These days, people hardly beat deadlines. They ask for extra time, an extra week, or an extra month to turn in what they have been asked to do. The rate at which people fail to beat deadlines, from simple submission of term papers in school to a more complex completion of a project is quite alarming.
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Lack of urgency is the reason why many of us fail to beat deadlines. The rate of unproductivity has quadrupled since the millennium. People find themselves falling behind deadlines without knowing why. Some have blamed their lack of finishing a job before the deadline on
procrastination. In this article, we are going to learn how to beat deadlines in five simple ways.
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Set An Earlier Deadline Within The Given Deadline
This has been one of my favourite ways to beat every deadline I’ve faced. You’ve been given a job and you’re expected to turn it in in two weeks, that is fourteen days from now, you can choose to finish the job on time by setting your deadline, let say a promise to finish the job in the next ten days. When you have your deadline within the official deadline, you tend to have a laser focus on finishing the project on time.
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Set A Reward System
I usually tell myself if I don’t finish my project, I won’t watch my favourite movie, but I do, I would treat myself to a nice time. So, in winning over the deadline, look forward to rewarding yourself at each project completed before the deadline. This hack works like magic. So you can say to yourself, if I get to submit my term paper before the deadline, I am going to take myself out on a dinner.
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Let The Consequences Of Failure Be Your Drive
Whether in private or professional life, there are consequences of failure. Knowing full well that failure to submit my project before or on the scheduled date will lead to a demotion, a carryover, and worse still, a job loss. The feeling that comes with the consequences is usually painful and disappointing. Rather than procrastinate to failure, I should pay the sacrifice by staying up all night to get the job done ahead of the deadline.
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Let Others Hold You Accountable
It is advisable to tell others about your deadlines. You tell your spouse, partner, parents, and friends about it. The goal is not just to tell them, but to have them remind you and hold you accountable. In my case, my father does well to remind me of my deadlines. This has a way of keeping us on our toes as parents or partners will constantly bug you to get your job done before the deadline.
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Get Started Immediately The Deadline Is Given
Commencing your project as soon as the deadline is given can be very helpful because it kills off procrastination. Even when you feel like relaxing midway, you rest assured that you have a significant amount of the job done.
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Prepare Ahead Of The Next Deadline
Some deadlines are routinely given. For example, if you are applying for a scholarship, you can know when the next opening and closing date will be. Therefore, prepare your essays ahead of the next opening and closing season. In this way, even when a deadline has been given, you can simply skim through your essays and submit them before the deadline.
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This article was first published on 25th October 2021
nnaemeka-emmanuel
Nnaemeka is an academic scholar with a degree in History and International Studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is also a creative writer, content creator, storyteller, and social analyst.
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