Book SummaryThe Power of One More, by Ed Mylett

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of The Power of One More

What if you were just one step away from the life of your dreams? In The Power of One More, Ed Mylett argues that putting a little extra effort into your work, personal goals, or relationships can completely transform your life. Whether it’s doing one more set at the gym, waking up one 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 satisfaction and success in all areas of life.

Mylett is an entrepreneur, speaker, and performance coach who has helped athletes, business...

The Power of One More Summary Part 1: Develop a Mindset for Going the Extra Mile

Mylett writes that going the extra mile, or doing more than what’s expected of you, sets you apart from others and brings you greater success and opportunities. To consistently go the extra mile, you need a mindset that empowers you instead of limits you.

From a young age, you may have developed limiting beliefs about yourself and your abilities from messages you absorbed from family, friends, and society. For instance, if your parents often called you shy, you might struggle to see yourself as a confident leader later in life. Mylett explains that these beliefs shape what you think you can achieve and can hold you back from success. If you believe you can only reach a certain level of success, you’ll subconsciously limit yourself, thinking and acting in ways that keep you at that level.

(Shortform note: We’re sometimes unaware of the limiting beliefs that hold us back, so it can be helpful to consider some common ones. In The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks describes four false beliefs that limit our success and...

The Power of One More Summary Part 2: Set and Achieve Extra-Mile Goals

With the right mindset in place, the next step to going the extra mile is to translate your dreams into clear goals and actions. Mylett writes that goals provide the energy and motivation to make dreams a reality.

To turn your dreams into inspiring goals, Mylett recommends you first get into a peak state, which is when your mind and body are working together harmoniously. You can reach this state by getting physically active. Physical activity releases hormones that energize you and boost your creativity, making you feel more motivated to set goals. Once you’re in a peak state, write down everything you want in life without holding yourself back.

(Shortform note: What exactly is a peak state? In Stealing Fire, Stephen Kotler and Jamie Wheal define peak states as altered states of consciousness. These states can be achieved not only through exercise, but also through psychedelics and simulation technology. In a peak state, you might feel like time slows down, your sense of self fades away, and you become incredibly...

The Power of One More Summary 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...

The Power of One More Summary 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...

The Power of One More Summary 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...

Shortform Exercise: Cultivate an Extra-Mile Mindset

According to Mylett, to go the extra mile in everything you do, you first need a mindset to support this approach to life. Reflect on your current mindset and identify areas where you can cultivate more positive ways of thinking.

Think about a recent situation where you faced a challenge or opportunity at work or in your personal life. How did you approach it? Did you let yourself dream big about the possible outcomes, or did you limit your thinking based on past experiences?

Shortform Exercise: Set an Extra-Mile Goal

Mylett says that to go the extra mile, you must set clear goals and develop high standards and supportive habits to achieve them. In this exercise, choose one goal you want to achieve and create a plan to go the extra mile in pursuing it.

Think of a meaningful goal you’d like to achieve in the next six months. What is this goal, and why is it important to you?