"I love Ivy Ge's take on motherhood, working, and staying human and full-souled."
- Susan Straight, National Book Award finalist, author of In the Country of Women

As a 27 year old, never-married woman, it might be a wonder as to why I would have picked this book up.

I came across a small ad for this book in a local business couple months ago when I was slumping on life.

I had just recently relocated to my childhood he where I grew up with an extremely abusive father. All the free time I had was spent fixing up the old apartment beyond recognition to help keep the panic attacks away at night.
I was attending full enrollment at school, worked near full time employment, while driving an hour away on weekends to take care of my partner.
Making my own living, paying tuition, and keeping two homes tidy at once— these were all choices I made voluntarily. At this stage in life, I was quite confident that a lot of my personal short term goals were getting checked off along a good path. But I could never give myself the forgiveness of acknowledging the fact that my time and goals were different from my peers.
Friends around me were flaunting diamond rings on social media. Judging from my steady relationship with my partner, I felt pressured into recognizing the age norm sociological goals catching up. The pattern of a working mother’s lifestyle fitted itself into my long term objectives.

My primary goal was clear. I wanted to finish my overdue degree and move onto the next stage of my life. But with other major goals such as starting a family at a good age, keeping appearance, maintaining an extremely hypoallergenic environment to fight off allergies froze me.

After breaking down crying on Valentines Day on piling living and academic expenses, declining health, and how little my partner appreciates my unconditional care and love, I was engulfed by the fear of romantic relationships and the future of starting my own family. The way that things were going, my happiness was screwed at the bottom of my priorities.

I have always been told by professors in the past that my weakness was in my lack of self-love and forgiveness. The bold title of this book stood out to me more than the intended audience clearly stated on the cover: working mothers.

To my surprise, I found myself tearing up—feeling terrible for having overlooked all the sacrifices my mother has made as the sole breadwinner while being married to an alcoholic. I grew up thinking the family having gone through the same thing together. I even despised her for not exiting the marriage sooner.

I found myself mirroring her life, seeing a new projection of where I would be in the next ten years. I can’t dare say that I would be a mother as great as she is. Luckily, I was starting to realize characteristics that would push me towards the OK-mom, a content wife category in the future.

This book was a tasty combination of the author’s personal experiences and tools to reassure that it is okay to take a break, and to let go. Self-lenience and inner honesty are key to constantly recognizing my needs and goals. At the same time, a theory untested is no more than a lingering thought in the back of my mind.

I would love to keep a lot of the concepts in my mind and revisit the book in a few months to see how I have changed after the first read!

I've been looking for a self-help book that resonates with me for some time. When I saw this title, I didn't expect much. As I read through the first few chapters, I felt the author understood me. With all the pressure to be the perfect mom, the writing feels like fresh air, making me look at my situation differently.

As a working professional and a mother of 3, my days are packed. I rarely have time to think about why I feel a certain way, and how does that thought process affects my choices. It's reassuring to know that caring for ourselves isn't selfish. It's an essential part of keeping our relationship strong and healthy. Instead of keeping busy with daily responsibilities and chores, we have to stop and think about how to live wisely and make good choices in the long run.

What I like about this book is that it not only pointed out the root cause of the problems but also how to find the simplest practical solutions. This is the first time I encounter the idea of reverse engineering, and it feels like such a light bulb moment for me. I like how the chapters address the issues women face every day: starting with understanding why we do what we do, followed by how we can initiate changes by changing how we look at things.

The writing style is down to earth and conversational. There are many cited research findings throughout the book. It makes the book feel unbiased and credible.

The author emphasized self reflection so I started to write down what interests matter the most to me that aren't fueled by monetary benefits. I wrote down about 10. Then I realized what a utilitarianism I have always been.

I think the strategies in the book can benefit all women struggling to be perfect in everyday life, moms or not. Give it a try, and you'll learn something you didn't know before.

"The Art of Good Enough is precisely the medicine that all mothers (and frankly, all women) really need! It is succinct, fun, and right on the mark!"
- Christiane Northrup, M.D., the world's leading authority in women's health and wellness, author of multiple New York Times bestsellers

"The Art of Good Enough reveals how any woman can learn the secret to living her best life guilt-free. Ge's focus on persistence and methodology, combined with her reminder that childhood dreams don't go away when one has a family, are inspiring."

"It's a spirited pep talk for working mothers, providing information and strategies to improve emotional, mental, and physical well-being. With a passionate and positive voice, Ge encourages them to give up "perfection" for "good enough." She includes bountiful tips on managing time and resources and breaks them down into easy, actionable steps. Overwhelmed women will appreciate these encouraging tips for pursuing personal goals and happiness."

"The mindset of being good enough is everything in our journeys as mothers. Dr. Ge shows us how we can all do it!"
-Nely Galán, New York Times best-selling author of Self Made, the former President of Entertainment of Telemundo television network

"Every mother, working or not, needs The Art of Good Enough. It's a primer not for perfection, but for ultimate satisfaction and a healthier approach to life."

"In this cheerful and encouraging book, Ivy shares practical strategies for conquering your fears and getting more out of life. Read it for advice on thriving at work and at home."
- Laura Vanderkam, TED speaker, author of Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done

"A gift for moms and women who question their self-worth and their beinggood enough. Uplifting, accessible, and powerful!"
- Elana Zaiman, author of The Forever Letter