PDF Summary:The Power of One More, by Ed Mylett

What if you were just one step away from the life of your dreams? In The Power of One More, entrepreneur Ed Mylett argues that putting a little extra effort into anything you do can completely transform your life. Whether it’s doing one more set at the gym, waking up an hour earlier, or connecting with one new person, these small efforts add up over time to create big results. Mylett provides a guide for developing the mindset and habits to consistently go the extra mile and find greater success in all areas of life.

In this guide, we’ll lay out Mylett’s advice for adopting an extra-mile mindset, setting inspiring goals, mastering focus and time management, cultivating high-quality relationships, and overcoming obstacles. Along the way, we’ll compare Mylett’s tips with those of other personal development authors and suggest additional actionable strategies for going the extra mile.

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Mylett argues that good habits are more effective than bursts of motivation at carrying you through slumps and helping you achieve your goals. This is because when you face challenges and stress, your habits persist even if your motivation wanes. If you’ve developed good habits, like reviewing your to-do list first thing in the morning, they’ll keep you on track. But if you’ve developed bad habits, like procrastinating on your work, they’ll hold you back.

To form a new habit, create a trigger to start your new routine, do the action you want to make into a habit, and then reward yourself to lock in the habit. For example, if you want to start your day by reviewing your to-do list, you could use your morning coffee as your trigger, sit down and review your list as your action, and then treat yourself by listening to a short podcast or reading your favorite blog as your reward.

(Shortform note: In Atomic Habits, James Clear explains how you can invert the principles of habit formation to break your bad habits: Make the trigger invisible, the action difficult, and the reward unsatisfying. For example, if you want to stop snacking late at night, you could hide your snacks (make it invisible), keep your snacks in a hard-to-reach place (make it difficult), and imagine how sluggish you’ll feel the next day (make it unsatisfying). This way, you can not only create habits that support your goals, but also prevent yourself from falling back on the habits that undermine them.)

Build Your Tolerance for Doing Hard Things

Mylett writes that to set and achieve ambitious goals, you must build your tolerance for discomfort. He argues that achieving anything extraordinary requires doing hard things and that few people build an exceptional career, business, or relationship by taking the easy path.

To build your tolerance for hard things, Mylett recommends you start each day by tackling your most challenging tasks first. This approach builds character and discipline and sets you apart from most people who gravitate to easy items on their to-do lists. Completing challenging tasks is more rewarding than completing easy ones because accomplishing these tasks expands your skills and raises your confidence in yourself.

(Shortform note: How challenging should a task be to help you build your tolerance for discomfort? In The Rise of Superman, Steven Kotler specifies that your task should be 4% more challenging than your skill level so you achieve flow—a state of deep, sustained focus in which you perform at your best and enjoy your task. Without this level of mental exertion, says Kotler, your brain won’t produce the chemicals that give you energy and focus, but it’s still doable enough that it won’t overwhelm you.)

Part 3: Create an Extra-Mile Reality

Mylett writes that in addition to developing an empowering mindset and setting inspiring goals, you can also consciously shape your reality to support an extra-mile lifestyle. By directing your focus and changing your perception of time, you can attract more opportunities and resources. Let’s explore these two strategies further.

Direct Your Focus

One way to shape your reality is to be more intentional about what you focus on. Mylett writes that you can attract more opportunities and resources by focusing more on your goals every day. He explains that your brain has a network of nerve cells called a reticular activating system (RAS) that acts as a filter for information. It helps you notice things that are important to you and filters out less relevant information. This increased awareness of your priorities can help you take advantage of resources and chances you might have otherwise missed, allowing you to actively shape your reality in line with your goals.

(Shortform note: Some neuroscientists argue that self-help interpretations of the Reticular Activating System (RAS) often stray from scientific reality. They explain that the RAS serves basic functions like helping to regulate your sleep-wake cycles, maintain consciousness, and filter basic sensory information. While it does play a role in determining what information reaches your conscious awareness, it can't magically attract opportunities or reshape reality. This scientific perspective doesn't completely invalidate the value of focusing on your goals—positive thinking still boosts your motivation. However, it’s important to pair your hopeful thoughts with effort and action instead of relying on your RAS to make them come true.)

Mylett suggests you harness your RAS by vividly imagining a specific goal and replaying that mental movie until it’s embedded in your subconscious. For instance, if your goal is to be a professional painter, you might picture yourself in a sunlit studio, surrounded by your completed artworks, with galleries calling to book your next show. By replaying this scene in your mind daily, you may suddenly notice art supply sales you previously overlooked, overhear conversations about upcoming gallery openings, and meet other painters.

(Shortform note: Some experts argue that it’s more beneficial to imagine the process of achieving your goal instead of just the outcome. Imagining the outcome can trick your brain into thinking you’ve already succeeded, giving you a false sense of accomplishment that makes you less motivated to take action. Instead, break your goals down into manageable steps that you can visualize and succeed at one by one. For example, rather than picturing yourself in a gallery surrounded by your artwork, visualize yourself setting up your easel, mixing paints, or completing a single painting. While picturing your ideal future can help your RAS spot opportunities, focusing on the process of getting there makes that vision a reality.)

Leverage Your Time Perception

Mylett writes that you can also change your reality by stretching how you perceive time. While you can’t literally slow time down, you can alter how quickly or slowly time seems to pass and improve how productive you are as a result.

(Shortform note: In Slipstream Time Hacking, Benjamin Hardy suggests you reframe how you think about time in terms of distance. Just like astronauts measure vast distances in light-years, measure your life achievements in terms of distance covered rather than time spent. For example, if you find a way to achieve a multi-year goal, like writing a novel, in a single year, you've effectively slowed time down and covered more distance in that period of time—writing a full novel instead of a third or a half. According to Hardy, by reframing how you think about time and applying various time hacks, you can live the equivalent of multiple lifetimes in the years you have.)

Your perception of time depends on various factors like your age, experiences, and energy levels, but Mylett suggests several ways you can make time feel more abundant:

1. Make a plan. Spend the first 30 minutes of your day assessing your priorities. This helps you focus on doing tasks that matter most for your goals instead of just reacting to whatever comes up during the day.

(Shortform note: How do you determine what your priorities should be? In 168 Hours, Laura Vanderkam suggests you focus on tasks that use your unique strengths—the things you’re amazing at. Block off time on your schedule for these tasks first and delegate tasks you’re not good at. Planning out your day or your week in this way ensures you spend most of your time doing what you do best, allowing you to make quicker progress toward your goals.)

2. Divide your day into “mini days.” We all have only 24 hours in a day, but by breaking this time into three smaller “days” or timeframes such as noon to 6 p.m., you can essentially squeeze three days’ worth of productivity from 24 hours. These compressed “days” make each minute feel more valuable, which motivates you to accomplish more tasks in less time.

(Shortform note: In When, Daniel Pink explains that our bodies have natural rhythms that divide our day into three phases: a peak, a trough, and a rebound. You typically perform at your best during the peak, feel negative and lethargic during the trough, and recover during the rebound, where you excel at more creative, insightful tasks. The exact timing of this pattern depends on your individual chronotype—whether you’re a morning “lark”, a night “owl” or an in-between “third bird.” When you plan your mini days, consider slotting different types of tasks into the time periods when you’re naturally best suited to tackle them.)

3. Create a sense of urgency. Treat every task as if it’s urgent. Mylett points out that the amount of time you have to complete a task affects how productive you are and how quickly you complete it. If you have a work project due in three months, you’ll likely procrastinate until the deadline looms. To avoid this trap, pretend that the deadline is closer to get more done.

(Shortform note: Some argue that fake deadlines lack the motivational power of real deadlines because we know they’re artificial. Since there are no real consequences for missing them, they’re easy to ignore or push back. Instead of just pretending deadlines are closer than they are, create real accountability—for example, by sharing your deadline with someone who will hold you responsible, or by clearly identifying the real-world consequences of missing your target date. This way, you can create a sense of genuine urgency that pressures you to be more productive.)

4. Reflect. Track your progress toward your goals weekly, daily, or even hourly. The more often you evaluate how you’re doing, the better you can course-correct and use your time more efficiently.

(Shortform note: Tracking your progress on your goals doesn’t have to be boring or tedious. Apps like Habitica turn your goals and tasks into a role-playing game, rewarding you with experience points and virtual gold for completing habits, daily tasks, and to-dos. If you’d prefer to track your progress physically instead of digitally, The Hero’s Journal is a planner that uses a fantasy story framework to guide you on a quest of personal growth and goal achievement. It contains colorable illustrations, motivational quotes, and prompts for reflection, gratitude, and identifying allies and obstacles.)

Part 4: Build Extra-Mile Relationships

Mylett contends that building strong relationships is essential to success in every area of life. Specifically, he recommends you carefully choose an inner circle of people who inspire and challenge you to be your best and, at the same time, become an empowering leader who brings out the best in others.

Build Your Inner Circle

Mylett advises you to form close relationships with people who make you better. The people around you profoundly shape your life and success. While all your relationships shape you to some degree, your inner circle influences you the most. This group includes your closest connections, like romantic partners, close friends, and mentors.

(Shortform note: Depending on your attachment style, building an inner circle of close relationships may be easier or harder for you. If you have a secure attachment style, you may find it easier to develop trusting, stable relationships. However, if you have an insecure attachment style—anxious, avoidant or disorganized—you may struggle more to let people get close to you. While your attachment style is influenced by your earliest bonds with caregivers, you can work to develop a more secure style. By surrounding yourself with people who make you feel safe and supported, you can gradually learn to open up, share your feelings, and build the kinds of mutually uplifting relationships that Mylett recommends.)

Mylett suggests you first examine your current inner circle. Ask yourself if the members of your circle have the qualities, achievements, or emotional states that you aspire to have. As you go through life, you may find that some relationships no longer serve you as they once did. It can be difficult, but you must be willing to move these people to your outer circles to make room for new connections that help you reach your potential.

(Shortform note: In The Compound Effect, Darren Hardy suggests you sort your close relationships into three categories: dissociations (negative influences who don’t seem to be growing), limited associations (people who are fine to be around occasionally but eventually have a dampening influence on you), and expanded associations (people with positive qualities you’d like to emulate). Sorting your close relationships can help you decide not only who to keep in your inner circle but also how much time you should be spending with different people.)

Once you’ve pruned your inner circle, form new relationships with people who inspire and challenge you. Being around diverse perspectives and experiences keeps you from becoming stagnant and helps you to grow personally and professionally. Mylett recommends you look for people who complement your strengths and weaknesses. For example, if you’re a creative type who tends to think in the abstract, you might seek out an analytical thinker as a counterweight.

How to Form Close Relationships

Although Mylett recommends building an inner circle of people who challenge and inspire you, he doesn’t explain how you can form these close relationships. Other authors provide tips you can consider:

1. Find supportive, successful people. In The Success Principles, Jack Canfield suggests several ways you can meet people who can challenge or inspire you: Volunteer for leadership roles in an organization you care about, attend conferences in your field, or join clubs, civic groups, or societies in your field.

2. Practice active listening. When you meet potential friends or mentors, focus on listening more than speaking. Observe their body language, show you’re paying attention by making eye contact and nodding, consider the underlying message of what they’re saying, and ask clarifying questions. Active listening shows you’re interested in the other person, which makes them want to connect with you more.

3. Share your true self: In Braving the Wilderness, Brené Brown says you must be yourself to form closer connections. You must be brave and vulnerable to say what you believe and feel regardless of how others may react. Although this is scary, if you stay tight-lipped about your feelings and the things you care about, people won’t be able to get to know you on a deeper level. When you share your true self, you create opportunities to have longer, more meaningful conversations and truly connect with people.

Be an Empowering Leader

Mylett says that in addition to finding people who make you better, you should become a leader who helps others achieve more than they could on their own. He writes that while some people have a natural gift for leadership, anyone can become a great leader with practice.

(Shortform note: The type of leader Mylett encourages you to become is what John C. Maxwell refers to as a Level 4 leader. In The 5 Levels of Leadership, Maxwell defines the fourth level of leadership as People Development. There are various key practices that effective Level 4 leaders do, but the overarching theme is to have a genuine interest in your people’s growth, both professionally and personally. Once you become a Level 4 leader, you can prepare to advance to Level 5, where you develop other Level 4 leaders and create a lasting legacy in your organization.)

Mylett discusses several things empowering leaders do:

1. Rally people to an inspiring mission. Empowering leaders create a mission that encompasses the hopes and dreams of those you lead and communicate how being part of this mission will positively transform their lives. To create an inspiring mission, define what you stand for and against. For example, you might start a food bank with a mission to fight against hunger in your community.

(Shortform note: In The Vision Driven Leader, Michael Hyatt says a company must have both a mission and a vision to be successful. A mission is your current purpose while a vision is what you want to do next. So, consider creating a vision alongside your inspiring mission. Hyatt defines a compelling vision as one that’s extreme and challenging, but not reckless. It should be extreme in the sense that it’s a completely new and ambitious idea. However, it shouldn’t be so reckless that it’s likely to fail or alienate your team or stakeholders.)

2. Reinforce your mission and values. Repeat simple, memorable messages about your values and expectations until they become part of your organization’s culture. This ensures everyone knows their roles clearly and aligns with shared goals. Mylett adds that you must consistently model the mindsets and actions you expect from others. If your conduct doesn’t match the standards you set for your people, they’ll quickly notice the inconsistency and see no reason to meet those standards.

(Shortform note: Boost the impact of your repeated messaging by communicating them across a wide variety of media. In The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive, Patrick Lencioni explains that communicating across different media helps team members absorb your messages because people have different learning and communication styles. To accommodate these differences, use both traditional communication methods like in-person meetings and modern ones enabled by new technologies like company-wide email bulletins.)

3. Develop your team. Mylett writes that one team player can elevate the whole team’s performance. Proactively create opportunities for team members to step up as leaders, which boosts their confidence, lightens your load, and uplifts the entire team.

(Shortform note: In The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork, John C. Maxwell refers to these team members as catalysts—those who bring fresh energy to the team and inspire everyone to overcome challenges and get things done. They are excellent communicators, passionate about their work, generous, and creative, and they take initiative before others. If you recognize team members with these traits, help them recognize their potential as a catalyst and encourage them to step up as Mylett recommends.)

4. Show you care. Recognize each person’s unique value and show them how their talents fit into the bigger picture. Tailor your approach to what motivates each person most, whether it’s public recognition or quiet encouragement. When you show you care, you boost people’s confidence and help them contribute their fullest.

(Shortform note: The five love languages categorize the primary ways people feel appreciated receiving gifts, benefiting from a service, touch, kind and encouraging words, and quality time. While they’re typically associated with personal relationships, the five love languages can also be applied to your professional relationships. In The Success Principles, Jack Canfield says you can discover someone’s love language by listening to what they ask for, watching how they behave with other people, and taking note of their complaints.)

5. Provide resources for success. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to equip your people with the resources they need to succeed in the tasks you give them. This should be an ongoing process. Similarly, make sure you have the resources you need to lead effectively.

(Shortform note: In an ideal world, we would have all the resources we need to succeed, but this isn’t always the case. In The First 90 Days, Michael Watkins suggests you take the initiative and start a resources conversation with your boss. Identify what resources you already have access to and which ones will require your boss's approval. Then when making resource requests, help your boss see how fulfilling your request will benefit their interests and priorities. Present your request as a menu of options and clearly link the resources you're requesting with what you'll be able to deliver—for example: “If you want this outcome, I will need these resources.”)

Part 5: Develop Inner Peace to Support Your Extra-Mile Lifestyle

To sustain an extra-mile life, Mylett writes that you must be able to pursue ambitious goals while maintaining inner peace—staying mentally and emotionally calm, even when facing challenges. You can’t control most of what happens in life, but you can train your mind to handle setbacks and challenges in a positive, rational way.

To find inner peace when facing stress and challenges, Mylett suggests you become more mindful of your thoughts and reactions. Recognize that both good and bad things in life are temporary and that you’re one small part of the vast human experience. This perspective helps you let go of attachments, embrace change, and manage your fears. For example, if you get passed over for a promotion, see it as one step in a long career, not the end.

Accept Reality to Maintain Inner Peace

According to spiritual teacher Byron Katie, the key to inner peace is accepting each moment as it is. In Loving What Is, Katie argues that your experiences themselves don’t cause emotional pain—only your resistant thoughts that judge experiences as wrong or unwanted make you suffer. These thoughts distort reality by focusing your mind on an imaginary narrative of how things should be different instead of how things are. For example, if you think “My boss should appreciate me more,” you may feel frustrated and resentful. But these thoughts don’t change your boss’s behavior—they only make you unhappy.

Like Mylett, Katie also recommends being mindful of your thoughts, offering a three-step process to release resistant thoughts:

1. Write them down. Start by identifying something that’s bothering you, whether it’s a current problem, a past event, or a future worry. Then, write down simple, honest statements expressing how you feel. For example, “My partner never listens to me” or “I’m afraid I’ll never find a job I love.”

2. Question them to reveal whether they’re untrue and unhelpful. For each thought you’ve written down, ask yourself these questions:

• Is this thought absolutely true? Look for any evidence that disproves your thought.

• How do I feel and act when I believe this thought? Notice the emotions and behaviors it triggers.

• How does this thought benefit me? Consider whether the thought inspires any positive changes.

• How would I feel and behave without this thought? Imagine your situation if this thought never occurred to you.

These questions help you realize that your thoughts may not be true, that they don’t serve you, and that you’d be better off without them.

3. Reframe your perspective until you can accept the situation. Once you see that your thoughts are causing your distress, not the situation itself, look for new ways to interpret what’s happening. Think about different perspectives until you find one that allows you to accept the situation. For example, instead of “I’ll never find a job I love,” you could try “I’m learning more about what matters to me in a career.”

Find Strength Through Faith and Prayer

Mylett also encourages finding inner peace by connecting to something greater than yourself through faith and prayer. He defines prayer as focusing your thoughts on your deepest hopes.

According to Mylett, your mind is constantly praying in a sense—thinking about your desires for your relationships, career, health, and so on. He suggests channeling this natural tendency more purposefully: Pray intentionally each day and focus on gratitude, instead of just praying when you’re struggling and need divine intervention. This increases your inner peace and ability to go the extra mile. He adds that the more you pray for something, the harder you’ll want to work to achieve it.

Prayers of Request and Gratitude

In Seeking Wisdom, Julia Cameron describes two types of prayers that can help you increase the positivity and goodwill to support your goals: prayers of request and prayers of appreciation.

First, make prayers of request to ask God for guidance or help. Cameron suggests you humbly ask for God to work with and through you, rather than just for you. For example, instead of demanding to achieve a specific goal, ask God to guide you toward the tasks that help you achieve that goal. God’s responses come in many forms—a gut feeling, a new opportunity, or an abrupt change. Cameron encourages you to accept the response, even if it’s not what you expected.

Second, make prayers of appreciation to thank God for the people, events, and serendipitous moments that have helped you. Cameron says expressing gratitude brings you feelings of abundance that attract even more positivity to you. Start by appreciating the beauty of nature, like warm patches of sun-lit grass, to enter a state of awe. Then, expand your appreciation to the people in your life, miraculous events that helped you grow, and experiences of serendipity where things fell perfectly into place. Focusing your thoughts on what you’re grateful for, as Mylett advises, is a powerful way to increase your inner peace and motivation.