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Out on 08 October 2026

How to Be Good at Life

Synopsis

'A practical guide to designing the life you actually want' – Nir Eyal, bestselling author of Indistractable

From the creator of the massively popular System Sunday community with over two million followers comes a proven method for building systems that make modern life easier.

You’re making thousands of decisions a day. You’re fighting algorithms designed to steal your attention. You’re managing passwords, subscriptions, and deadlines – complexity your brain was never built to handle. And somewhere in there, you’re supposed to exercise, eat well, and maintain friendships.

No wonder life feels harder than it should.

The happiest and most successful people don’t have more willpower than you. They’ve learned a skill most of us were never taught: building systems. This book is the missing manual.

Ben Meer – dubbed 'The Systems Guy' by Forbes – spent years studying what separates people who consistently thrive from those who merely survive. Drawing on insights from behavioural science and systems thinking, and introducing DRIVE, a five-step method for turning any goal into a system that works. How to Be Good at Life gives you the full toolkit to:

  • Go beyond habits to build systems for everyday routines and projects
  • Design systems across your personal and professional life
  • Access 40+ plug-and-play systems you can implement immediately – including System Sunday
  • See the hidden methods behind the success of Seinfeld, Serena Williams, Hans Zimmer, Beyoncé, Andy Warhol, and more
  • Discover that the payoff isn’t just productivity, but a sense of calm and lightness


Maybe you’ve dreamed of starting a side hustle, getting in shape, or finally taking control of your money. This book shows you how to make progress inevitable.

The gap between who you are and who you want to become? It’s just a few systems you haven’t built yet.

Details

08 October 2026
352 pages
9781035069989
Imprint: Macmillan Business

Reviews

We like to think success comes from discipline, but more often it comes from the systems we build. This book is a practical guide to designing the life you actually wantNir Eyal, bestselling author of Indistractable
Tired of procrastination and living below your potential? The solution is here, in Ben Meer’s readable and practical How to Be Good at Life. Read this book today to find your path to a better, more organized lifeArthur C. Brooks, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of The Meaning of Your Life
Systems are more powerful and more effective than mere habits. Ben Meer offers practical, tactical and proven techniques on how to invest your time, not just spend itSeth Godin, bestselling author of This is Marketing
In a world obsessed with goals, How to Be Good at Life offers a practical and refreshingly clear approach to designing your life with intention. Ben Meer shows how systems can help us learn, adapt and make meaningful progress without mindlessly pushing harderAnne-Laure Le Cunff, neuroscientist and author of Tiny Experiments