Deadlines – time is on your side when you do what you like

“Procrastination is the foundation of all disasters!” – Pandora Poikilos

The word that almost haunted me this year was procrastination. It applied in my case but also in the case of so many people around me. I used it in my personal life, going back to my dentist to finish our work after a one year break. I also used it in the professional department, moving deadlines further and further. I wrote more than half of the articles on Wednesday night, I moved the deadline for my seminar three times and I started writing my book two times, only to stop and postpone it because…..because something. Procrastination comes from fear of setting grand objectives and no deadlines.

            When you try to understand time relativity first words that come to mind are those of Mister Albert Einstein: “When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second, when you are sitting on a hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That’s relativity”. The projects you avoid and procrastinate are the hot cinders, not everything we do looks like a nice and cute girl. It’s just that sometimes you have to do things you don’t like in business, also in life. If this would be easy everyone will be able to do it and success is not for everyone.

            Deadlines, just like promises, are just words until you respect them. Why is it so hard to respect the deadlines you set? You know that it is important and it will be benefit from those actions. One of the reasons we lose track of deadlines is the fact that most people around us tend to be so carefree about it, always asking for more time and finding so easy excuses that we fall into that trap to. But this is not about other people; this is about you and your business, focus on your goals and their importance to you and remember that you are the one that will benefit or suffer.

            We all need some help in keeping our deadlines, here are my seven advices that help in the battle with keeping your deadlines.

1. Set tighter deadlines. You already know how much time takes you to finish your report, or make an offer for a customer. So why give yourself more time than you already know you need. Motivate yourself to improve and cut 10% of the time you know you need. Finish your Monday morning report on Friday evening, it is possible and you will feel better also.
2. Take it serious. Once you miss a deadline and find an excuse for that you will be tempted to do it again. This is about a choice, and you alone are responsible. If you have something to do, do it and go for that beer after. Make the choice to be responsible about your business.
3. “Brag” about it. Be proud about your tasks and your deadlines. Tell your friends and colleagues every chance you get. When you do that you add motivation from outside. It is about yourself, but sometimes is easier to convince yourself you can do it tomorrow. Failing in front of other might be harder so you will try to avoid that.
4. Make it easier to chew. Most of your tasks can be divided into smaller tasks. Don’t start a one week project trying to finish all in one week, split it into seven smaller tasks and feel better at the end of each day when completing them. We will also get motivation from your smaller successes. And this also helps staying more focused. You concentrate on the task at hand and not worry about some other part of your project until you get to that point.
5. Let technology be your friend. Use all instruments at your disposal to stay the course. These days there are so many apps and gadgets that can help you that your only problem will be which one to chose. Apps can help you follow your work, get updates about your projects and set reminders in order to never miss a deadline again.
6. Don’t run after two rabbits. When you start working on your tasks try as much as possible to focus only on that job. You might think that you can do other things at the same time but that’s a trap. Running over to work on something else takes you out of your zone and every time you come back to your task you need time to re – accommodate
7. Start! Now! Don’t think that if you have everything written down and you have a plan things will solve themselves. Stop procrastinating and start immediately. Use the momentum of your idea, the drive given to you by the revelation you had. You have no reason to delay after you got everything planed. So why do it?

How do you feel each time you successfully complete a task and you respect your deadline? Isn’t that feeling one of the best? You enjoy a work well done and it keeps you moving. Every deadline missed can chip your reputation, delay your arrival to the success you are looking for and de – motivate you. Keep organized, “Managing your time without setting priorities and deadlines is like shooting randomly and calling everything you hit the target” – Peter Turla.

As long as you avoid the last minute rush, the moments when you have to go over yourself to finish a project and get also a headache, you will be fine. Having everything clear and with these advices in mind you are well prepared to avoid the last minute rush. That rush can be in some cases a good motivator. I know I am a person that performs well under pressure and most of the time I get things done even better, but you only need one time when you fail and that will be the decisive moment. Why not avoid that and respect your deadlines?