Get Your Sh*t Together: How to Stop Worrying About What
You Should Do So You Can Finish What You Need to Do and Start Doing What You
Want to Do is a self-help book written by the self-styled
"anti-guru," Sarah Knight. Over the course of the book, Knight
discusses topics big and small, from where to start all the way to preparing
for retirement. She does this through a few simple steps: 1) strategize, 2)
focus, and 3) commit. After that, she asks readers to 4) prioritize and 5)
delegate (this includes hiring a pro, when the situation calls for it).
Pros
- The book is
irreverent, and occasionally funny. Within the first few minutes of the
book, for example, Knight is taking shots at Kondo's, "Life Changing
Magic of Tidying Up," and referencing another one of her works,
"The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving A Fuck," (which she
implores listeners to purchase).
- I like that the
book doesn't espouse a "right" way to live your life. Instead,
it offers tips and tricks to get to your goals, whatever they may
be.
- I appreciate the
fact that the author touches on difficult topics like perfectionism and
anxiety. I also appreciate that she recognizes and acknowledges she is not
a mental health professional when providing this advice (though I suspect
this may also be a case of "cover your ass").
- I was happy that
the author called out sexual orientation as gender identity that should be
self-determined, not something dictated by friends, family, or society.
Cons
- This book is
full of fluff (e.g. the author saying what she's going to do instead of
just doing it).
- Some of the
chapter markers are whack. For example, part 3 ("Tough Shit") is
broken down into a few smaller, more digestible sub-chapters. By
comparison, part 1, 2, & 4 are not.
- I can't help but
feel like this book could be shorter (and it already runs only about 4
hours). If you are in a rush, you might be better served reading the
summary.
Conclusion
There is a lot to
like about this book. It includes a reasonable system to get things done,
plenty of examples, and a smattering of swears. The jokes can sometimes land a
little flat, but as self-help books go, I found them to be a nice change of
pace. The book isn't really revolutionary, but it was more than interesting
enough to get me through its 4-ish hour run time. Ultimately, if the premise of
the book or the no-bullshit tone of the author appeal to you, this book is
worth a look.
Final
Score:
7/10
