The Secret to a Successful Work Life is “One Thing.”

Wisdom often comes from unexpected places. Many of you may recall the movie “City Slickers” starring Billy Crystal and Jack Palance. Crystal’s character, “Mitch,” was going through a mid-life crisis. He and his buddies decide to spend two weeks at a dude ranch to sort out life and get some rest and relaxation. Palance’s character, “Curly,” seemed to have it all together. As Mitch began to pity the cowboy’s simple life of herding, Curly speaks amazing wisdom in response to Mitch. The dialogue went like this ...

Curly: “Yeah. You all come out here about the same age. Same problems. Spend fifty weeks a year getting knots in your rope, then you think two weeks up here will untie them for you. None of you get it. (pause) Do you know what the secret of life is?”
Mitch: “No, what?”
Curly: “This,” holding up his index finger.
Mitch: “Your finger?”
Curly: “One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don’t matter.”
Mitch: “That’s great, but what’s the one thing?”
Curly: “That’s what you’ve got to figure out.”

The wisdom was expressed in the cowboy’s words: the secret to life is one thing. Research suggests that the secret to a successful “work life” can similarly be found in “one thing.” Based on interviews with more than 3 million employees in a variety of industries, the Gallup organization has concluded this: Happy, productive employees are those who clearly see a link between what they do everyday and the mission of the organization. This link is the “one thing” that creates engaged employees.

Jim Shaffer in his book, The Leadership Solution, says, “People should come to work each day excited about the prospects of making a difference. They should go home at night feeling as though they did, that they added value and are valued.”

Focusing on the link between what we do everyday and the company’s mission gives meaning to the work we do. By focusing on this “one thing,” the customer wins through improved quality and service, the company wins through increased efficiency and greater profits, and most importantly, the employee wins by having a more meaningful work life, knowing that what he or she does everyday is important to the success of the company.

As Curly said, “You stick to that and everything else don’t matter.”