Introduction

THE "GENIUS" (Cosmopolitan) NATIONAL BESTSELLER ON THE ART OF CARING LESS AND GETTING MORE--FROM THE AUTHOR OF GET YOUR SH*T TOGETHER AND YOU DO YOU

Editorial Review

No editorial review at this time.

Excerpt

INTRODUCTION
If you're like me, you've been giving too many fucks about too many things for too long. You're overextended and overburdened by life. Stressed out, anxious, maybe even panic-stricken about your commitments. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. Congratulations on finishing The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck. Did it bring you joy? Why or why not? Either way, were you surprised to discover some of the things in your mental barn that you did give a fuck about? Share some of them with your fellow book club members and explain what it is about those things, people, tasks, or events that bring you joy.

2. We’ll be talking a lot about the NotSorry Method. What is it? How have you been able to implement it in your life? While you were reading, did you create a list of things you decided not to give a fuck about? Great. Now that you’ve finished The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck, have you successfully stopped giving a fuck about that stuff? Where have you decided to spend your fucks instead?

3. Even if the book brought you tons of joy, you may still be wondering “Does not giving a fuck make me selfish?” Well, yes. Yes, it does. Go back to page 20 and read it again starting with “it also creates a better world for everyone around you.” Think about the changes you’ve made since testing out the NotSorry Method. Although Knight’s advice may seem counterintuitive, why do you think it holds true?

4. Let’s talk personal policies! Why can they be so effective? Do you have any that you enacted after reading The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck? Share them with your book club and discuss the ways that having personal policies has helped you. Unless, of course, you have a personal policy against that.

5. Knight calls “yes” a “dirty little three-letter word” (p. 17). What do you think she means by that? Are there any other seemingly innocuous words that bring you endless annoy and little joy?

List them!

Next time you catch yourself about to utter one of these words, take a deep breath and stop. Think about what you’re about to say and ask yourself if it will bring you joy or annoy. If the latter, has reading The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck helped you be able to change direction?

6. According to Knight, “In our society, Sorry! is used as shorthand” for a wide range of things. (p. 33) Think about your life before reading The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck (B.N.G.A.F.). What were the predominant reasons that you would give an apology? How has your view of the word “sorry” changed since reading the book? Now that you’re a proud practitioner of the NotSorry method (Congrats!), when do you think it’s appropriate and not appropriate to say “I’m sorry?”

7. On the subject of money, Knight shares a Will Rogers quote: “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people that they don’t like.” (p. 175) Have you ever been guilty of doing this? Go on, get it off your chest! Why do you think this happens? Armed with the NotSorry Method, how will you avoid this trap going forward?

8. Who is Jeff (p. 7) and why is he so impressive to Sarah Knight? Is there anyone like Jeff in your life? What is it about them that you admire? What steps can you take to be more like your personal Jeff? Knight counts Serena Williams and Pat Kiernan among “the Enlightened.” Aside from your personal Jeff, is there anyone else that you would add to that list? Who?

9. Speaking of the Enlightened, Knight cites Mary Poppins as “NotSorry since 1934.” (p. 133) Why is her “spoonful of sugar” method so effective? Have you tried it? What have the results been?

10. When it comes to not giving a fuck, Knight says “Family is a fucking minefield.” (p. 48) Why is that? When you read the list of things that people don’t give a fuck about when it comes to family (p. 114), were there any that you identified with? Poll your book club to see what tops everybody else’s list.

(Do you have in-laws? On p. 116, Knight says you may have more in common with them than you realize. Try giving your in-laws copies of The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck so they can learn the NotSorry Method alongside you. What could go wrong?!)

11. Passive-aggression is bad, right? Except—according to Knight—sometimes it’s not. How does it make you “like a master of the Chinese martial art tai chi” (p. 84)? Have you practiced using it? If so, did it work?

12. Knight quotes Albert Einstein who said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spent 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” (p. 46) Explain the quote. Why do you think that Knight chose to include it in her instructions about clearing your mental barn? How does it apply to the NotSorry Method?

13. You’ve read a lot about Sarah Knight’s NGAF heroes who have managed to achieve enlightenment. What’s your version of Not Giving a Fuck Nirvana?

Now go out and achieve it!


Enhance Your Book Club

1. When Knight published her essay “I Quit My Job Today. (And so can you!)”, it went viral. Read the essay (https://thecoffeelicious.com/i-quit-my-job-today- d2adfe3c048e) and discuss it with your book club. Why do you think it struck a chord with so many people? Did you identify with it? If so, how?

2. In the afterword of The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck, Knight references Hans Christian Andersen’s short story “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” If you haven’t already, read the story. Do you, like Knight, identify with the child? If you find yourself in a similar situation (or the 21st century equivalent), how will you handle it?

3. Knight credits Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up with inspiring her to create The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck calling the book “almost...dare I say...magic?” (p. 5) Read Kondo’s book. What do the two books have in common? In what ways does each author’s methodology complement the other’s? How have both books affected your life?

4. To learn more about Sarah Knight, go to her official site, https://nofucksgivenguides.com. There you can watch her TEDx Talk, read articles she’s written, find information about her other books, and sign up for her “No-Fucks-Given Newsletter.”

Weblinks

»	Free downloads
»	Guides
»	Publisher's book info

Book Club Recommendations

Recommended to book clubs by 0 of 0 members.

Member Reviews

There are no user reviews at this time.
Rate this book