Practical books for real humans with real lives. No hustle culture. No perfectionism. Just honest strategies that work with the life you actually have.
The Series
Book 1
Available now
Book 2 · Coming Soon
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The 70% Life Philosophy
What We Believe
The principles behind the series
Plan for reality, not fantasy
Traditional goal-setting assumes a perfect world. The 70% Life plans for the one you actually live in — with interruptions, emergencies, and bad days built right in.
Time strategy
Systems beat motivation
Motivation is a feeling — unreliable, temporary, and overhyped. Systems work even when you don't feel like it. That's the difference between people who finish and people who restart every Monday.
Effort strategy
Progress is not linear
Life will blow up your plan. The goal isn't perfection — it's showing up 70% of the time, adjusting when chaos hits, and never quitting just because you missed a day.
Resilience strategy
70% effort, consistently applied, wins
Writing 350 words a day beats burning out trying to write 1,000. Saving $140 a month beats saving nothing after a perfect plan collapses. Consistency compounds. Perfection doesn't.
The 70% rule
The Series
Two books. More coming.
Book 1
Achieve Your Goals Without Burning Out
The book that started it all. Set realistic goals, build systems that work, and finally stop restarting every Monday.
View book + buy on Amazon →
Book 2
Succeed at Pretty Much Anything
Success doesn't belong to the talented — it belongs to the consistent. Build the mindset habits that set you up to win at whatever you try.
Notify me when it releases →
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About the Author
Meet Sheila Merrill
Sheila lives in California and has spent 40+ years across industries ranging from mail order to government. She spent too many of those years trapped in the cycle of setting unrealistic goals, burning herself out, and starting over — until she discovered that planning for 70% worked better than burning out over 100%.
When she's not writing, you'll find her traveling, reading, sewing, and gardening.
The book that started The 70% Life Series. A practical guide for anyone who's tired of setting goals, burning out, and restarting every Monday. Plan for real life — not the perfect version of it.
Stop planning for a perfect world that doesn't exist
Here's what nobody tells you about goal setting: The problem isn't that you're lazy, undisciplined, or lacking willpower. The problem is that you're planning for a perfect world that doesn't exist. You're planning as if you'll get 8 uninterrupted hours to work, as if life won't throw curveballs, as if you're a robot programmed for relentless self-improvement instead of a regular human with a regular human life.
This book changes that. The 70% Life philosophy is built on a simple insight: you don't need 100% to succeed. You need about 70% — and when you plan for that from the start, everything changes.
Inside the book
What you'll learn
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How to create a wish list and turn your dreams into achievable, realistic goals
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The S.M.A.R.T. goal framework — with a 70% twist that accounts for real life
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Why motivation fails you and how to build systems that work even when you don't feel like it
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How to track progress without losing your mind (the one-metric method)
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The 70% Rule: your secret weapon against burnout in time and effort allocation
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What to do when life blows up your plan — pause, scale, or pivot strategies
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How to build a goal portfolio with the right mix of short, mid, and long-term goals
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Printable worksheets for every framework in the book — use them your way
From the book
Words that hit different
"You don't need to be more disciplined. You need to adjust your expectations to match reality instead of demanding reality match your perfectionist fantasy."
Introduction
"Motivation is a feeling. Commitment is a decision. She'd already decided. The money transferred whether she felt motivated or not."
Chapter 3: From Wish to Reality
"Perfectionism dressed up as 'high standards' is still just perfectionism. And perfectionism kills more goals than laziness ever could."
Introduction
"Planning for 70% will help you achieve more than planning for 100%. Because you don't quit when life happens — interruptions were expected."
Chapter 6: The 70% Rule
Inside the book
Chapter by chapter
1
Your Wish List — Where Delusion Meets Imagination
Give yourself permission to want things, without filters or judgment. Every goal starts as a wish.
2
Define Your Goals — Turn Wishes into Actions
The S.M.A.R.T. framework with a 70% twist — and how to write your Stumbling Hero story.
3
From Wish to Reality — One Goal at a Time
Walk through a complete goal from wish to action plan. (Meet Sarah and the wolves.)
4
The Myth of Motivation
Stop waiting to feel like it. Build systems, not willpower — and discover the 2-minute rule.
5
Tracking Progress Without Losing Your Mind
One metric. One minute a day. One weekly review. That's all the tracking you need.
6
The 70% Rule — Your Secret Weapon Against Burnout
Two powerful applications: time allocation and effort allocation. Do the math.
7
When Life Blows Up Your Plan (And It Will)
Pause, scale back, or pivot. Three strategies for three types of disruption.
8
The Finish Line (Or Lack Thereof)
What to do after you win — maintain, set a new goal, or walk away victorious.
Success doesn't belong to the talented. It belongs to the consistent. This book shows you how to succeed at pretty much anything using the 70% Life approach — where progress, not perfection, leads to a fulfilling life.
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About this book
You don't have to give 100% to create a life you love
The 70% Life philosophy: you don't have to give 100% to create a life you love. 70% is enough to move forward and still enjoy the journey. This book builds on that foundation and shows you how to apply it across every area of your life — career, relationships, habits, health, and more.
Anyone can succeed, it's a skill you can learn just like typing or cooking.
Inside the book
What you'll discover
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Build mindset habits that consistently set you up for success
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Turn challenges into growth opportunities, not setbacks that derail you
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Make smart decisions that keep you moving forward, even on hard days
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Stay consistent without burning out — the sustainable path to success
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Create a life you're proud of without losing yourself in the process
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Apply the 70% philosophy to succeed at pretty much anything you try
The philosophy
Core ideas from this book
"Success doesn't belong to the talented. It belongs to the consistent."
Succeed at Pretty Much Anything
"You don't have to give 100% to create a life you love. 70% is enough to move forward and still enjoy the journey."
The 70% Life Philosophy
"Anyone can succeed, it's a skill you can learn just like typing or cooking."
Succeed at Pretty Much Anything
Coming Soon
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Book 2 · Coming Soon
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