How to Work With Deadlines
The word "deadline" may bring up a spike of adrenaline in many people. So many of us are natural procrastinators--but by using deadlines, you can improve every aspect of your business--even the relationship with your clients.
Of course you will need some time to break old habits--but by instituting the right systems, you can start embracing the use of deadlines and reaping the benefits.
Here are some ways to make deadlines work for your business!
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Accept deadlines. It's smart to come to an acceptance that you need to work with deadlines. Simply stated, they're essential to your productivity. Once you set up a system, it won't feel like such a chore. In the meantime, start reading up on business productivity.
-
2
Set up your system. How will you best stay updated on deadlines? Will you use the organizer in your Blackberry, or use a traditional day planner? Write or post your deadlines somewhere that you can frequently see them and that you'll actually use. There's no point in writing down deadlines in an old planner that stays under your desk. If your goals and deadlines are so long term that you almost forget them, make sure to mark baby steps or milestones into your planner.
-
-
3
Set a timeline. Start with something small. Say you want to create next year's budget and need it done in the next two months. Give yourself a deadline six weeks from now. It's best to start with things that won't have a huge impact if you miss them.
-
4
Start using deadlines. If you have a project due to a client in two weeks, mark it in your planner and use the baby steps necessary to get it done. Sometimes a final deadline doesn't work--so those in-between milestones are necessary. Let people know when you set a deadline for yourself--that'll motivate you more to keep it.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If you're working on something and need a task done by someone else, set a deadline for them. Ask if "Date A" is a good time to expect it back. Mark it in your planner so that you can keep tabs on what you need to do next.
Resources
More Like This
Comments
-
Glencap
Jan 25, 2009
This is where I tend to fall short most of the time. I don't particularly like deadlines. I find that they're easy to set, but hard to keep. However, I will refer to your article in the future, and try to stay very motivated about making and reaching deadlines. Thanks so much for this wonderful article.
-
Glencap
Jan 25, 2009
This is where I tend to fall short most of the time. I don't particularly like deadlines. I find that they're easy to set, but hard to keep. However, I will refer to your article in the future, and try to stay very motivated about making and reaching deadlines. Thanks so much for this wonderful article.
-
listenhere101
Jan 25, 2009
Great article! 5 stars!
