“Get Your Sh*t Together,” by Sarah Knight

“Get Your Sh*t Together,” 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.

Check it out here.

You may also enjoy…

• “Unf*ck Yourself,” by Gary John Bishop
• “Creative Quest,” by Questlove

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