The Red Right Hand of Resolve (2 Min Read) | Vol. 193

March 6, 2026

“It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required.” ― Winston S. Churchill

The Red Right Hand of Resolve

Wendy and I have been binging Peaky Blinders before the movie comes out this month. The show always opens to the tune of Nick Cave’s ominous classic “Red Right Hand.” I can’t imagine a more perfect walk-on song for Thomas Shelby.

Turns out, there’s more to the hand than meets the eye. While Nick Cave was inspired by a line from Paradise Lost about the “red-right hand” of God, the showrunners certainly played on the Gaelic tale of the “Red Hand of Ulster.” * 

Rival chieftains were racing to an island. Whoever touched land first would claim the kingdom for his own. Legend has it that when one chieftain saw that his adversary would beat him, he cut off his hand and threw it ashore to win. The severed, bloody hand became a symbol of extreme resolve. A red right hand still adorns the O’Neill coat of arms.

When we teach The ONE Thing, we get lots of questions about competing priorities. No one gets to do just one thing. You have your work, your health, and your finances vying for your attention. Maybe you have aging parents and kids who are aging you. Your to-do list is a lot like your inbox. It never goes to zero for long. 

Still, in any given season, we can make a stand around one thing. That singular activity that drives your success. It’s the thing you schedule first and protect the most. You plan for it early in the day, when you have maximum willpower. You design your bunker to fend off distractions. You muster all your resolve to achieve it. 

We’ve all had the experience of doing something remarkable. And if we look closely, that remarkable result came from weeks, months, maybe years of sustained focus.

The good news is you don’t need to chop off an appendage to achieve the remarkable again. But you will need to cut through the interference, say no to lesser goals, and find your inner Thomas Shelby. 

One question to ponder in your thinking time: Where do I refuse to lose? 

Make an Impact!
Jay Papasan
Co-author of The ONE Thing, The Millionaire Real Estate Agent & author of The Rookie Real Estate Agent

* The Ulster Volunteer Force are working with Inspector Cambell for the first two seasons including a hit squad called the “Red Hand”. 

P.S. You don’t need extreme resolve to live The ONE Thing. You just need clarity about where you refuse to lose — and a system to back it up. Through March 8th, The ONE Thing Operating System is $50 off, and the free AI Prompt Tool is waiting for you too. Click here to enroll now.