Pick Three: You Can Have It All (Just Not Every Day)

A New York Times bestseller!

In this motivational handbook—both a business how-to and self-help guide—the New York Times bestselling author of Dot Complicated takes on the fallacy of the "well-balanced" life, arguing that the key to success is learning to be well-lopsided.

Work. Sleep. Fitness. Family. Friends. Pick Three.

In an increasingly demanding world, we’ve been told that we can do everything—maintain friendships, devote ourselves to work, spend time with family, stay fit, and get enough sleep. We just need to learn to balance it all. Randi Zuckerberg doesn’t believe in being well-balanced. We can’t do it all every day, she contends, and trying to do so only leaves us frustrated and feeling inadequate. But we can succeed if we Pick Three.

Randi first introduced the concept of Pick Three in a tweet—"The Entrepreneur’s Dilemma"—that went viral. Now, in this book, she expands on her philosophy and inspires others to follow her lead. From entrepreneurs to professionals, busy parents to students, Randi can help everyone learn to reject the unrealistic burden of balance and enjoy success in their own lives—by picking the most important areas to focus on in any given day.

This practical handbook includes stories from Randi’s career learning that there’s no such thing as a perfect balance—as well as insights and examples from other professionals at the top of the biggest businesses in Silicon Valley, new moms searching for permission to focus on family, and recent graduates convinced they should have it all under control, including Arianna Huffington, Reshma Saujani, Laurie Hernandez, and Brad Takei. We can’t have it all every day, and that’s okay, Randi reminds us. Pick Three is her much-needed guide to learning to embrace the well-lopsided life.

In an increasingly demanding world, we’ve been told that we can do it all—maintain close friendships, devote ourselves to work, spend time with family, stay fit, and get enough sleep. But who can do everything—and do it well—every day? Imagine eliminating the pressure to be perfect. Now you can achieve balance over weeks and years. Randi Zuckerberg has the solution: Pick Three.

Career and family-minded people everywhere understand the basic problem: Everyone wants to be able to have it all—work, sleep, family, fitness, and friends—but there are only twenty-four hours in a day. Now, in Pick Three, Randi encourages others to follow her lead to be “well-lopsided,” a term she says has saved her life. Between having her own radio show, starring on Broadway, speaking across the globe, creating Facebook Live, and being the mother to two boys, Randi has a lot on her plate. But, Randi explains, you don’t have to focus on each of the five areas every day—more important, you can’t!—but you can prioritize them individually over time. And if you choose three each day, you can go a long way toward personal and professional success and satisfaction. 

In Pick Three, Randi dives deep into each of the five categories, revealing stories from her own impressive career, as well as engaging interviews from Olympic athletes, medical professionals, media moguls, seasoned Silicon Valley leaders, and even her own mother, Karen Zuckerberg; this practical handbook proves that there is a way to manage all the tensions we face each day.

Featuring an entire workbook section to inspire a well-lopsided life, Pick Three is the ultimate guide to helping anyone—from experienced entrepreneurs to emerging professionals to active parents to busy students—reject the unrealistic burden of balance and enjoy success on their own terms. Because you can have it all, if you just Pick Three.