Deadlined

I don’t know about you, but with all the final papers and exams piling up there are a lot of deadlines that I am needing to meet in the very near future. This blog post couldn’t have been timed any better.  

 

Firstly I want to clarify something, both for you and for me: Deadlines are NOT a bad thing! 

What are some good things about deadlines?

        1. They make you more productive

You simply type faster when you have something that you have to get done by a certain time.

        2. Dividing up your work 

When you have a date by which something must be completed it’s easier to say what you have to get done on what day. Without a deadline you just go about willy nilly.

        3. They make you work every day

As a writer actually writing every day is key to your craft! Practice makes perfect, and the more you string words together and the more stories you create the better you will become at what you do. This applies to everything, from essay writing, to time management, to cooking. Whatever you do, a deadline that keeps you on the ball every day will make you better at what you do.

Now that we can see the benefits of deadlines, how exactly do you tackle them?

        1. Just sit down and do it

I know YouTube is calling your name and someone is texting you and there are just so many other things to do, but the very first thing you must do to meet a deadline is do the work. The only way that will happen is if you sit down and do it!

        2. Find an encouraging friend

We all have those days where we just don’t want to do anything and they seem to become even more abundant when there are actually things that have to be done. The key to those moments is to find someone who will make you do step one, but will also tell you what a good job you are doing. Sometimes just hearing someone tell you that they are proud of you and that you can indeed do what you have set out to do is all you need to get to that finish line.

        3. Know how to determine when you actually need a break

Yeah, sometimes you’ve done enough for one day, even when it isn’t “technically” enough. Sometimes the “to do” list isn’t going to get completed all in one long stretch. When you get totally burned out just take a short break. A ten minute nap, or a thirty minute TV show, or a fifteen minute walk can do wonders to clear your mind and get you back up to working order again. Schedule in that break time!

        4. Write down exactly what you need to do and when you intend to do it

Having a cohesive list gets your mind in the mood to work and helps you to pace yourself.

 
        5. “Work smart, not hard.”

This is my English teacher’s favorite saying. It means that you should do what is most important first and then allow the less important stuff to fall off the back burner. Sometimes that means you need to miss a class to finish an assignment and other times that means the assignment doesn’t get done. It’s important to realize that there are only so many hours in a day and some deadlines just aren’t going to be made. So long as you make the important ones that is all that matters.

Now, I have a deadline for you (and it’s quite important ;))!

You have until the end of today to go read Rani Divine’s post on my blog about Point of View:  www.typewritersjourney.wordpress.com.

Love,

Deanna.