“85 percent of the way is far better than zero percent. Once your money system is good enough—or 85 percent of the way there—you can get on with your life and go do the things you really want to do.”

This quote encapsulates one of the major themes of Sethi’s book: Making Choices and Taking Action. Sethi believes that most people fail to manage their money because they are overwhelmed by information in the form of both friends’ and family’s advice and pundits’ opinions and because they are afraid that they can’t do it well. In this quotation, Sethi defines his “85 Percent Solution,” which underscores this theme.

“It’s fine to keep an eye on your expenses, but you should focus on spending time on the things that matter, the Big Wins.”

As he explains in the Introduction, Sethi believes that people love to debate minutiae because it makes them feel like they’re doing something without them actually having to take action. This quote demonstrates one of Sethi’s primary themes: Turning Attention From the Micro to the Macro. In each arena of personal finance—credit cards, banks, investing, conscious spending—Sethi encourages readers to identify the two or three “things that matter” most to them and commit to making those changes.

“You’re much better off building a personal finance infrastructure that focuses on long-term growth, not on getting a few bucks here or there.”

In this quote, Sethi articulates an idea that is related to his principle of Turning Attention From the Micro to the Macro. In this chapter on negotiating with credit card companies, he advises readers to avoid fixating on every last dollar or extra interest-rate point. Instead, financial well-being requires readers to focus on “long-term growth” in the form of saving and, even more so, investing.