The importance of setting deadlines

Think of today as your performance review…

So today we are talking deadlines.

Think of today a bit like your performance review. If you spent any time in the corporate world, you’ll know that a performance review is when you sit down with your boss and discuss things like if you are meeting your deadlines, how you are going, where you need to improve etc.

Today is your performance review…

Ok, so it’s not quite that structured, but we are going to talk about if you are meeting your deadlines (or if you are even setting them in the first place!)

There is a very good reason for this chat, because people need deadlines.

If I say something is going to get done, then it will be added to a VERY long to-do list, and will (should…) happen at some point in the future, over the next days, weeks or months.

However, if I put a deadline on it, a date for when I will have it completed by, the chance of me completing that thing just increased ten fold.

If I put a deadline in place AND I tell other people it’s happening, the chance of that thing being completed has just increased fifty fold.

If I put a deadline in place AND I tell other people it’s happening AND then I tell my list that it launches by said date, then it WILL happen. Because I’ve committed to everyone that it will… so it will!

This is the thing about deadlines, if you just make a promise to yourself (although you should be keeping those) then there is a chance it might never happen. If you just add it to your to-do list, there is a chance it will just move along your to-do list, til the next day, week, month. And before you know if, the year after… and you know you meant to write that course last year, or that book, or re-brand your website… but it hasn’t happen yet.

So today, we’re setting deadlines for that item on your to-do list that hasn’t been done yet. Yes, you know the one, the one that has been there for a while, that keeps getting moved from one list to another. That one!

It might be a course, it might be writing the first module or launching it.

Now, let’s talk about actually setting these deadlines.

BE REALISTIC.

If the item on your to-do list was writing a book, then there is no point setting the deadline for tomorrow. I don’t know about you, but there is no way I could write a whole book in one day… it’s just not possible.

So set a deadline that is realistic.

BUT make it on the slightly tighter version of realistic, to push yourself.

If your item was “write a book”, and you know you are already busy, then the deadline won’t be tomorrow, or next week or even by next month. 6 months might be reasonable… but why not push yourself and set the deadline for 5 months, or even 4.

Today I want you to commit.

Tell me, what are you setting a deadline for? By which date will that thing be ready by?

Type into the comments down below 🙂

Want an extra challenge… go through your to-do list and set deadlines for all of the big tasks that you know won’t get done today.