A few years ago, I met Phil Cooke at the Sunscreen Film Festival. He was speaking at the event and was kind enough to stick around after his panel discussion to chat one on one with several folks who had attended. When I introduced myself, he asked me what I did. I told him I was an actor and writer. "But which one are you the best at?" he pressed further. The ensuing discussion opened my eyes to a lot of realities and was my first taste of what Phil has now put down in book form, as One Big Thing.
ONE B1G THING takes the reader on a journey to discover what is the one main purpose that they were put on this earth to complete. In Phil's case, it is helping others discover that one thing in their own lives and helping motivate them once they've discovered what it is. Luckily, for those of us who haven't always known what our One Big Thing is, Phil didn't discover his until later in life - he might even argue he didn't have it fully defined until a couple of years ago - so the reader gets the benefit, not only of an expert who has discovered his calling, but also that of the person who struggled for years, trying to figure out what that is.
A popular misconception about the One Big Thing is that it is JUST one thing. It is and it isn't, Phil explains. Everyone has One Big Thing, but that one thing can be expressed in many forms. Some might be tempted to complain that they can do many things well. I myself, felt that for many years. But the beauty of One Big Thing is that once you discover what that thing is, it allows you to focus and excel more, and, yes, enjoy more, the tasks and activities that you are doing - in keeping with your One Big Thing. Phil gives the example in his own life as an author, speaker, TV producer, media leader - he is all of those things, but he keeps very focused and clear on what his goal is - and by doing so, he does all of those things better than anyone else who is trying to do the same thing - but does not have Phil's purpose of helping others find their niche/purpose/OBT.
As I mentioned earlier - and Phil points out several times in the book - he came to the realization of his One Big Thing later in life and he uses his own journey as a guideline as he chaperones the reader through the steps and suggestions to finding their One Big Thing. And the journey is well worth the time it will take. Clarity of purpose and vision, being able to finally grasp what it is that truly defines and invigorates you, then being able to put that to work to change even just your own little corner of the world? What are you waiting for?
While I enjoyed the layout and structure of One Big Thing, I did kind of miss the structured action steps and keys that Phil offered in his previous work in this area,
Jolt!: Get the Jump on a World That's Constantly Changing. One Big Thing is more freeform and creative, more open, and that may not appeal to some who are looking for "what do I do next." However, the format also lends itself more to going deeper - really stretching your mind and imagination to find what your One Big Thing is, and that advantage cannot be denied.
ONE B1G THING is a good read and a worthy successor to Jolt!, but some may want to read them in reverse order. Phil Cooke is, hands-down, the best teacher for this topic and I don't know of any other book that cuts through the chaff and fluff that exemplifies so many of these types of books already on the market. Make no mistake, nobody teaches it better than Phil. And how could they? It's HIS One Big Thing.
