The Just One Thing Method
Escape paralysis by completing one visible action at a time
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 97%
The Just One Thing Method narrows attention to a single concrete action. On a piece of lined paper, write one thing you will do, complete it, cross it out, and only then write the next thing beneath it. The method deliberately strips away sophisticated prioritisation systems, long task inventories, and anxiety about finishing the entire project. Its mechanism is behavioural: a tiny visible commitment lowers the activation threshold, completion supplies momentum, and the next decision is postponed until the current action is finished. It is especially useful when overwhelm has produced near-total paralysis. Once motion returns, broader planning can resume, but during the rut the method protects attention from the intimidating scale of everything else.
Origin
Oliver Burkeman encountered the method in David Parker's The More You Do, the Better You Feel and described it on Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal.
Core principles
- 01Procrastination often begins with difficulty starting
- 02A narrow time horizon reduces overwhelm
- 03Completion creates the next decision point
- 04Simple execution can outperform elaborate organisation
How to run it
- 1
Take a blank sheet
Use a simple piece of lined paper or an equally distraction-free surface. Set aside the larger task system temporarily.
Pro tip Keep the sheet physically visible beside your work.
Watch out Do not begin by migrating your entire backlog onto it.
- 2
Write one action
Choose one concrete action you are willing and able to perform now. Phrase it as observable behaviour rather than a broad project.
Pro tip Use actions such as 'open the document and draft one sentence.'
Watch out Tasks like 'finish the project' are too large.
- 3
Complete only that action
Work on the written item without planning the rest of the sequence. Reduce it further if you still cannot start.
Pro tip Allow the result to be imperfect.
Watch out Do not switch tasks because the action becomes uncomfortable.
- 4
Cross it out
Mark the action complete so progress is concrete and visible. Let completion, rather than mood, trigger the next choice.
Pro tip Pause briefly to acknowledge that the action is finished.
Watch out Do not dismiss a small completion as meaningless.
- 5
Choose the next one thing
Write one new action immediately below the completed one and repeat the cycle. Continue only as long as the method is helping.
Pro tip Keep each action within the current time horizon.
Watch out Do not let the page evolve into another overwhelming master list.
In the wild
A writer who has avoided a chapter writes 'open the draft and add one bad sentence.' After completing and crossing it out, the writer adds 'write one example' as the next action. The sequence continues without confronting the entire chapter at once.
→ The writer moves from paralysis into visible, manageable progress.
Someone overwhelmed by a messy room writes 'put the clothes in the hamper.' After crossing it out, they write 'clear the bedside table.' Each completed action determines the next.
→ The room improves without requiring motivation for a complete clean-up at the start.
Common mistakes
Writing an entire backlog
The method works by narrowing the horizon. Listing everything recreates the overwhelm it is meant to remove.
Choosing an abstract project
The one thing must be a concrete physical action, not a broad outcome such as 'get organised.'
Demanding high-quality output
Perfectionism raises the starting threshold. Permit a rough first action so momentum can begin.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for people in an unproductive rut who cannot decide where to begin.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal as the sole planning system for complex, interdependent, safety-critical, or multi-person projects.
From the transcript
“write down on a on a piece of lined paper, a thing you're going to do Do it, cross it out, write another one immediately…”
“what is one thing that I'm going to do? Do that thing, cross it out? Yeah, keep making the list longer.”
From the episode
How Productivity Ruins Your Life with Productivity Expert Oliver Burkeman
Productivity Expert Oliver Burkeman