3 Steps to Meeting Deadlines

Even the word is foreboding. Deadline. Break it down: Dead. Line. It conjures up all sorts of bad imagery—as though we’re queuing up for our own demise. Is it any wonder we stress over deadlines?
Let’s look first at the cause of deadline stress. It’s being late. No one wants a project to run behind and risk missing the deadline. It means cramming more effort into less and less remaining time. It means people get upset. It causes people to lose sleep. It’s just no fun.
The key is to a follow a simple three-step formula:
1. Identify the biggest, most important tasks first
2. Assign tasks and chart the schedule
3. Monitor progress
It may take a little time to get used to, but stick with it. Develop it as part of your daily practice and you’ll take a lot of stress out of your life.