You know exactly what to do. You still haven't done it.
Start Ugly is an illustrated manual about the hardest part of any task: the first two minutes. It treats putting things off as a cost problem, not a character flaw, and gives you a way to make starting the cheaper option.
You've said at least one of these this week.
- “I’ll start when I have a proper block of time.”
- “I just need to get organised first.”
- “It’s not even hard. I don’t know why I haven’t done it.”
- “Monday. I’ll do it Monday.”
None of these are laziness. They're friction: small, specific things standing between you and the first move. Friction has fixes, and most of them are smaller than you'd think.
The task isn't the hard part. Starting is.
Most things don't fail in the middle. They fail before they begin, while you wait to feel ready, find the perfect time, or work out the perfect first step. Start Ugly makes a simple case: the first version should be bad, quick and finished. Then you have something to fix instead of something to dread.
- What it is
- An illustrated manual built around one system, The First Bad Version: four moves that lower the cost of starting.
- How long
- 146 pages, with photographs, diagrams and short chapters. Read it straight through or go to the part you need.
- Format
- PDF, instant download. Phone, tablet or laptop. Print it if you prefer paper.
- What you do tomorrow
- Pick one task you've been circling and make its first bad version before lunch.
What's inside
Real pages from the book.
How it works
- Start reading tonight.Phone in the other room if you can manage it. Part One is enough to begin.
- Pick one task.The one that's been on the list longest. Not the most important, the most avoided.
- Make it badly, tomorrow.Before lunch, before email. Ugly and finished beats perfect and imaginary.
Two ways to start
The book is enough to start one thing. The kit is for keeping going once you have.
The complete version
The Start Ugly Kit
Three books, the printable card deck and a tracker.
$39$74 if you bought the pieces separately.
- Start Ugly: the First Bad Version system$19
- Nobody's Coming: the things only you can start$19
- The Scroll: distance between you and your phone$19
- The 45 Friction Cards: a two-minute move for every stall$17
- 90-day trackerKit only
- Separately$74
What it won't do
- It won't organise your calendar or give you a new productivity system. It's about the start, not the whole project.
- It won't make a job you hate feel good. It will make the next task in it easier to begin.
- If starting things has been hard for a long time and is affecting most of your life, a professional is the right next step. A book isn't.
Questions
What format is it?
A PDF. It opens on any phone, tablet or computer, and prints on A4 or US Letter.
When do I get it?
Straight away. The download link appears after payment and arrives by email too.
Do I need to print anything?
No. The book reads well on a screen. The Friction Cards and tracker in the kit are made to print, and work on a home printer.
What's the difference between the book and the kit?
The book helps you start one thing. The kit adds two more books, the 45 Friction Cards as a printable deck and a 90-day tracker, for keeping going after the start.
Can I get a refund?
All sales are final because the files download instantly. If a download doesn't work, email contact@toreadmore.com and it will be sorted.
