At 9:17 p.m., Susan opened her laptop, ready to apply for an internship she had been thinking about for weeks. The deadline was the following evening, and she knew the opportunity could help her gain experience, build her CV, and take a step towards the career she wanted. She had already saved the application link, updated half her CV, and imagined how exciting it would feel to receive an acceptance email. All she needed to do was finish the application and press submit.
Instead, she checked her messages, watched a few videos, and decided to clean her desk because she couldn’t possibly work in a messy space. Once she sat down again, she began comparing her CV with examples she had found online. The other young people seemed to have more experience, better skills, and more impressive achievements. Suddenly, she was no longer sure her application was good enough. “I’ll finish it tomorrow when I can concentrate properly,” she told herself before closing her laptop.
The next day, Susan woke up feeling uneasy. She had less time, more pressure, and the same application waiting. She blamed herself for wasting the previous evening, promising never to leave something so important until the last minute again. Yet, if we looked closely at what had happened, we would see that Susan was not simply avoiding work. She worried about being rejected, felt overwhelmed by the task, and feared her best might not be good enough.
Perhaps you recognise a little of yourself in Susan’s story. Maybe you have postponed an assignment, delayed applying for a job, put off learning a new skill, or kept a promising idea to yourself because you were waiting for the right moment. You know what you want to do, but somehow, the distance between deciding to do it and actually getting started feels much bigger than it should. This is procrastination, and understanding why it happens is the first step towards changing it.
At Proudtobeme , we work with young people who often struggle with this exact feeling. Through our programmes and Upcoming Workshops , we help them move from “I don’t know where to start” to “I can take the first step.”
What Is Procrastination, Really?
Procrastination is when we delay a task even though we know that putting it off may create problems later. It is easy to assume people procrastinate because they are lazy, lack discipline, or don’t care enough about their goals. However, procrastination can be connected to how we respond to uncomfortable emotions, including anxiety, self-doubt, frustration, and the fear of getting something wrong.
Research highlighted by the American Psychological Association suggests that between 80% and 95% of college and university students procrastinate at least occasionally, while around 50% experience chronic procrastination. These figures reflect student populations, not every young person or adult, but they show that struggling to get started is widespread.
At times, delaying a task gives us temporary ease; we need not tackle the difficult assignment, the uncertain application, or the possibility of rejection. The problem is that the task will still be unfinished as the deadline nears. The relief we have today may turn into the stress, guilt, and pressure we feel tomorrow.
We need to understand this pattern because the solution is not always to draw up a stricter timetable or tell ourselves to try harder. In many cases, we need to work out what makes a task hard to deal with at the beginning. For young people, four common reasons include fear of failure, feeling overwhelmed, perfectionism, and not knowing where to start.
1. Fear of Failure: What If I Am Not Good Enough?
Imagine that Susan is not only applying for an internship but also considering starting a small business selling handmade jewellery. She has ideas, has researched potential customers, and has watched other young entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Yet every time she considers taking the first step, questions fill her mind. What if nobody buys anything? What if people laugh at her idea? What if she tries her best and still fails?
When something matters to us, the possibility of getting it wrong can feel particularly uncomfortable. We may worry that rejection will confirm our deepest doubts about ourselves. Rather than risk discovering that we need to improve, we delay starting. Strangely, not trying can feel safer than trying and finding out that things did not work as we hoped.
The American Psychological Association identifies self-doubt and concerns about performing inadequately among the factors associated with procrastination in students. This helps explain why people sometimes delay the very opportunities they want most. The more important the outcome feels, the more frightening the possibility of disappointment can become.
What if we stopped treating every first attempt as a final judgement of our ability? Susan does not have to launch a perfect business immediately. She could test one product, ask a few potential customers for feedback, or learn from someone with more experience. Likewise, she can submit an internship application without knowing whether she will be selected. The aim is not to guarantee success; it is to give herself a chance to learn and improve.
Sometimes, the question that helps us move forward is not, “What if I fail?” but, “What could I learn if I try?” Your first attempt doesn’t need to prove you are the best. It simply needs to help you take the next step. For young people exploring their ideas, our work in entrepreneurship, leadership and personal development offers a starting point for discovering how existing interests and abilities can develop into something more.
2. Feeling Overwhelmed: When Everything Feels Like Too Much
Have you ever seen your to-do list and ended up feeling worn out before you’d even started? Maybe you have exams to prepare for, coursework to complete, family responsibilities to manage, a CV to update, and messages you haven’t replied to. Although each task might seem manageable, it can be hard to decide where to focus when everything feels urgent.
When we feel overwhelmed, we may avoid a task because we cannot see a manageable way through it. We jump between activities, spend time on easier jobs, or turn to our phones for a break that lasts much longer than expected. Afterwards, we feel guilty about the time we have lost, which makes the whole situation feel even heavier.
Picture a student preparing for three examinations. Their desk is covered in books, their notes are unfinished, and they are unsure which subject to study first. They open one textbook, remember another assignment, check their messages, and eventually decide to start the following morning. They have spent an hour thinking about the work without making meaningful progress on any of it.
One solution is to break the task down into smaller pieces. Rather than having the item on the list say “revise everything”, the student might select one topic, spend twenty minutes reviewing it, and then answer three practice questions. Finishing that small part creates a sense of progress, which makes it easier to decide what comes next. A big, intimidating aim seems more manageable when you break it into a series of smaller actions.
If you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself: What is one useful thing I can complete in the next 10 minutes? You do not have to solve every problem today. You only need to identify one action that moves you forward.
3. Perfectionism: Waiting Until Everything Is Just Right
Perfectionism may appear to be ambition. You aim to produce excellent work, make careful plans, and put in effort that shows what you are capable of. But if your expectations become so high that you no longer feel confident about starting, the wish to do things well can become the reason you never finish.
Think about a young person who wants to create a CV. Instead of completing it, they spend days comparing templates, changing fonts, watching tutorials, and looking at the profiles of people with years of experience. Every time they make an edit, they discover another thing they could improve. They tell themselves they will start applying for jobs once their CV is perfect, but the applications never happen.
This can happen with almost anything: starting a blog, learning to code, creating content, launching a business, or speaking up in a meeting. We convince ourselves that we need more knowledge, better equipment, a detailed plan, or greater confidence before we can begin. Yet many of these things develop through practice, not endless preparation.
A helpful way to challenge perfectionism is to permit yourself to create a first draft rather than a final masterpiece. Your first CV can be reviewed. Your first presentation can be practised. Your first piece of content can teach you what works and what needs improvement. Feedback and mistakes are part of learning, not proof that you should never have started.
Instead of asking, “How can I make this perfect?” try asking, “What would a good first attempt look like?” Set a realistic time limit, complete the first version, and identify what genuinely needs improving. You can care about the quality of your work without demanding perfection before you allow yourself to begin. Our practical learning and skills-development programmes show how young people can learn by participating, trying new activities, and building their abilities through experience.
4. Not Knowing Where to Begin: When the First Step Is Unclear
Sometimes, procrastination has less to do with fear and more to do with confusion. You know you want a job, but you are unsure how to write a CV, find suitable vacancies, or prepare for an interview. You want to start a business but do not know how to test your idea. You want to improve your future, but it feels like such a big task that you can’t figure out what to do today.
It is hard to take action when a goal is vague. If you tell yourself to “get your life together” or “be more productive”, you won’t have a clear starting point. Since you can’t determine the next step, it is easy to put off working on the goal and instead concentrate on something you know well.
Imagine Susan looking at her internship application again. If she sees it as one enormous task, she may continue avoiding it, but she can break it into manageable steps. On Monday, she can read the requirements. On Tuesday, she can list her skills and experiences. On Wednesday, she can draft her personal statement and ask someone to review it. The application becomes a series of actions rather than one intimidating challenge.
This is where guidance and practical training can make a difference. Although young people are often advised to be confident, develop their skills, and prepare for work, they may not always have the opportunity to learn how. While it is important to know what you want, it is just as important to have the knowledge, support, and opportunity to work towards it.
If you don’t know where to start, then list your goal and consider what the smallest useful action could be. For example, if you want a job, open your CV; if you want to acquire a digital skill, locate a beginner-friendly lesson; if you have a business idea, write down the problem you intend to solve. You don’t need the full plan before you begin; you need the first step you can take.
If you want help building the skills you need for your next move, consider our ILM Courses . The courses offer training in leadership and self-management, helping young people improve their problem-solving, goal-setting, motivation, and accountability skills. A clearer framework, together with the opportunity to practise, often makes a goal seem much less intimidating.
How Can We Stop Procrastinating?
You don’t need to become a totally different person all at once to overcome procrastination. Instead, identify why you’re stuck, then choose an approach that addresses it. When you’re afraid of failing, give yourself the chance to make an imperfect first attempt. If you feel overwhelmed, divide the task into smaller parts. If perfectionism is preventing you from moving forward, decide what “good enough for now” means.
You might also benefit from making your plans more specific. Rather than telling yourself you’ll work on your CV later, decide when you will start and what exactly you will accomplish. For instance, you could say, “At 6 p.m. I’ll spend fifteen minutes putting my recent experience on my CV.” An exact, feasible action is easier to carry out than a broad promise to be more productive.
You should also consider how you talk to yourself, since labelling yourself as lazy or irresponsible may only increase your frustration without helping you understand why you’ve been delayed. Consider whether your concern is the outcome, whether you’re confused by the instructions, whether you’re tired, or whether you’re missing information. Once you have identified the obstacle, you can choose a more appropriate response instead of continuing the same pattern of avoidance and guilt.
Finally, remember you don’t have to work everything out alone. A teacher, friend, mentor, careers adviser, or supportive adult may help you see options you have missed. Talking through a problem can make it feel less confusing, while feedback and encouragement can help you take action. If procrastination is persistent and seriously affecting your daily life, especially alongside difficulties with mood, anxiety, attention, or sleep, seeking support from a qualified professional may also help.
If you want more suggestions on how to build your skills and take practical action to secure your future, then read our article titled Seven Skills Every Young Person Should Develop Before Entering the Working World . Developing these skills doesn’t happen all at once; it happens through learning, practising, asking questions, and being willing to try again.
How Proudtobeme Helps Young People Move Beyond Procrastination
For young people, procrastination can become particularly frustrating when it affects education, career choices, confidence, or plans for the future. You may have ideas and potential but still struggle to move forward because you are unsure where to start or worry about making mistakes. Being told to “believe in yourself” is not always enough. Young people also need opportunities to practise, build skills, explore their interests, and experience what they can do.
At Proudtobeme , we are committed to helping young people build confidence, improve self-esteem, and gain the skills needed to create better futures for themselves. Our programmes combine creativity, employability, entrepreneurship, and leadership, giving young people the opportunity to learn, discover their strengths, and take practical action to achieve their goals.
You can learn more about our approach on our About Us page, explore our programmes and projects , or read more stories on our Blogs page.
Learning by Doing
Our practical approach gives young people the chance to move from thinking to doing.
Through our UK Summer Content Creation Bootcamp in 2026, young people gained hands-on experience in content creation, communication, teamwork, digital literacy and presenting ideas. Participants worked in small groups, developed creative concepts, produced content, and presented their work at the final showcase. Instead of just hearing about employability skills, they had the opportunity to practise them and learn by doing.
Through our Lagos Summer Bootcamp 2026, teenagers explored activities including AI-assisted website design, digital literacy, crochet and basic carpentry. These activities gave participants opportunities to experiment, build practical skills, solve problems, and try again when something didn’t work the first time. They demonstrate how learning by doing can help young people discover interests and capabilities they may not have recognised before.
That kind of experience can help a young person move beyond the thought, “I don’t think I can do this,” towards, “Let me try and see what I can learn.” Someone who feels nervous about sharing ideas can practise presenting in a supportive environment. Someone unsure of their strengths can discover an interest in digital creativity or storytelling. Another young person may learn to work with others, respond to feedback, and keep going when their first attempt does not turn out as expected.
Proudtobeme cannot remove every fear or guarantee that every attempt will succeed. What it can do is give young people opportunities to learn, build practical skills, discover their abilities, and develop the confidence to take their next steps. The aim is not to expect young people to have everything figured out already. It is to help them see possibilities, gain experience, and understand that progress is something they can work towards.
If you are a young person ready to take that first step, you can join our Upcoming Workshops or explore our ILM Courses .
If you are an organisation or individual who wants to support young people, you can Get Involved or contact us to learn more about partnerships and opportunities.
So, What Have You Been Putting Off?
Is it a job application, a course, a personal goal, an important conversation, or an idea you have been carrying around for months? Instead of judging yourself for the delay, take a moment to understand what is holding you back. Then choose one small action you can take today.
You do not need to have everything figured out before you begin. Sometimes, the most important step is simply deciding to start.
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Website: proudtobeme.org
