Navigating Grief with Your “One Thing” Framework

What happens when an unexpected event happens in your life that makes you question everything?
 
Well, it happened to me and my family, and we are still trying to come to terms with it. My wife passed away in August after seven weeks in the hospital. Since then, I have been lost physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
 
Being Proactive in the Grieving Process
 
I have been doing lots of reading and trying to soothe my grieving heart and mind. I am not avoiding the difficult emotions but trying to let them rise and deal with them. I have a long way to go to deal with sadness, anger, frustration and loss.
 
Reading has broadened my perspective on my life and the future, and one of the best books I have ever read has found its way back into my life. It's called the One Thing by Gary Keller. I have tried to segment and compartmentalise my life to get through the process.
 
My Business 'One Thing'
 
My 'One Thing' for the business is to write, write and write and publish as much as I can through my websites, LMS (Learning Management Systems) and video training platforms. Key to all these activities is writing. Without the ideas fleshed out in precise detail, none of my business activities, including content creation and consulting projects, would evolve and prosper. My ideas will never see the light of day without focus.

My Personal' One Thing'
 
My personal 'One Thing' to get to be the fittest and healthiest I have ever been, and to psychologically be able to rank myself in the top 5% of men in my age range regarding health and fitness.
To score big time on not setting but 'Goal Getting', has been to focus and then get into the details. What will the goal look like when it's completed and achieved? How will the goal be actualised and materialised in a reliable form and presence?
 
So what learning did I get from my reread?
 
It is, "What's the one thing I can do such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?"


Embracing the Core Healing Practice  
 
Finding a single, deeply grounding habit can anchor one through the unpredictability of grief.

• Choose the one daily ritual that feels most restorative - journal reflections on what you're grateful for, a thirty-minute mindful walk in nature, or a guided visualisation focused on connection with my wife's memory.
• Define what success looks like each day: a completed journal page, a set distance walked, or five minutes of uninterrupted breathing.
• Track it simply - check a box on the calendar or mark it in a habit-tracking app. Seeing consistency rise builds momentum and compassion for yourself.

The One Thing for My Writing Business
 

1. Identify my highest-leverage writing project.
   • Is it my next book chapter, a flagship video script, or a signature blog series?
   • Pick the single piece that will pull everything else forward (consulting credibility, course content, social media traction).
2. Time block and protect deep writing sessions
   • Reserve a single, uninterrupted two-hour block each morning or evening when the mind feels clearest.
   • Treat it like a non-negotiable appointment - no meetings, emails, or phone calls.
3. Build a simple progress measure
4. Count words, completed outlines, or published pages.
5. Celebrate small wins: 500 words completed, one video uploaded, feedback received.

The One Thing for Peak Health and Fitness

• Pinpoint one habit that gives the greatest return on energy and resilience - daily protein intake, a 30-minute strength routine, or consistent sleep patterns.
• Establish a clear benchmark: lift X weight, hit Y grams of protein, or get Z hours of sleep per night.
• Log that one metric every day in a notebook or app - small, steady progress compounds into top-5% results.

Weaving It All Together
 
These "One Things" don't exist in isolation. Healing rituals fuel creative clarity for writing. A fitness habit builds mental toughness for tackling significant challenges. Consider:

• Using journal insights as the seed for course modules or blog posts.
• Scheduling a post-workout voice memo to capture fresh ideas.
• Reflecting each evening on how today's single health action sharpened focus or lifted mood.

Next Steps and Reflection Questions

• Which single ritual feels most sacred to healing right now?
• What writing project, if completed next, would unlock your entire content pipeline?
• Which fitness habit gives the most significant energy boost—and how can it be tracked daily?
• I will create a simple weekly framework that maps my healing ritual, one writing block, and one fitness habit. I will refine it until it feels intuitive and sustaining.

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