How to Do The One Thing
A simple way to prioritize when everything feels important.
When your to-do list keeps growing and work, family, responsibilities, and things that matter to you are all competing for your attention, deciding what to focus on can be harder than actually doing it.
If you're struggling with how to prioritize when everything feels important, you don't necessarily need a better to-do list. Sometimes you need enough space to see what's competing for your attention and decide what matters most right now.
That's what we call The One Thing.
You can practice The One Thing in three simple steps:
Get it out. Look at what matters. Choose your One Thing.
You can do it with a blank piece of paper, a notebook, or the notes app on your phone.
We've also created a free priority worksheet called The One Thing, with plenty of space for a brain dump and simple prompts to make the process easier.
Want the Free Worksheet?
You don't need our worksheet to practice The One Thing.
But if having the prompts and brain dump space already laid out would make it easier, download or print a free copy and keep it beside you as you work through the steps below.
→ Download The One Thing Free Worksheet
No printer? No problem. Grab a blank piece of paper, a notebook, or your phone and follow along.
Before You Begin
Give yourself a few minutes and somewhere to capture your thoughts.
Don't organize anything yet.
Don't decide what's most important before you begin.
And don't turn this into another to-do list.
Start by giving everything competing for your attention somewhere to go.
Step 1: Get It Out of Your Head
Ask yourself:
What is competing for my time, energy, or attention right now?
Write down whatever comes to mind.
Work responsibilities. Family needs. Appointments. Chores. Projects. Relationships. Worries. Something you've been putting off. Something you've been wishing you had more time for.
Don't worry about order, categories, or neatness.
This is your brain dump.
If you're using the free worksheet, use the large open space however you'd like. Write words or phrases anywhere on the page. Make a list. Draw arrows. Create groups. Scribble in the margins.
If you're using your own paper or phone, do the same thing.
The goal isn't to create a better to-do list.
It's to get everything that's competing for your attention out where you can see it.
Step 2: Look at What Matters
Now read through your brain dump.
Don't choose your One Thing yet.
Instead, circle, underline, highlight, or mark anything that stands out as important right now.
You may mark one thing.
You may mark several.
Something that felt urgent while it was bouncing around in your head may not stand out once you see everything together. Something quieter that matters to you may suddenly become easier to notice.
There isn't a certain number you need to mark.
You're simply narrowing your attention from everything that's competing for it to what actually stands out as important.
Step 3: Choose Your One Thing
Look at what you marked and ask yourself:
Of everything that stands out, what matters most right now?
Then choose.
Your One Thing doesn't have to be the biggest thing on the page or the thing making the most noise.
Choose what deserves your attention in your current reality.
Then write it down:
My One Thing: ______________________________
That's The One Thing.
You don't need to make the whole plan or figure out every step yet.
For now, you've chosen what deserves your yes.
What About Everything Else?
Choosing your One Thing doesn't mean everything else stops mattering.
The laundry may still need folding. An email may still need a response. Another project may still be important.
You're simply deciding what deserves your attention most right now.
Everything can matter without everything mattering equally at the same moment.
When your priorities become crowded again, you can return to The One Thing and choose again.
When The One Thing Can Help
You don't need to do The One Thing every day or follow a perfect schedule.
Return to it whenever you're overwhelmed by your to-do list, pulled between competing priorities, or struggling to decide what to focus on.
It can be especially helpful when:
Your to-do list feels overwhelming.
Too many priorities are competing for your attention.
You don't know what to focus on first.
You're beginning a busy day or week.
Several responsibilities all feel urgent.
Something important keeps getting pushed aside.
You're entering a new season of work or family life.
You catch yourself thinking, "Everything feels important."
Whether you call it a brain dump, a priority exercise, or simply clearing your head, the purpose is the same: create enough space to see what matters and make an intentional choice.
At TNT, that intentional choice becomes Your One Thing.
A Few Things to Remember
Your One Thing can be big or small, and it can change as your circumstances change.
You're not looking for the one perfect priority that makes every other responsibility disappear. You're practicing making an intentional choice about what deserves your attention now.
Explore More The One Thing Tools
The free The One Thing worksheet gives you a simple priority and brain dump worksheet you can return to whenever everything starts competing for your attention.
As the TNT Toolkit grows, you'll find additional resources designed to help you practice choosing what matters most in different seasons and situations.
→ Explore The One Thing Collection
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The One Thing just a priority worksheet?
No. The worksheet is simply a free tool that makes the process easier.
The One Thing is the three-step process behind it:
Get it out. Look at what matters. Choose your One Thing.
You can practice it with our worksheet, a blank piece of paper, a notebook, or your phone.
How do I prioritize when everything feels important?
Start by getting everything competing for your attention out of your head and onto paper or your phone.
Then mark the things that stand out as important.
Finally, look at what you marked and ask:
Of everything that stands out, what matters most right now?
That's the process we call The One Thing.
What if I have more than one priority?
Several things can be important at the same time.
During Look at What Matters, mark everything that stands out. Then decide which one deserves your attention most right now.
Choosing one doesn't mean the others don't matter. It simply means you're deciding what deserves your attention right now.
What if I choose the wrong thing?
You aren't trying to discover one objectively correct answer.
You're choosing based on what matters in your current reality.
Circumstances change. Priorities change. When they do, you can return to The One Thing and choose again.
Do I need to complete everything from my brain dump?
No.
Your brain dump is not a new to-do list.
Its purpose is to help you see what's occupying your attention so you can decide what matters most.
Some of those things may need your attention later. Others may matter less than they seemed when they were bouncing around in your head.
How often should I do The One Thing?
There's no required schedule.
Use the process whenever you're overwhelmed by competing priorities, struggling to decide what to focus on, or feeling like everything is important at the same time.
Do I need The One Thing worksheet?
No.
You can follow the three steps on this page using a blank piece of paper, a notebook, or your phone.
The free worksheet simply puts the brain dump space, prompts, and final choice in one place to make practicing The One Thing easier.
→ Download The One Thing Free Worksheet
What should I do after I choose My One Thing?
Sometimes choosing what matters most is enough to make your next move clear.
But sometimes you know what matters and still don't know how to get started.
That's where Take Small Steps comes in. It helps you find a beginning when something feels too big, without requiring you to figure out the entire path.
Stay Connected
Want more practical ways to put the TNT Practices into everyday life? Join the Today Not Tomorrow community for new Practice Tools, free printables, and simple encouragement for building more growth and connection in everyday family life.
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