The book
Done Beats Perfect
The secrets to overcoming procrastination and getting things done
Read it, then finally get on with the thing you’ve been putting off for months.
After you’ve read it
What changes
It’s a short book with one job: getting you moving. Here’s what life looks like once it’s done that job.
01
You start before you're ready
You stop waiting for the perfect moment. “One day” turns into day one, and you make a start with what you've got.
02
You finish things
Done and out in the world beats perfect and stuck in a drawer. The half-done projects start getting done, and you improve them as you go.
03
Your excuses lose their grip
You notice when you're kidding yourself or just putting it off. Then you deal with it: do it now, book it in, hand it over or bin it.
04
You know what you really want
A bit of honest thinking about your last day on earth shows you which goals matter. The rest you can let go of without feeling guilty.
05
Big goals stop feeling scary
You find your one big domino and line up the small ones in front of it. Each small win gives you the push for the next, until the big one falls.
06
You go easier on yourself
You celebrate the small wins along the way and stop beating yourself up over the bits that aren't perfect.
What’s inside
Four parts. One word.
I could sum the whole book up in three words, and they’re on the cover. The rest shows you how to live them, one letter of DONE at a time.
D
Decide
Work out what you actually want. Then look at the hidden rules that keep you stuck: resentments, untruths, legends, excuses and standards. I call them the RULES.
O
Operate
No faking it. You operate as if you're already the person who gets this done, and you let yourself be a beginner while you learn. Then you find your big domino and build daily rituals around it.
N
Note
Is it working? A quick, honest inventory using numbers, observations, your time and how you feel. Plus why celebrating wins matters, and how overthinking your progress can stop you dead.
E
Evolve
Keeping going when it gets hard, with the patience and persistence the long game needs. You'll learn the four seasons of life and how to quit the habits that hold you back. And yes, there's the day I jumped out of a plane.
“Right now, it is time to turn ‘one day’ into DAY ONE.”
Full honesty: I got stuck halfway through writing it. Yes, I procrastinated on a book about procrastination. That’s in there too.
Reader reviews
What readers say
★★★★★
“This book is great, has helped me stop procrastinating and achieve more.”
Teresa M., Goodreads
★★★★★
“Neil does a great job of laying out simple but powerful mental models that anyone can use to make progress on the things that matter most. I look back at some of the things I’ve delayed because I wanted them to be perfect and it now seems silly.”
Ricardo C., Amazon (US)
★★★★★
“This book has given me hope, that it is okay to take baby steps, finish what I started rather than waiting for it to be perfect.”
Arun P., Goodreads
★★★★★
“With books like this I can tell how good it is by the state of it once I’ve read it. Three days in it already looks like it’s been in a fight with a bear and his pencil case.”
Jazzypinkpuppet, Amazon UK
★★★★★
“It’s not just a book you read, it’s a book that gets you to stop and think and take action. If you are thinking of ordering, just do it now!”
Liam R., Amazon UK
★★★★★
“I recently heard Neil speak at an event that I attended, he was brilliant so I downloaded his book. It did not disappoint. … I listened to the audiobook twice over a weekend!”
Laura, Audible UK
The audiobook
Read by me
Prefer to listen? I recorded the audiobook myself, so it’s me in your ears, telling it the way I would on stage. Handy for the car or the dog walk.
Foreword by Nigel Risner
“The information he’s provided in his book, is not only going to be helpful to everyone who reads this book, but it’s also been helpful to me.”
Nigel Risner, author of The Impact Code, kindly wrote the foreword.
Free for readers
Your free book resources
The book promised you some free extras to go with it. Here they are.
Every exercise from the book in one printable workbook, from your last day on earth to lining up your dominoes. Plus a one-page cheat sheet and a 30-day Day One tracker.
More from me...
Hi, I’m Neil Martin
Thanks for reading the book and being here on my website. I launched this site to write about the kind of stuff I put in Done Beats Perfect, as well as business, music and other things I'm passionate about.
I also send a weekly email called 'The Mix'. If you want it in your inbox, you can sign up here: One email a week, no spam.
Turn one day into day one
Grab a copy, read the first chapter tonight, then go and make a start.