How to Filter New Projects with the One-Line Test

Welcome to a simpler way of working. If you're drowning in half-started projects that seemed important at the time, the One-Line Test is your clarity filter. This practical tool helps you decide which projects deserve your focus by asking one simple question: can this project explain, in a single sentence, how it advances your essential goal?

Know Your Goal

Before you can test anything, you need to know what you're testing against. Essentialist leaders ask a powerful question: 'If we could only do one thing, what would it be?' That answer becomes your essential intent—the north star that guides every decision.

Write it down. Make it visible. Pin it on the wall, add it to your meeting agendas, or set it as your desktop background. This isn't corporate jargon—it's your filter. When everyone on your team can state the essential intent in plain words, you've created the foundation for focused progress.

Get a New Idea

New proposals arrive constantly. A colleague pitches a 'quick win'. A client suggests an 'exciting opportunity'. Your inbox fills with 'strategic initiatives'. Each one sounds reasonable in isolation.

Here's where most teams go wrong: they say yes by default and no by exhaustion. Instead, pause. Hold that shiny new idea at arm's length for a moment. It's time to apply your filter.

Apply the Test

This is where the One-Line Test earns its name. Every proposal must pass three simple checks before it starts:

• State the link: In one clear sentence, how does this project advance your essential intent? If the connection requires paragraphs of explanation or feels forced, it fails.
• Name the owner: Who will own the highest-contribution role? Clarity about ownership prevents diffused responsibility.
• Identify the first win: What's the first small, tangible result, and what obstacle needs removing to achieve it?

If any piece is fuzzy, it's not ready. You haven't rejected the idea—you've simply asked it to get clearer. Most proposals that can't pass this test quietly fade away, saving you from busywork disguised as progress.

Proceed with Clarity

The magic happens when you filter ruthlessly. Your team stops making a millimetre of progress in a million directions and starts making real breakthroughs. Meetings get shorter because plain words cut through waffle. Energy focuses on fewer things, done better, that actually matter.

You'll notice something else: the stress of overcommitment fades. That calm, organised desk from the comic strip? It becomes your reality. When you know exactly what you're working towards and why, decision-making gets easier. Distractions lose their appeal. You move from busy to productive.

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Visit www.brainzyme.com to discover how the right support can help you maintain the mental clarity needed to filter ruthlessly and focus brilliantly.