I’m sure you’ve heard someone say, “I work best to deadlines.” Perhaps you’ve even said it.
However, let’s be honest. Working hurriedly under pressure to complete a task before a deadline normally isn’t because of our planning, but rather because of our procrastination.
For example, let’s say you’ve had two months to complete a task and now two weeks before it needs to be completed, you start feeling the pressure and thinking that you’d better get started and hurry up to get it done on time. If you’ve had time to start it before now, but haven’t, you’ve failed miserably to plan properly.
There’s almost no sufficient reason to delay starting tasks until when you feel under pressure and stressed out. That’s deadbeat behavior.
Brian Tracy in his book “Eat That Frog” states that it’s a myth that people work best near deadlines. In fact the opposite is true. People feel stressed, make mistakes and often have to go back over or even redo a task that has been left to the last minute.
How to stop being a deadbeat and use deadlines properly.
You can use deadlines effectively by creating self-imposed deadlines. This is where YOU set the time when a task must be completed by. These deadlines aren’t created by your boss or any other external party telling you when a task must be completed by.
Those are externally created deadlines, which you often have no control over.
The only reason the task must be completed before your self-imposed deadline is because YOU say so. Show yourself some respect and make sure you get tasks done on time.
Self-imposed deadlines for true success.
You have goals in life, and to reach those goals you need to complete hundreds or even thousands of tasks in order to reach them. Self-imposed deadlines increase productivity and increase the speed at which you can reach your goals.
Remember, the best way to kill your hopes of reaching your goals is by procrastinating. Raise the bar for yourself and set high standards.
Refuse to let yourself off the hook. Get off your butt today and start moving towards your goals one deadline at a time.
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G'day! I'm Gordie, founder and editor-in-chief of Lifestyle Design For You. I want to welcome you to the center of the universe when it comes to lifestyle design and personal development blogs. We're a team of ten writers providing you with articles to help nourish your mind and improve your life. Lifestyle design is about designing your life so you can do what you want when you want. 
{ 44 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh Gordie, You got me there again.
I am terrible at deadlines. Perhaps because I am a programmer. Most programmers can’t even keep their own birthday.
Often times I set deadlines to please others instead of deadlines that I can actually be comfortable with.
Sad I know
Robert Bravery´s last blog ..Generating Traffic For Your Blog and Website
It’s tough when you’re self-employed but serving others. We have to create a balance between their expectations and ours.
I hate deadlines. I don’t perform, write, or function well under pressure and I’m easily overwhelmed. I need space.
Even as a kid I used the fact that I was homeschooled to my advantage. I’d get up at 6am, finish chores and start school ASAP. I’d have it all done by noon and could spend the rest of the day doing whatever I wanted. I just couldn’t stand the thought of getting behind or too close to a deadline.
As an adult I try really hard to keep up, but some days I just can’t help it and I get behind. Drives me insane.
Erica Mueller´s last blog ..How to Fail at Blogging Inspired by @RobertBravery
Do you have kids? Do they sometimes throw a spanner into the works?
I try and avoid using the word deadline and use some vague alternative that does not have the same negative connotation. Deadline seems to strike fear into some people whereas something totally non-aligned like “target slot” is easier on the psyche.
Kevin Tea´s last blog ..Looking Back At Web2 and More’s Year
That’s a cool term – “Target slot” or “time target”. I like that.
You are dead on here Gordie. Thanks for the reminder that I should have gotten prepared for todays Workshop a few days ago. Now I will be rushing around this morning trying to make sure I am ready.
Patty Reiser´s last blog ..Thursday’s 13: My Favorite Christmas Movies
Lol! I’m sorry I didn’t remind you earlier.
I’ve been setting my own deadlines for years, so I can’t blame anyone else for the fact that I continually overestimate what I can cram into a given day.
Could use some advice on this, but maybe too late to teach this old dog new tricks.
You’re not a dog.
Just look back and see if you’re always totally off your targets or just slightly. Or perhaps go with your gut instinct and then give yourself an extra 10% of the time you allotted for each task.
There’s always that element of fear and pressure when it comes to deadlines, which am sure does my body more harm than good.
You go to bed thinking about it and you wake-up thinking about it – It’s a horrible feeling.
But, I always find myself responding well to deadlines…I clearly need Help!!
Johnluffa´s last blog ..4 Simple Ways To Get More Traffic To Your Blog
Ha ha! There are good kinds of stress and bad types of stress. If it’s affecting your health, then it’s probably bad. I recommend you read “Eat That Frog”by Brian Tracy. It has great advice for your situation.
That’s true, and it that fear leads to putting it off. Best to put your head down and make a start. I’ve always found that once I’ve actually started a project it all goes pretty smoothly for then on.
Sire´s last blog ..Will Commenting Harm Your Blogging Success?
Getting started and building momentum is the key. It’s easier to keep going than it is to stop and start again.
Okay, off to write 12 articles to keep me covered over the kids’ Xmas holidays!
Let us know if you meet your self-imposed deadline.
I have to continually guard against taking on too much, which gets in the way of deadlines occasionally. There is never time to procrastinate.
Jimi Jones´s last blog ..The Importance of Using Images in Your Blog Posts
Lol! Never enough time to procrastinate is an interesting phrase.
Hey Gordie your right on target, keep up the good work.
Thanks.
I have been setting myself self-imposed deadlines lately and it works a treat – especially when you put that TIME element in.
For example, this month I have set myself the goal to comment on 300 blog posts. Yesterday I was very casually going through certain blog posts and realised time was running away from me. I’d only commented on 10 or so posts in 90 minutes. So I then set a timer and said to myself ‘I’m going to get through the next 15 blog posts before the timer goes off”. I set the timer for an hour.
I didn’t quite make it (5minutes or so over), but the fact that I set myself a timer I was focused and ‘on task’, not casually going about it and potentially wasting time.
It made a huge difference and I wouldn’t say my commenting quality deteriorated either. I was just more focused and eliminated other potential distractions.
Sarge | BeginnerBlogger.com
Sarge | BeginnerBlogger.com´s last blog ..Christmas has come early – Hootsuite for iPhone is here!
Hey Sarge,
That’s freakin’ awesome! Yeah, the thing with self-imposed deadlines is that that the only consequences for not meeting them is a slight disappointment in yourself. However, you’ll see where you can do better next time.
You’re right how it keeps you focused and quality doesn’t have to deteriorate as long as you keep your focus.
Man, I reckon you must have been thinking of me when you wrote this post. I still remember all those times in college when I left assignments to the last day and then would stay up until the early hours of the morning churning out pages and pages of content.
I used to stand back and admire them, thinking that I did my best work under pressure, and while I got some pretty good grades I realize now that type of reasoning was total BS. If I had applied some of the techniques you have suggested, I’m absolutely certain the quality of those papers would have been far, far better than what I had handed up.
Makes me sort of wonder where I would be now if I had done a whole less procrastinating.
Sire´s last blog ..Will Commenting Harm Your Blogging Success?
Hey Sire,
Welcome to Lifestyle Design For You. I just discovered your blog today, too.
At university, I was pretty good at start and finishing assignments as early as I was able. However, when it comes to this blog, there are some days when my writing just isn’t flowing like I hope and I let myself get a little distracted.
It’s never too late to start applying the techniques and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to read Brian Tracy’s “Eat That Frog”. It has some great tips about creating self-imposed deadlines.
Cheers.
If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s not that it’s too late to learn something new, it’s more do you want to take the time to learn it.
Sire´s last blog ..Giving Your Blog That Christmas Feel
That’s true, Sire.
As one get’s older one may have more responsibilities dividing one’s attention. Then we have to learn how to prioritize and sacrifice.
I don’t do well when others set deadlines for me. I prefer to set them myself that way I don’t feel as pressured.
Rose´s last blog ..Social Networking Relationships-Online Drama
Hi Rose,
I feel the same. In someways I have a deep need to feel in control of my life. Not very Buddhist like. Lol!
I was not sure when I read the title, but I agree with you on the core message!
Oscar – freestyle mind´s last blog ..If You Were Your Own Boss, How Much Would You Pay Yourself?
Great to hear, Oscar! How’s things going with your guest posting effort?
I’ve completed 90% of the posts requested, I should finish prior to the end of the month. It has been an awesome experience and now I’m ready to approach bigger blogs!
Oscar – freestyle mind´s last blog ..Just Do Your Best
That’s awesome, mate! Keep up the great work!
Now is the best deadline for me. This keeps me in the present. If I have something to achieve I focus on doing all that I can in the moment.
If it’s sometime like writing a book, I do all that I can now each day. Whatever’s left to do I put off until waking the next day.
The problem with deadlines is that they cause me to procrastinate. That’s why I don’t use them.
Ryan´s last blog ..My Quotes: 12/11/09
Hi Ryan,
If deadlines cause you to procrastinate then it’s a good idea to keep doing what you’re doing now and not use them. Don’t fix what ain’t broken.
Hi Gordie.
Self-imposed deadlines do have the value you provide. We can forget any past times where we didn’t follow things we set for ourselves, and start each day trying new self-imposed deadlines. We might have tried a self-imposed deadline yesterday, which we didn’t follow through on, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try again today and do it right. We will be in our own process of action.
Thanks to this post, I will get back into self-imposed deadline mode.
Armen Shirvanian´s last blog ..Sites To Mention 12-10-2009 Plus Podcast Plus Map
Hey Armen,
Yeah, you are worthy of your own respect. Meet those deadlines you set for yourself. Good hearing from you.
Good stuff Gordie. All my deadlines are somewhat self-imposed. It’s really the BIG deadlines that matter i.e Be somebody by age 30, save X amount by a certain date, write a book by X etc.
Interesting commenters you have here. A lot of posts about how to get more traffic to one’s website and site optimization. Useful! I haven’t don’t anything except for publish. But, I should probably get more focused with all this SEO stuff.
Best,
Sam-urai
Financial Samurai´s last blog ..Someone Has To Give Birth! Why Women Shouldn’t Be Penalized For Being A Mom.
Hi Sam-urai,
I’ve done my best with SEO. It hasn’t had much in the way of results so far. However, people who have looked at my site’s SEO tell me I’m doing everything right so far.
Self imposed deadlines requires a lot of discipline, any slip up will give procrastination a chance to dominate. We must be firm about this.
Definitely. It’s strange how we are happy to meet deadlines for others but not meet ones we set for ourselves. We need to show ourselves some more respect.
Hi Gordie. You may be right about externally imposed deadlines. I think studies show that we get more done when we set a deadline for ourselves. I know it works for me. Usually I don’t set a “date” deadline, but I set a time deadline. Something like giving myself one hour to finish a task. I even use a countdown timer on my computer.
Stephen – Rat Race Trap´s last blog ..Are We Disconnecting From Real Life?
Hey Steve,
That’s a cool way to give yourself a push. Set a time-limit for an hour or two and just plough through it.
Thanks for stopping by, Steve.
Hi Gordie,
Uumm…I had in interesting reaction when I first read the title of your post. My internal dialogue when something like this, “Thats not true! I work well under deadline pressure. I’m not a deadbeat!”
What ever happened to first seek to understand before being understood?
Having read your post I completely agree that self impossed deadlines are the difference that makes the difference. For me, however, common sense isn’t always common practice!
Thanks for the reminder
Colin ~ Midlife Maverick
Hey Colin,
I left the title like that to get a reaction. I follow the advice of probloggers about writing controversial titles. It helps get them to check the post out. Then, they can see I’m not so insane after all.