Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/time-levy-deadline-hand-leave-pen-481444/
This week I’ve been feeling the pressure of deadlines. Whether it’s applying for a job, turning in a paper, or even finishing your own to-do list, we all have deadlines. They can be frustrating, stressful, and almost give you a panic attack. I know there were definitely times in school when I’d have nightmares that a paper was actually due the next day and I was going to miss my deadline.
A world without deadlines sounds nice, but in reality, we need deadlines. Or at least I know I do. It’s hard for me to start working on a project if there is no “due date” no “deadline” no ultimate completion date. I hate the stress of deadlines, but I love what they force me to do; start working.
It seems like the only projects I ever finish are the ones that have deadlines. Even the fun projects, like painting, or writing, have to have deadlines or I just won’t finish them. For example, I’ve been working on a novel for years, but it wasn’t till I started forcing deadlines onto myself that I actually made progress. The first deadline I gave myself was to finish the manuscript by November 1st so I could participate in National Novel Writing Month with a sequel to my “finished” first novel. And this goal, or “deadline” got me working. I started writing more and more. I worked so hard that I even finished my first draft before November 1st and had time to start planning my sequel.
But now, I’m in another mode of writing; the editing phase. I wrote about this last week in my blog. Editing requires deadlines just as much as writing does. Well, my deadline is June 30th. I only have a few days left to finish making last minute changes and corrections before I get 5 sample copies of my very first novel printed. It’s exciting, but also nerve wracking. Sometimes I wish I had more time. However, I don’t think more time would actually help in my situation. It would just give me more time to watch Netflix and put off actually finishing my editing.
So even though deadlines sometimes feel like a curse, I think they are actually a blessing in disguise…
So what about you? Do deadlines help you actually start working and stop procrastinating? Or do they just make life more stressful? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.
NovelSisters 
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