How to Plan 2026 for Your Funeral Home Using "The ONE Thing" Method

January 08, 2026•8 min read

Most funeral home owners start the year with a massive to-do list.

Update the website. Launch Google ads. Post on social media. Order new brochures. Train staff. Fix the parking lot sign. Update pricing sheets. Respond to reviews. Call hospice partners.

By March, they're exhausted and nothing's done completely.

There's a better way.

The Problem with Traditional Planning

Traditional planning tells you to list everything that needs improvement. Then you try to tackle it all at once.

The result? You spread yourself thin. Nothing gets your full attention. Everything ends up half-finished.

When families call, you're juggling ten half-completed projects instead of benefiting from two or three completed ones.

What is "The ONE Thing" Method?

Gary Keller wrote a book called "The ONE Thing" that flips traditional planning on its head.

Instead of asking "What should I do?" he asks a different question:

"What's the ONE thing I can do such that by doing it, everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?"

This changes everything.

You're not looking for the most urgent task. You're looking for the domino that knocks down all the others. The leverage point that multiplies your results.

How The ONE Thing Method Works

The method works at four levels, each one feeding into the next:

Year→Quarter→Month→Day

At each level, you ask the same question: What's my ONE thing at this timeframe that makes everything else easier or unnecessary?

Here's how it breaks down:

Your ONE Thing for the Year

This is your big picture goal. The main domino for the next 12 months.

When you identify your yearly ONE thing, it should make you realize that half your current to-do list doesn't even matter.

Ask yourself: "What's the ONE thing I can do this year such that by doing it, everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?"

Maybe it's doubling your online visibility. Maybe it's streamlining how families book arrangements. Maybe it's training your team to convert phone inquiries better.

Whatever it is, it should feel like the foundation everything else builds on.

Your ONE Thing for the Quarter

Once you know your yearly goal, break it into quarters.

Ask: "What's the ONE thing I can do this quarter such that by doing it, everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?"

Your quarterly ONE thing should directly support your yearly goal. It's a concrete step that moves you closer.

If your yearly goal is about visibility, maybe Q1 focuses on your Google presence. Q2 focuses on your website. Q3 focuses on review generation.

Each quarter stacks on the previous one.

Your ONE Thing for the Month

Now break your quarter into months.

Ask: "What's the ONE thing I can do this month such that by doing it, everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?"

Your monthly ONE thing is even more specific. It's something you can actually complete in 30 days.

If your quarterly goal is fixing your Google presence, maybe January is about completing your profile information. February is about getting photos. March is about generating new reviews.

One focused month beats three scattered months every time.

Your ONE Thing for Today

Finally, break your month into daily actions.

Ask: "What's the ONE thing I can do today such that by doing it, everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?"

This is the task you do before checking email. Before returning calls. Before anything else.

It's the one thing that, if completed today, moves everything forward.

How to Actually Plan Your Year

Here's your step-by-step process for planning 2026:

Step 1: Find Your Yearly ONE Thing

Block out 30 minutes. No phone. No interruptions.

Ask yourself: "What's the ONE thing I can do this year such that by doing it, everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?"

Write down every idea that comes to mind. Don't filter yet.

Common yearly ONE things for funeral homes:

Make it easier for families to find us online
Convert more phone inquiries into arrangements
Improve our average case value
Build systems so the business runs without me
Expand into a new service area

Look at your list. Which ONE would make the biggest difference? Which ONE would make other goals easier to achieve or unnecessary?

That's your yearly ONE thing.

Step 2: Break It Into Quarters

Now ask: "What's the ONE thing I need to do each quarter to achieve my yearly goal?"

You're looking for four stepping stones. Each quarter should build on the last one.

For example, if your yearly goal is making it easier for families to find you online, your quarters might look like:

Q1: Fix our Google Business Profile
Q2: Optimize our website for mobile searches
Q3: Build a review generation system
Q4: Launch targeted advertising

Each quarter supports the year. Each quarter makes sense in sequence.

Step 3: Plan Your First Quarter Month by Month

You don't need to plan all four quarters in detail right now. Just focus on Q1.

Ask: "What's the ONE thing I need to do each month in Q1 to achieve my quarterly goal?"

Break your quarterly goal into three monthly milestones.

Using our example:

January: Complete all profile information (hours, services, photos)
February: Respond to all existing reviews and create posting schedule
March: Generate 10 new reviews from recent families

Step 4: Identify Today's ONE Thing

Now look at your January goal. What's the first step?

Ask: "What's the ONE thing I can do today such that by doing it, everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?"

Maybe it's auditing your current Google profile. Maybe it's taking photos of your facility. Maybe it's writing out your complete service list.

Whatever it is, do it first thing tomorrow morning.

Why This Method Works for Funeral Homes

Funeral homes face unique challenges. You can't control when the phone rings. Emergencies interrupt your plans. Every day looks different.

Traditional planning falls apart when your schedule is unpredictable.

The ONE Thing method works because:

It focuses your limited time on high-impact activities. When you only have 30 minutes between calls, you know exactly what matters most.

It prevents overwhelm. You're not juggling ten priorities. You have one clear focus.

It builds momentum. Completing your ONE thing each day, week, and month creates visible progress.

It's flexible. When emergencies happen, you know exactly which task to return to.

Common Mistakes Funeral Homes Make

Mistake 1: Choosing Too Many ONE Things

Some funeral home owners identify their yearly ONE thing, then immediately add three more "equally important" goals.

That defeats the purpose.

You can only have ONE thing at each level. If everything is important, nothing is important.

Mistake 2: Picking Easy Instead of Impactful

Your ONE thing should feel challenging. It should be the thing you've been avoiding because it requires real effort.

"Organize my desk" is not a ONE thing. "Build a system that doubles our call conversions" is a ONE thing.

Mistake 3: Not Connecting the Levels

Your daily ONE thing should support your monthly ONE thing. Your monthly should support your quarterly. Your quarterly should support your yearly.

If they don't connect, you're not following the method.

Mistake 4: Giving Up After Week Two

The first week feels great. By week two, you hit resistance. Old habits creep back. Your to-do list grows.

This is normal. The funeral homes that win are the ones who push through week two and keep their focus.

Your Planning Worksheet

Here's a simple template to plan your year:

YEARLY ONE THING What's the ONE thing I can do this year such that by doing it, everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?