How to Start Building Your Personal Brand Today


If you’re having trouble balancing long-term personal brand building and career development with the requirements of your day-to-day job, I have the perfect book for you.

The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results is a highly readable book that provides a fresh perspective on planning, accomplishment, and success.

The ONE Thing immediately made a huge difference in my personal productivity. It can do the same for you.

Since I read it, I’ve finished more short-term projects and made more progress on my personal branding than in any similar period!

Focus, simplicity, and personal branding

In previous Personal Branding Blog posts like, Habits, Blogging, and Personal Branding Success, Time Management Tips for Personal Branding Success, and Turn Your Book Idea into a Published Book, I’ve recommended numerous personal productivity and time management books.

But, none has made as much of an immediate difference as The ONE Thing!

The ONE Thing’s ability to spark change comes from its focus and simplicity…the same type of focus and simplicity your personal brand should project.

The first thing you see when you visit the author’s website, www.the1thing.com, is a 6-slide mini-presentation (often referred to as a slider) that tells you everything you need to know about the book.

It’s this type of focus and simplicity that can spark the change in your daily activities that can make a big difference in your career development and personal branding.

But, don’t just take my word for it…

Additional proof of the book’s effectiveness comes from authors’ background; if the name “Keller” resonates with you, it’s because Gary Keller is chairman of the board and co-founder of Keller-Williams Realty, Inc., the largest real estate franchise in the world. In addition, his previous bestselling books have sold more than 1,300,000 copies.

The ONE Thing is also:

  • #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller
  • #1 Amazon bestseller
  • New York Times bestseller
  • USA Today bestseller

My personal takeaways from The ONE Thing

  1. Each day, ask yourself, What’s the ONE Thing you can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary? Then, make sure you do something to advance your ONE Thing each day!
  2. After you’ve done your ONE Thing each day, you can schedule the rest of your day around fulfilling your other commitments. But, at least, you’ll get your ONE Thing of the day done!
  3. Multi-Tasking is just one of the lies we’re being told. Everybody does it, but research shows it really doesn’t work!
  4. The limits of will-power. There’s only so much discipline, or will-power, available each day. That’s why you need to establish habits and routines to make up for it’s diminishing power.
  5. What happens when you try to chase two rabbits? You probably won’t catch either!
  6. Productivity, by itself, isn’t enough. Your productivity has to be based on, and driven by, priority and purpose.
  7. Energize yourself to succeed. Schedule time early in the day to build your mental energy so it will last through the day.
  8. Everyone needs success strategies to balance day-to-day career development with long-term personal branding.

Most important takeaway, once again, simple, concise, and conversational writing is the best way to build your personal brand with a bestselling book!

What’s YOUR one thing?

Have you taken the time to identify your ONE Thing, and do you plan each day around accomplishing something that will advance it? How do you balance the need for career development in your job with long-term personal branding? Or, do you try to “squeeze in” your personal branding ONE thing tasks in the time left over after you finish each day’s routine tasks? Share your comments, experiences, and questions below–especially if you’ve read Gary Keller and Jay Papasan’s The ONE Thing.