Practical Perfection: Smart strategies for an excellent life

by Kelly Exeter

If you've ever been told "You're too hard on yourself" ... If you're especially prone to overwhelm and burnout ... If your perfectionist tendencies are holding you back from getting the most out of life ... Then Practical Perfection was written for you. Five years ago, Kelly Exeter ticked all of the above boxes. Then she had a breakdown. While recovering from that breakdown she developed a framework for herself. One that stopped her burning out all the time. One that helped her stay on the right side of overwhelm. One that got her off the hamster wheel. Practical Perfection shares that framework and shows how anyone whose self-imposed high standards are holding them back can live an excellent life. One where they: - Get to achieve what they want without constant stress and overwhelm. - Have time and space to be good to those closest to them. - Have time and space to be good to the world. - Have time and space to be good to themselves.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

136 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 27, 2016

Reviews

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book I’ve completed in 2020! Really simple to read & not too huge to read, but felt so special to hear Kelly’s inner most learnings & such practical ideas! Very helpful.

[Empressa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am very torn between a 4 and a 5 star rating. I settled for 4.5 and but since I cannot add .5 values for ratings, I'll round up to a 5 :)
I only considered less because I felt like the book could have expanded some on certain things. Otherwise, it is a very awesome source of leading a life that inspires and fulfills you without running into the common issues of burnout or constantly being/feeling misdirected.
The tone is very straightforward and, well, practical; Kelly describes rather perfectly how a lot of people feel in our modern society - overworked, stressed, and scrambling for a sign. This book could be your sign! With lots of researched suggestions and knowledge, you could very easily begin changing your work and/or home life by applying the framework Mrs. Exeter has thoughtfully detailed. And she does it all while maintaining the concern and wisdom of a friend whom always has your best interest in mind and is always ready to share resources and logical guidance.
I could go on and on about the great things this book has and how we could ALL benefit immensely from using a framework enabling us to keep "Passions, Priorities, and Productivity" as much in alignment as possible (or at least to definitely be in tune with our capacity and attention to them) but I think you would be doing yourself a far greater service by grabbing a copy for yourselves.

Disclaimer: I was provided a free ARC of this book in exchange for a candid review.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoken like someone who's held herself to unrealistic standards and ended up full of stress, anxiety and depression, this little guidebook urges "strivers" to become more self-aware. Exeter "found that to feel happy, content and fulfilled, I needed three things to be present: Passions: things that got me out of bed in the morning with a smile on my face. Priorities: knowing what actually mattered most to me, and then making the conscious decision to focus hard on those and let go of the rest. Productivity: the ability to get things started and finished.

"It simply means we accept having finite resources (time, energy, support, patience) available to us at any given moment in time."

This book has three main sections: Burnout, Overwhelm and Hamster on a Wheel. Each section talks about how we end up feeling that way, and how we can use Passions, Priorities and Productivity to live in the sweet spot of our life. Missing passion? Burnout. Lack of priorities leads to Overwhelm. Lack of Productivity feels like a hamster on a wheel. I particularly liked her questions and tips for identifying your Passions, most common causes of Overwhelm, and how best to narrow our focus. Recommend for a smart, quick jolt of common-sense advice that works.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Kelly Exeter so I naturally loved her new book, Practical Perfection! She always comes out with words that make me feel like she's been peeping in my windows or stalking me in my dreams and nightmares. Not in a creepy way though. In PP, Kelly talks about Burnout, Overwhelm and the Hamster on a wheel feeling and I'm going through every one of those soul-depleting dramas right now. She explains easy to digest ways to get a handle on each and I am taking her advice and starting right now! I expect my life to be most excellent later this year (of course I do...lol).

[Kate Dobson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was #book33of52 and I enjoyed it. You could rip through it quickly but there are bits I want to go back and really read. The importance of routine to build good habits, which I know but don't stick to. And I think the passage that spoke to me most "Where Obligers come unstuck is this: they get frustrated at never meeting the expectations they have of themselves, and irritated at how they always manage to meet the expectations of others" I liked this book, I'm off to stalk @kellyexeter website some more, I want to read it again and then I thought I might share

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very smart, practical framework for quality of life

Overwhelm and burnout are familiar feelings, and I love that Kelly has a solution that is clear and simple, and wrapped up in the right size book for the topic as well.

[JM Randolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an easy, compelling read. Kelly grounds her suggestions in her own experience and has a way of putting things that make them stick for me. In a year where I feel the changes already coming, this book is helping me sift and focus and become intentional about what I am creating.

[Veronica Strachan · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time I've come across Kelly Exeter's work. Great book. Succinct, practical, and so familiar to a striver from way back. Love the framework, love the self compassion.

[Melinda Crumblin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable easy read. Lots of good information. I look forward to reading it again soon to take more away from the info.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I loved that this was a quick read, packed with lots of really useful frameworks and ideas. I would highly recommend this book!

[Suncani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful, helpful and very short! It's a good book as you can read straight through it but you can also jump to the section which is most going to help you at the time.

Good straightforward writing from Kelly and not just a reiteration of what can be found on her blog, the book is helpful for both for perfectionists and those who just feel overwhelmed.