Life gives you many opportunities to ponder, to evaluate your progress and see the results of your labor. This is one of those moments, with the mid-year point just past, to replay the tape.

I was recently reflecting on the question, “What is the one characteristic that makes someone successful?” It was in one of those moments that you struggle to boil all of your knowledge down into one distilled thought. My mind zeroed in on the concept of how our effort dictates our rewards in life. Our effort being our work or what we do. In life we create our rewards, whether it is financial or relational, by what we do. It’s not based on intent or what we plan to do, but ultimately what we actually do.

While pondering, I realized that we do many things, and that some of the things we do has more value than others. We can often select the wrong thing to do, thereby creating a lot of effort but very little in the results department.

Ultimately, results are the name of the game. We can easily get confused over what has the most important value. The key characteristic of successful people is the skill and ability to focus intensely on your most important task and do it to completion with excellence before moving on to the next task. If you work at mastering this one skill, or ability, it will transform your life. This skill will also transform your relationships in your life. Your business will explode to new heights. There will be no limits to the exceptional life that you can create.

There is an ancient saying “Don’t put all of your eggs into one basket.” Another is “Keep your options open.” Today I realize that these sayings are dated and inappropriate to one who seeks success. You must put your focus and effort into the “one basket.” Zero in on the one task, or most important task, that must be done right now. Do what will have the biggest impact, and take it to completion. That is essential to success.

What is the one basket that you need to work on right now? What is the one thing every day that will create the biggest impact on your business?

What is the one task or activity that you need laser-minded focus on to complete? What must be done and completed today? What can’t wait and will bring you the biggest return?

Set some time aside to do it now. Then before you leave today, select the one thing to focus on for tomorrow. Prepare your day for tomorrow before you leave today. Create the order of how tomorrow will unfold in the calmness of today. Select the one thing you will focus on right now. Then, resolve to not quit until it’s done! Only then, when it is done, can you look for another “basket” to work on.

Too often we have 10-15 baskets open with our hands, efforts and focus going into all 15 at once. We can often move them along but never get them done and completed and then moved off our agenda. The skill to select the most important task right now and take it to completion is often the difference between success and failure.

This one skill will enable you to craft the life that you desire. Don’t wait to start learning the skill, start today!

Published: August 28, 2001

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Dirk Zeller is an Agent, an Investor, and the President & CEO of Real Estate Champions. His company trains more than 350,000 Agents worldwide each year through live events, online training, self-study programs, and newsletters. He's the widely published author of Your First Year in Real Estate, Success as a Real Estate Agent for Dummies®, The Champion Real Estate Agent, Telephone Sales for Dummies®, and over 300 articles in print. You can get more information by visiting RealEstateChampions.com.