I guess that you’ve landed here because you’ve wrestled with procrastination. You’ve faced that blank screen, the pile of tasks, the temptation to watch cat videos instead of tackling work. Let’s explore how people beat major career obstacles—not by being superheroes, but by taking real, small steps. You can do it too. And hey, if you want extra support, subscribe to our newsletter and grab your free copy of Stop Putting It Off! How To Work When You’d Rather Watch Cat Videos. Let’s get into it.
Maria’s Late-Start Pivot
Maria spent years as an underpaid administrative assistant. She dreamed of leading marketing strategies, but every time an opportunity came, she felt she wasn’t good enough. She delayed applying for internal promotions, convinced she needed more training or experience first.
One Monday, her manager mentioned a small internal campaign. Maria agreed to help but kept pushing back actual work until Friday afternoon. The result? A rushed presentation, missed details, and extra stress. She paused and asked herself: “What am I avoiding?” She realised her fear of failing—and looking foolish—proved worse than any real mistake she could make.
She broke the work into daily sprints. Thirty minutes on campaign ideas. An hour refining messaging. She asked a colleague for feedback midweek, which made everything smoother. Maria received positive comments and gained the confidence to apply for a role elsewhere. She didn’t land that job immediately, but the experience showed her she could. That small shift turned a long-held dream into a reality.
Raj’s Tech Career Reboot
Raj worked in IT support. He knew software development interested him deeply, but he put off learning new coding languages. He told himself weekends weren’t long enough. He delayed signing up for courses. Then a friend shared code tips over lunch one day. Raj joined a hackathon on a whim, coding only when he had time.
That project forced him to break tasks into chunks: set up the environment, write one function, and test it. He kept a checklist: write five lines of code a day. Every completed item built momentum. After two months, he built a small app for his department. The hackathon moved him from “someday” to “today.”
He updated his resume, applied for a junior developer role, and used the app as a sample. Interviewers loved it. He landed the job. Raj proved you don’t need months to start changing. You just need one small step—one line of code, one push to your Git repo.
Claire’s Balanced Comeback
Claire led event planning. The pandemic hit hard. She delayed reinventing her services for virtual formats. She told herself to wait until the industry returned to normal. She spent weeks scrolling through ideas instead of building them. When her friend asked why she hadn’t created an online platform for DIY event kits, Claire admitted she feared it wouldn’t be successful.
She set a simple rule: launch one virtual workshop for a test group. She spent an hour each evening pulling together slides and a shopping list. She promoted the event to friends and colleagues. Only ten signed up, but she ran it, took notes, and improved for the next session. Those small wins kept her going.
By the end of the year, she had a regular virtual series. Revenues rose steadily, and she rebuilt her client base. Claire turned “one day” into one small step—and kept stepping forward.
Marcos’s Leadership Leap
Marcos worked as a middle manager. He avoided taking on strategic initiatives. He told himself he didn’t have enough leadership experience. His procrastination looked like work that never moved past his to‑do list. He blamed meetings, emails, urgent issues.
His mentor asked, “What initiative do you want to champion?” He suggested Marcos start with low-stakes projects. Marcos picked improving internal training. He outlined a simple goal: gather feedback from two teams, design one new training module, test it.
He scheduled fifteen-minute conversations with colleagues, drafted one training slide a night, and asked for feedback early. He practiced presenting that module in one team meeting. He noticed his voice grew steadier. The session went well enough that HR asked him to expand the idea.
Marcos saw that small projects didn’t require perfect polish—just consistent delivery and honest effort. Procrastination gave way to progress. He now leads multiple initiatives and is on the promotion track.
Lena’s Return-to-Work Journey
Lena took a two-year break from her career to care for her children. Coming back to full-time work felt overwhelming. She delayed updating her skills and resume. She stayed in mom-groups and felt disconnected from work conversations.
One day, a recruiter reached out after seeing her LinkedIn profile. Lena panicked, delayed reply, worried she sounded out of touch. She realized waiting only made things harder. She told herself: “I can answer this email now and feel terrible later, or keep delaying and feel terrible longer.”
She updated her LinkedIn summary in thirty minutes. She attended a two-hour refresher course. She skipped worrying about long-term career goals—just one step at a time. She replied to the recruiter and handed in a simple report she prepared.
That report earned her a freelance project, and that led to part-time work, then full-time. Her secret? She didn’t wait until she felt ready. She started where she was, working in shorter bursts, and avoided the trap of endless preparation.
Your Path Starts Here
Notice the common thread? Each of these stories starts with people who felt blocked—not by external barriers but by internal hesitation. They took one small action: a meeting, a paragraph, a five‑line code, an email reply. That tiny move became a spark that lit a fire.
What can you do today?
- Pick one task. Write a paragraph, set a calendar reminder, or send a short message.
- Break it into three pieces. Commit to the first piece today.
- Ask someone to check on your progress. Even a quick ping helps.
- Reflect at the end of the day. What felt harder than expected? What surprised you?
If jump-starting tasks feels tricky, we’ve made something just for you. Subscribe to our Joyful Achiever newsletter to get weekly tips and a copy of Stop Putting It Off! How To Work When You’d Rather Watch Cat Videos—no cost, no catch.
You’ll get:
- Simple, step‑by‑step ideas ready to try.
- Real stories from people like Maria, Raj, Claire, Marcos, and Lena.
- Practical reminders to help you take that next small step.
You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight. Those small steps—five minutes to send one email, ten minutes to outline a project—build over time. You’ll stop dreading work and start seeing progress. And if cat videos still tempt you? Fine. But at least you’ll watch them knowing you did something constructive first.
Your story awaits. One small step starts your big move. Want the free guide to make that first step easier? Subscribe now and let’s keep this momentum going.