The One Question That Changes Everything in 2026

January is full of goal-setting. Vision boards. Strategic plans. Long lists of everything we want to accomplish.

But here is what I have learned from working with hundreds of leaders: the ones who achieve the most do not have longer lists. They have shorter ones.

They ask one question that changes everything:

What is the ONE thing that matters most right now?

The problem with more

Most leaders start the year by adding. More goals. More initiatives. More commitments.

It feels productive. It feels ambitious. But by February, it feels overwhelming.

When everything is a priority, nothing gets your best effort. Your attention fragments. Your energy scatters. Progress stalls — not from lack of effort, but from lack of focus.

The power of one

The leaders who move fastest are ruthless about focus. They understand that saying yes to one thing means saying no to many others — and they are at peace with that.

This does not mean they only do one thing. It means they know which one thing deserves their highest attention at any given time. Everything else supports it or waits.

How to find your one thing

Look at your goals for this quarter. Now ask: If I could only accomplish ONE of these, which would make the biggest difference?

That is your focus. Not the only thing you will do — but the thing that gets your best thinking, your protected time, your fullest attention.

The question

Before you add anything else to your plate this year, ask yourself: What is the ONE thing that matters most right now?

Your answer might surprise you. And it might change everything.