Among the many strategies to help get creative projects done, deadlines rule. I love setting deadlines to complete my books and projects.
And, I nearly always miss my deadlines. But that doesn’t mean they’re not working – I’m just using them differently.
Deadlines aren’t just about meeting a goal by a certain date. Deadlines are a chastity belt for your wandering creative lust – keeping you focused.
But sometimes our deadlines can turn against us, applying too much pressure and choking our creativity instead of serving it. If you find yourself feeling too much pressure or avoiding the work, your deadline may be killing you.
Use your deadline as a way to focus rather than a whipping stick. Let your due date help you make choices that guide you toward completion. If the deadline’s choking you, back off on the pressure. Don’t decrease your workload or focus and don’t extend the date. Just keep going.
When you miss the deadline, just set another. Don’t make up stories about your integrity or your ability to write. Learn from it, and keep going.
How about you? How do you use deadlines? Do you always meet them and if not, what do you do when you don’t?
You know missing a deadline doesn’t mean you’re a dullard. Just another atom in the creative ignorosphere. This is part of my Creative Ignorosphere series, published here on the Original Impulse blog. Spread the word and help your friends out of the ignorosphere! #creativeignorosphere
deadlines
Not Getting Things Done? Enter the Deadline Zone
Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a focused space in which to write your book or finish your project? You often yearn for that far-off creative zone, an idyllic escape where you can focus on your work without daily distractions, tempting dates with friends and other seductive projects.
A mountain getaway would surely help you stay focused on one project. You may even replace Julie Andrews with an image of yourself, singing blissfully to the sky because you’re so tuned into the creative flow!
Sigh. Maybe you can’t escape your daily grind, but you can create what I call The Deadline Zone. This is less a place than a practice – and your ability to shut off distractions to complete projects is a key factor in your success.
Something about the word ‘deadline’ strikes fear in the hearts of many. Most people understand the urgency and focus of a deadline. [Read more…] about Not Getting Things Done? Enter the Deadline Zone