5 Steps for Meeting Deadlines

Deadlines. The ultimate in stress. Do they have to be? Many times deadlines are things we know in advance. Other times, they are sprung on us when we least expect it. However, the concepts to meeting deadlines is the same.

What is a deadline:

Simply put, a deadline is A deadline is any time frame that is set when something needs to be completed by. It can relate to anything. Things in your personal life or business life. Some hold a greater importance than others.

When a deadline is set, there are five simple steps or guidelines you should follow to meet them. First, we need to understand that the human condition and nature has taught us that most people procrastinate. Meaning, they continue to put it off and at the last minute cram to get it done. The largest problem that causes is that in most cases, your outcome is often poor. The quality of your work suffers. Many times, especially at work, our performance and quality of work is judge by what we accomplish, and the quality of our work. The five steps are basic.

1. Do not procrastinate

2. Plan your time

3. Organize your work

4. Complete your draft

5. Finalize your project

Do not procrastinate: Procrastination is one of the most common behaviors in life. When practiced, it adds stress, pushes everything in your life back, and causes you do poor work.

Plan your time: Planning your time is paramount. If you work to long and cram, you become tired, you do not think straight, and often times when you review your work, you find it to be inadequate causing you to have to redo it. This results in wasting a great deal of time.

Organize your work: Estimate how long it will take you to complete your task. Break down you work equally into the time you have allotted to get it done. This includes all of the five steps listed. Do not exceed that time. Relaxation in life is as important as your work time. It facilitates you having fresh thoughts, and reduces stress.

Complete your draft: You draft is NOT your completed project. It is the initial overall project, not the final product.

Finalize your project: If you have planned properly, in this last step all you should have to do is refine your draft into the completed project.

Keeping in mind that there are always exceptions to the rule, meaning, your boss may spring something on you at the end of the day that they need by the morning. That does not change the 5 steps. It only changes the timeline. Deadlines are not difficult to meet if you follow these simple steps. Often times our minds and anxiety make a project harder than it actually is. It is a matter of discipline. Keeping to your timeline, and your project will get completed. Please feel free to leave a comment below. Follow me on Facebook - Caesar Rondina Author, Twitter - @caesarrondina, and Instagram - caesarrondinaauthor. Thank you ... CJR