Every once in a while, in the midst of all my fiction reading, I pick up a self-improvement book. There’s often a point or two of interest in the book, even if much of the advice is repetitive and obvious. But, someone has to point out the highlights. Sarah Knight uses her own life as in example in Get Your Sh*t Together.

Knight was in a high-pressure job in New York City, one she had planned for her career. And, after fifteen years, she realized it wasn’t what she wanted to do, or where she wanted to be. How do you change your life? You do in in small steps. “Because big life changes are made in small, manageable chunks.” Knight says that’s how to save money, change jobs, leave a relationship, lose weight, clean up your email. Get a calendar, and do it in small chunks at a time.

The book supplies “motivational tips and tricks for time management”. It’s irreverent. In fact, Knight, the author of The Life-changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck, uses both words quite often in her book. And, it’s up-to-date with quite a number of pop culture references. A couple years from now, I don’t know that some of the anecdotes about Antiques Roadshow, Beyonce, Charlie Sheen, or the puppies in the Sarah McLachlan SPCA commercial will be as relevant.

Knight’s book really encourages people to make life changes to be happy, pointing out small steps to get readers on their way. In fact, she summarizes the purpose for Get Your Sh*t Together. She wants to “Help people make changes in their lives using simple advice, a bunch of expletives, and the occasional flowchart.” Or, as I said earlier, make changes in “small manageable chunks”.

Sarah Knight’s website is www.sarahknightauthor.com

Get Your Sh*t Together by Sarah Knight. Little, Brown & Company. 2016. ISBN 9780316505079 (hardcover), 287p.

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