Stay Ahead Of Your Deadlines

We all know the stress of running a losing race against deadlines we have to meet. These could include deadlines for work projects, school assignments, social events, and anything else that doesn’t have the courtesy to wait till you’re good and ready!

Since I like some control over my life, I decided a while back that I should manage my deadlines instead of letting them manage me. Here are a few things that worked.

1. Reduce the number of deadlines

Agreeing to fewer deadlines is a good place to start. It is actually quite simple once you gather the courage to say no to a few things. Decide what your top three priorities in life and in work are. Anything else is a candidate for your new no-deadline policy.

Just say “I’d love to help / participate / contribute but can’t commit to a date right now. Are you ok to leave the date open and I’ll get round to it when my schedule frees up?” You’ll be surprised how many people will let you off the hook totally, and go seek out someone else who will agree to be a slave to their deadline.

2. Mentally bring forward your deadlines

Whatever the actual deadline for a project or assignment is, mentally bring it forward by a day or even a week. Be firm with yourself about finishing the project by this earlier date. Not only does this reduce your stress level, it usually results in better quality because you were not in a hurried and flustered state of mind when you did the work.

This earlier deadline has to be as real in your mind as the actual one. If you keep telling yourself that it’s a false deadline, then your mind will recognise only the actual deadline. But if you tell yourself that this earlier deadline is very real because something may crop up during the days before the actual deadline and you won’t have time for the project as a result (which very often happens so in reality the earlier deadline is actually more realistic) then your mind will recognise the earlier deadline as the real one.

3. Submit your work ahead of time

At work, this will earn you some brownie points. If you work for yourself, you’ll earn brownie points with yourself too. Your gait is often more confident simply from the knowledge that you are in control. Also, the next time you speak to your boss or client, you can confidently agree to a deadline knowing that you are able to comfortably meet it.

4. Wait for the actual deadline

If you choose to wait for the actual deadline to hand in the work, you have the opportunity to submit work of better quality. When you have a day or more between completing your draft and handing it in, you can re-read it with some mental distance, and therefore view it more objectively and make effective revisions just before handing it in.

It’s much easier to delete entire sentences or sections a few days later than just after you’ve written it. One of Stephen King’s tips for good writing is to “kill your babies” and it is much easier to do this when you haven’t just birthed the baby.

While you’re waiting for the actual deadline to submit your work, start on your next project. This will give you a headstart on every project and all these extra headstarts will boost your productivity, confidence and enjoyment of your work.



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Posted by Daphne | November 10, 2008 | in Work Hard


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3 Responses to “Stay Ahead Of Your Deadlines”

  1. Nicolas
    November 16th, 2008 @ 11:41 am

    Hi,

    This is a very nice article on deadlines. It keep asking other people on their time management techniques and you added some aspects to my collection.

    In my Time Management Master blog I created a collection of about 200 concrete time saving tips on how to gain an extra hour every day. The tips can be applied at home, at work or on the road.

    http://memytime.wordpress.com/

    The funny thing about such tips is that since every person is different, the tips have to be too. I would be interested in knowing of you found something useful for you?

    Please keep writing you blog – it is a please to read it.

    Nicolas

    Nicolass last blog post..Reduce the number of outgoing emails

  2. Daphne
    November 16th, 2008 @ 1:20 pm

    Hi Nicholas,

    Thanks for your comment. I visited your blog and like the concise posts with practical tips on time management. I especially liked the suggestions on managing email, since that is the scourge of modern life and makes people almost slaves to their computers or Blackberries.

  3. 28 Ways to Slay the Delay | Marc and Angel Hack Life
    April 3rd, 2009 @ 3:04 pm

    [...] Set your clocks and deadlines ahead. – “Whatever the actual deadline for a project or assignment is, mentally bring it forward by a day or even a week.  Be firm with yourself about finishing the project by this earlier date.  Not only does this reduce your stress level, it usually results in better quality because you were not in a hurried and flustered state of mind when you did the work.  This earlier deadline has to be as real in your mind as the actual one.”  It can be if you make a habit of finishing things early. – via Joyful Days [...]

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  • Comments by Readers

  • nudgeme: Hi Daphne Lovely to see a post on Joyful days in my Google Reader this morning – and such an uplifting one at that! I concur with...
  • vered - blogger for hire: “Which is partly why I’m blogging less now – I have a happy life to keep me occupied!” This is great. You...
  • Tess The Bold Life: I can attest that they all work. I’ve even been quite happy in the middle even though I’m sliding out of that...
  • J.D. Meier: Excellent rundown. I used to think happiness was doing nothing, then I found out it’s actually doing something. It’s got to...
  • Megan "JoyGirl!" Bord: The “work on your terms” is interesting to me, especially your suggestion that it doesn’t mean we...
  • Annaly: The tongue is a had thing to get control of, but I like your concept of good and bad gossip.
  • Hilary: Hi Daphne – the points you describe so well are so true – Believe in Something – the Dale Carnegie quote .. if we occupy ourselves, we live...
  • Lance: Hi Daphne, This is so good to read! And really, reading this I feel a deep sense of happiness both for you, and within you. Daphne, this is...
  • Baker: Wow. I have to mention that these tips here are very powerful. This is excellent. I can definetly see that you really did an amazing job at...
  • Carla: I can definitely relate to having something to look forward to. When you live your live day by day in a tape loop, it can make things pretty...
  • James Gray: To say that there is no such thing as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ just because they seem to require opposites makes no...
  • MJ: Maybe there are individuals who may have gone through an expereince that would follow.. having been able to choose to be in one Parallel...
  • Hulbert: Hi Daphne, gossiping isn’t really that big of a problem for me because I tend to not hang out with people that just gossip all day....
  • Sara: Daphne — It’s been some time since I visited and I’m glad I came by today. I liked all your suggestions about handling...
  • alessandraelle: Thank you for using my photo and for the exact credits! :-) Ciao from Italy.
  • Daniel: Heya Daphne! Great seeing a new post from you in my reader. :) I too wrote about that story (Socrate’s Teaches The Test of 3)...
  • Daphne: Daphne! Hi, it’s the other Daphne! :) I LOVE the Socrates story – I hadn’t heard it before. I now have a sticky note in...
  • Island Girl: Dear Daphne I have recently moved to a very small island where people do nothing but gossip. I came knowing this would be the case but...
  • Hilda: I used to love a good gossip! Not so much anymore though. I love to hear and pass on good news, but I’m not into the nasty stuff now....
  • Evelyn Lim: I enjoyed reading the story about Socrates that you posted. I don’t like to engage in gossips myself. I have few opportunities to...