Deadlines are so effective because they make large projects or goals more manageable. Breaking up projects into a series of smaller tasks makes them easier to complete and prevents you from waiting until the last minute to finish your work.
Once you figure out which tasks you need to complete, organize them into steps. Assign deadlines to these steps to ensure everything is completed before the final due date. Next, you can schedule time on your calendar for each step and set time limits to keep yourself on track.
Consider these tips while you set deadlines.
Schedule each step on your calendar. This will prevent you from procrastinating and missing deadlines.
Write down your deadlines. Writing down your goals and how to achieve them helps you analyze your thoughts and turn them into actions. Because it makes your goals feel more concrete, writing them down helps you commit to them.
Figure out the right time limit. If you give yourself an hour to do your homework, you’ll spend an hour on it, but if you give yourself 30 minutes, you can probably get it done faster. That’s why you should set a time limit that pushes you to be as efficient as possible—but don’t make the time limit so short that it’s impossible to reach.
Use a timer. You can use a kitchen timer or an app such as the Free Countdown Timer to keep track of time and prevent you from working too slowly.
Do the difficult parts first. Getting the tougher tasks over with can spur your motivation and make the rest of the project go quickly.
Identify personal roadblocks. If you know you struggle with procrastination, perfectionism, or a lack of focus, decide which steps you’ll take to prevent the issue from getting in your way.
Anticipate mistakes or delays. If you miss a deadline, what will you do? Figure out a plan ahead of time for dealing with problems so you don’t get discouraged if something happens.
Determine your priorities. Start by figuring out which steps are most important and seeing if there are any ways you can save time. If you run out of time, know which parts you can skip or do quickly.
Be creative. Find ways to make setting deadlines fun. Make a chart, create a calendar, or draw a picture to visualize the process of finishing your project.
