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1-Page Summary of Present Over Perfect

Introduction

It’s easy to go through life ignoring our needs until it’s too late. As we get older, the number of people who depend on us piles up as well as our responsibilities. We start to become busier and more stressed out. Eventually, productivity becomes a priority over other things in life like health and happiness.

We all want to be productive and live busy, bustling lives. It’s when we get too caught up in our own world that we forget to stop and reflect on whether it’s the life we actually want. There are three signs that indicate you might be leading a lackluster life: You don’t feel fulfilled despite being busy; you’re not taking care of your health; and you can’t decide what’s best for yourself. Niequist details how she transformed her life from the inside out by challenging others to do the same.

Sea-Change

If you had unlimited money and time, what would you do with it? How about if you could take a break from your to-do list for the rest of your life? These questions are interesting because they reveal how we should spend our time. We’ll probably never have all the money in the world or be completely free from responsibilities, but why do we keep working so hard when those things aren’t possible anyway?

Retirement is a time when we have to take care of our own needs. It’s important to live in the present, because once you reach a milestone like your children growing up, there will always be new milestones to reach. Therefore, it is unwise to keep pushing yourself until you get more things done and feel fulfilled.

Imagine you just graduated from college and got a job at an entry-level position. You wish your benefits package were better and that you could get paid more, so you work hard until you get promoted. Once you’re promoted, however, the salary doesn’t seem to be enough for what you’ve accomplished; therefore, it’s time to look again for another promotion.

You work hard and get promoted until you reach an executive level position. You can finally take time off to travel the world, so you pack your bags and head out on a trip.

When you were younger, you dreamed of taking a trip to Iceland. You imagined yourself walking around the countryside and sightseeing. It didn’t turn out that way for various reasons, including workaholism and health concerns. But when you retire in 20 years, which is still far away, you’ll go back to have the vacation of your dreams.

Most of us live in the present without even realizing it. We don’t take that month-long trip to Iceland because we assume that one day, all the ideal circumstances will line up and allow us to go on a nice vacation. But if you focus on living in the present, then you can actually take that trip whenever you want. Maybe you don’t have enough money or time off work right now, but there are ways around those obstacles (negotiating with your boss for a week off instead of a month; using some Christmas gift money).

It’s important to focus on the present because we can never predict when our circumstances will change. However, it doesn’t mean that you should be irresponsible with your money or time. Instead, use what you have now and spend it on things that make you happy.

The present is all we have, so it’s important to learn how to disappoint others and say no. When our goals conflict with other people’s, we need to be honest about what we can handle and let go of the rest. Otherwise, we will put too much pressure on ourselves and those around us.

Saying “no” is not something that many people do very often. However, it can be a powerful tool for those who know how to use it properly. Saying no to things that don’t work for you will help you focus on the things in your life that are most important and meaningful to you.