Have you ever tried to set a deadline for yourself? Sometimes we all set a deadline for ourselves but can’t commit to it. And that’s because we all just love to procrastinate and if we have the chance to postpone something, we will.
People can be easily distracted and if they have plenty of time on their hands. Whenever you have a task and you know that you won’t deliver until later, you will start wasting time.
Even though putting a deadline for yourself can be a good solution, you can still miss it. If you want to commit to a deadline that you put for yourself, we will tell you a few tips to help you.
1- If It’s Not Urgent, Make It Urgent
Urgent tasks force people to start working; so, make your tasks urgent even if they’re not.
Some people tend to postpone until they run out of time. This is why making it urgent will make you stick to the deadline you put for yourself. If you have a task that its deadline is after a month, start working on it now. Create your own deadline and treat it as an urgent task so you can get it done at the desired time.
2- Divide The Task
10 small tasks sometimes can be better than one large task.
To commit to the deadline you put for yourself, you can split your task into mini-tasks to encourage yourself to finish. For example, if you’re working on a presentation, you can start with an outline of the presentation’s ideas, then work yourself through the slides bit by bit.
3- Create An Outside Motivator
Sometimes pushing yourself to commit to your deadline requires a push from the outside.
If you’re working on a task and you put a week as a deadline, inform your team. Therefore, they will expect you to finish after a week so they can start working after you. This way, you’re not only committing to your deadline but also to your teammate.
You can also inform your boss that you will be done with the task before the deadline, which will push you to finish on time.
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4- Announce Your Deadline
Let everyone know that you will finish by a certain time.
If you’re working on a project, announce to everyone that you will be done in a week. For example, if you create video content, then announce that the next video will be out in a week, or if you’re a podcaster, then announce to listeners that you will present something new and tell them the date.
You can also share it with your friends and family; their excitement will force you to work and finish on time because you won’t want to disappoint them. Also, their encouragement will give you the energy to commit to your deadline.
5- Schedule Other Tasks Based On Your Deadline
You don’t want projects to overlay each other, so setting other deadlines will push you to work.
For example, if you’re expected to finish a project after 2 weeks, then set another deadline for another task right after it. This will make you avoid procrastination while working.
6- Set Penalties When Missing Deadlines
Everyone is held accountable if they miss a deadline, yourself included.
Create strict rules so people can stick to their deadlines. If you’re working in a team then create a plan with deadlines and penalties for those who miss their deadline. Whoever misses a deadline should face consequences including yourself.
If you set deadlines for yourself, then share with us the secret that makes you commit to them.