alex Hopes, it started with a moment that stopped his life cold and rerouted it completely. What followed was a decade-long journey of saying yes to what was in front of him, even when it didn’t match the original plan. In this episode, Jay Papasan talks with Alex, founder of Zilker Bark, about how a simple dog photography project gre...

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...

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 S...

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 li...

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 repeat...

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 m...

We’re closing out the year with a special highlight reel from some of Jay Papasan’s favorite conversations of 2025, all centered on two big themes: taking action and sustaining action. On the “taking action” side, Jenny Wood reframes fear as a signal of agency, Pat Flynn walks us through his “DeLorean” future-casting exercise, and Sahil Bloom challenges us to let our calendars prove what truly mat...

So much of life runs on a “default” operating system—school, work, productivity tools, even your phone. But what happens when that default just doesn’t work for you? In this episode, Jay Papasan sits down with BestSelf Co. founder Cathryn Lavery to talk about being diagnosed with ADHD at 31, realizing she was a “Mac forced to run PC software,” and how she began designing systems that actually matc...

Are you choosing the right book for the season you’re in—or just grabbing whatever looks interesting? In this solo episode, Jay Papasan walks through the ten books he recommends and gifts more than any others. These are not simply his “favorites”—they’re the books that shaped his craft as a writer, helped him level up as an entrepreneur, grounded him in discipline, clarified his thinking about mon...

Do you ever feel like you’re doing everything “right”? Performing at a high level, meeting everyone’s expectations, carrying the load—and yet still feel yourself slowly wearing down? It’s more common than you might realize—and there’s a way out. Jay Papasan is joined by behavioral psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe to unpack why the people who look the strongest are often...

We all want to make a difference — but how do you start giving when life already feels full? In this solo episode, Jay Papasan shares his personal “5 Step Giving Framework,” a simple and strategic way to turn good intentions into consistent action. Drawing from research, experience, and years of purposeful practice with his wife, Wendy, Jay outlines how gratitude, time, money, leadership, and weal...

How many times have you said, “It’s not the right time”? Whether it’s starting a new business, writing your book, or making a big life change, we all fall into the trap of waiting for perfect timing. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t exist. In this episode, Jay Papasan shares a personal story about finally deciding to adopt a second dog — and how that simple decision revealed a deeper truth about action,...

Every November, Jay Papasan dedicates time to exploring one of the most powerful productivity tools you have—the ability to say no. This year's "No-vember Special" dives deep into 11 different ways to protect your time, energy, and focus, often without ever saying the word "no." From Steve Jobs' legendary turnaround at Apple to simple scripts you can use in daily life, Jay explains why saying no i...