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.

“With just one sentence, Randi Zuckerberg will make you rethink work-life balance forever.” - Inc. Magazine

“Pick Three totally changed how I manage stressful times. Living by Pick Three preserves my health and sanity, leaves me feeling empowered instead of overwhelmed, and allows me to manage difficult days more gracefully.” - New York Times bestselling author Melissa Hartwig, cofounder of Whole30

“If I’m going to have to make hard choices in life, Randi Zuckerberg is the only person I want delivering that news. She does it with a dose of humor and humanity that makes the medicine go down.” - Sally Kohn, journalist, political commentator, and author

“After several exhausting decades of being told we can ‘have it all,’ Randi Zuckerberg comes along to tell us how. (Spoiler: not all at once.) Pick Three is a brilliantly simple, liberating concept.” - Rebekah Sanderlin, editor and columnist, military.com

“The Pick Three mantra helped me realize that although life is a juggling act, you need to find balance. Being able to pick three things has allowed me to rethink my strategy and how I want to tackle everyday life.” - Fatima Torres, creator of Motherhood Through My Eyes

“Work. Sleep. Family. Friends. Fitness. We all want it all! And now, thanks to Randi’s inventive new tools for living your best life, the formula that works for the top entrepreneurs and business leaders is available for everyone. I needed this book and so do you. Forget balance and guilt. PICK THREE. I’m in!” - David Bach, nine-time New York Times bestselling author of Smart Women Finish Rich and Smart Couples Finish Rich