Release Date:  May 5th, 2020

Genre(s): Non-fiction, Self-help

Publisher: Rock Point

Pages: 144

Rating: .5

Note: I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Progress Over Perfection breaks the myth that productivity is about spending every minute possible on legitimate projects. Using the concept of mindful productivity, Norris shows readers how to prioritize effectively and schedule enough time to recharge. With these methods, Norris proves to readers the importance of taking time to oneself before taking on big projects and reaching out to others.

Before becoming a book blogger/reviewer, I was a personal development and lifestyle blogger, which is what Norris does as well. That being said, a lot of the topics covered in this book are topics I’m very familiar with. Some are ones I’m still working on/discovering myself in my career. Others cover topics well-known to personal development content creators, such as time-blocking, practicing mindfulness, and discovering one’s self-worth. And while this book only covers these topics and tips at a high-level, it is a good start to making healthy habits and changes to everyday life and work.

Throughout the book, there are different sections that fit under the productivity umbrella, from goal-setting to designing your perfect day. In each chapter, Norris explores the concept and provides tips and action items to get started. There are also interactive pages in each book that provides activities such as questions and visualizations. These help the reader apply the concepts to their everyday lives.

A big theme in this book is how easy it is to give to others without making room for self-care. This includes not taking the time to take care of one’s own needs, or saying yes to everything out of guilt. The book also discusses the true definition of perfectionism, and how most perfectionists don’t realize that the definition applies heavily to them. These were the two most valuable concepts in the book. I find with many people (especially myself) that setting boundaries is incredibly difficult if you’re a people-pleaser. And if either of these things apply to you, Progress Over Perfection provides actions that you can take to ensure that you’re setting boundaries and giving yourself the care that you need in order to stay productive.

While Progress Over Perfection does provide tips and direction on a variety of topics related to productivity and personal development, it does take these topics from a high-level. If you’ve been reading books like these for a while, or otherwise familiar with a lot of these topics through blogs or videos on these topics, many of them may be very familiar to you. Additionally, if you’ve been working in your field for a while, you’ve probably learned about much of the topics covered here through experience. And while the author does provide a variety of examples, from content creators to office employees to mothers, this book does have a specific target audience. I’d recommend this book most to those just starting out in their careers, in school, or in their early twenties. Not to say that older audiences can’t benefit from the topics presented here, but I think most of the topics will be new to those who have less experience in their fields or don’t engage with this kind of content often.

Overall, Progress Over Perfection is a good starting point for those looking to find balance in their lives. It provides many action items for people who want to work on mindful productivity and need a place to start.