Book SummaryGet Your Sh*t Together, by Sarah Knight

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Get Your Sh*t Together

You’re fully capable of living the life you want, according to Sarah Knight. In Get Your Sh*t Together, Knight offers a no-nonsense approach to help get your life on track, whether that’s showing up on time or uprooting your life and moving to the Caribbean (which is exactly what she did). From managing your to-do list to saving for retirement, Knight offers practical advice on how to get (and keep) your shit together. She explains that living your best life is all about having goals, breaking them down into smaller steps, and then approaching each step with strategy, focus, and commitment.

Knight has become known as the "anti-guru" for her unconventional, irreverent approach to practical advice. Before becoming an author, she spent 15 years as a book editor in New York City,...

Get Your Sh*t Together Summary What Does It Mean to Get Your Shit Together?

According to Knight, there are two parts to having your shit together. Part one is about figuring out what you give a shit about and letting go of the rest, and part two is about organizing that shit.

Knight’s first book, The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck, is a deep dive into part one of the process—what Knight calls “mental decluttering.” She explains that every person has only a certain amount of time, energy, and money (or fcks) to give. Mental decluttering is about figuring out what you actually care about and then discarding the rest. In short, give fewer fcks.

(Shortform note: The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck was inspired by Marie Kondo's best seller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Knight's book is described as “a practical parody” of Kondo's work. While Kondo focuses on...

Get Your Sh*t Together Summary Why Should You Get Your Shit Together?

According to Knight, getting your shit together is the key to crafting your best life, one that's dictated by your own standards and not by external expectations. She argues that effectively managing your responsibilities and tasks ensures that you can efficiently do what you need to do, which gives you the freedom and peace of mind to spend time doing what you want to do. It's not just about ticking off items on a to-do list but about creating a life where your obligations don't overwhelm your aspirations. According to Knight, if you have your shit together, you can live life on your own terms and shape your days so that they align with your personal values and goals.

(Shortform note: Like Knight, entrepreneur and life coach Tim Ferriss believes that everyone should be able to live their life according to their own values and goals. However,...

Get Your Sh*t Together Summary How to Get Your Shit Together

Now that you know what it means to get your shit together and why it matters, it’s time to start doing it. In the next section, we’ll explain Knight’s four steps to getting your shit together.

Step #1: Have a Goal

Knight explains the first step in getting your shit together is to have a clear goal. You need to know what you’re trying to do before you take steps to do it. If you're unclear about what your goals are, she suggests asking yourself two questions:

1. What don’t I like about my life?
2. What is the source of the problem?

According to Knight, a goal should provide an answer to the problems outlined in questions one and two: For example, suppose your answer to the first question is “I'm always stressed about money,” and the answer to the second question is “because I'm not saving enough and I'm not careful with my spending.” A potential goal could be “to improve my financial stability by saving more and spending less.”

(Shortform note: While Knight says having a goal is the first step, motivational speaker Brian Tracy contends that there’s something you have to do before outlining your goal. In his book Goals!,...

Get Your Sh*t Together Summary Start Small

Sometimes dealing with little things can make you feel more in control. If you’re on the chaotic end of Knight’s not having your shit together spectrum, Knight recommends starting small—for example, with your email inbox. It’s something we all have to deal with, and a chaotic inbox is a recipe for increased stress and anxiety, not to mention missed communication and deadlines.

Get on Top of Your Inbox

According to Knight, there’s no reason to have 12,539 unread messages in your inbox. If your inbox is overwhelming, you can do something about it.

The first step is to set a goal. Knight recommends getting your inbox to zero (yes, it’s possible).

The next step is to make a plan and break your goal down into smaller steps. To get your inbox to zero, you’ll need to delete, file, or reply to all your messages. The level of chaos in your inbox will determine how long this task will take you. Knight recommends trying to complete this task all at once to minimize the risk of getting even more emails as you try to clear out the ones you have.

Now, you need to prioritize by giving time and energy to the task. Schedule your inbox cleanout into your day.

Finally, implement the...

Get Your Sh*t Together Summary Dream Big

Knight’s strategies can be used to get your shit together for small everyday tasks as well as for long-term planning and goals. In the next section, we’ll explain how to apply Knight’s advice in the realm of your job and your money.

Plan For The Job You Want

According to Knight, the first part of having your shit together at work is having your small shit together—that means being on time, managing your to-do list effectively, and staying ahead of your inbox (see above).

But you also want to make sure you're on track to have the job you want. If you haven’t found it yet, consider whether you want to advance in your current field or whether you’re looking for a career change. If you have a goal at work, then you need to ask yourself or your boss an important question: What do I need to do to get where I want to go? What you're asking for is a plan: You are saying, “This is where I want to go, and I want to know how to get there.”

(Shortform note: While Knight suggests asking, "What do I need to do to get ahead at work?”, marketing expert Seth Godin, author of Linchpin, suggests asking, "What do I have to offer at work?” Godin...

Get Your Sh*t Together Summary Evaluate Your Relationships

So far getting your shit together means managing your daily responsibilities and planning ahead for long-term professional, financial, and personal goals. In the next section, we’ll focus on how you can have your shit together in your relationships.

Knight argues that as an adult, you have a choice about who you spend your time with. Just because you know someone doesn’t mean you need to give them your time or energy. She explains that in every relationship, you have three choices of how to move forward: You maintain the relationship, improve it, or end it.

(Shortform note: According to Aziz Gazipura, author of Not Nice, people often feel obligated to maintain relationships that don't bring them any benefits and might even be harmful simply because they fear being perceived as rude or mean if they were to end these relationships. He argues we're taught from an early age to be “nice,” which can create a fear of addressing conflict or being honest, even when it’s necessary. This fear becomes particularly evident in adult relationships when individuals prioritize...

Get Your Sh*t Together Summary Don’t Ignore Your Mental Health

Finally, Knight explains, sometimes the shit that you need to get on top of is internal, not external. She explains that issues like anxiety, fear of failure, and perfectionism can cause you to feel perpetually overwhelmed and out of control. Knight offers advice on how to deal with these internal challenges but emphasizes that she's not a licensed clinician and advises people to seek professional support when necessary.

(Shortform note: In the past, mental health has often been stigmatized and neglected compared to physical health. However, in recent years there has been a significant shift in understanding and addressing mental health concerns. This has led to countries adopting or reforming policies to address mental health issues. Global organizations, like the World Health Organization (WHO), are also committed to measuring progress in the field. In 2019, WHO launched the WHO Special Initiative for Mental Health (2019-2023) to ensure access to quality and affordable care for mental health conditions in 12 priority countries, reaching 100 million more people.)

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Shortform Exercise: Make a Goal to Get Your Shit Together

Knight argues that to get your shit together, you need a clear goal.

Knight says the first step is to identify the areas of your life that need improvement. Reflect on your life and make a list of things you're not satisfied with. This could be anything from your financial situation, your job, relationships, health, or personal habits.