The Power of One: Why You Really Only Have One Priority
We often juggle multiple “top priorities,” but if everything is a priority, nothing truly is. The secret to focus—and real progress—is identifying your single #1 priority and dedicating your energy to it.
In my work, I often meet leaders who claim to have 17 top priorities — or five, all equally “TOP priority.”
Sound familiar? We all juggle multiple competing priorities in work and life.
But here’s the truth: we only have one priority.
The word “priority” literally means first. Historically, in Latin and still in some languages today, it’s singular — a first, a single item.
If everything is a priority, technically nothing is.
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This article first appeared in the Meeting Notes newsletter - Get One Idea a Week to Lead with clarity and cultivate workplaces that enrich the lives of all who work in them.
When I work with leaders, I ask them to list their priorities and then force rank them. Number them 1 to 10 — or 1 to 17, in one extreme case. Which initiative truly comes first? Which is second? And so on.
This is hard. Teams often struggle. But after a few hours of debate, disagreement, and sometimes tears, we end up with a list. Not everyone agrees — and that’s okay — but there’s clarity (and you know how much I talk about that).
Now we focus almost all our effort on the top priority. Sure, other work keeps moving a little, but we throw everything we can at the No.1 priority until it’s done.
It’s better to finish one thing fully than start nine things partially. Once the top priority is complete, the next in line becomes No.1.
Force Rank your work to get to a single priority - then get that done
Your Life, Your Priority
The same applies to your own life. You might think you have three or four priorities, but thinking that way scatters your energy and attention.
Your top priority may shift over time — health, family, career, growth — but it cannot be addressed until the current #1 priority is handled. For me right now, it’s health. In the pursuit of career, family, and the daily grind, my health slipped. Without it, everything else suffers.
👉 Check out this post on the Pillars of Life - and why they are always in tension.
I may have 20 goals on my list, but they are all secondary when stacked against health.
Ask yourself: What is your #1 priority?
And are you truly focusing on it? Is it at the top of your to-do list — or buried under a pile of “important” but less essential tasks?
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