Deadlines can be a struggle, but they don’t have to be. Think of it this way: Deadlines are a prioritization tool that tell you a given project is important to focus on. They make it easier to honestly assess your workload — if you have something due on Friday and you know it’ll take all your time, it’s easier to decline extra commitments. And when you know you have a chance of meeting the deadline, you get the thrill of completing a piece of work and finishing it on time. Just be sure that you assign deadlines to the work that matters most, allow a little buffer time to plan for any contingencies, and keep stakeholders informed if you hit an issue that could prevent you from meeting a milestone. With the right strategies in place, you can get a productivity boost out of deadlines without taking on the stress.
Adapted from "If You Dread Deadlines, You're Thinking About Them All Wrong," by Elizabeth Grace Saunders
