To meet deadlines can be the business owner’s worst nightmare.  On the plus side though, deadlines are your best friend. An essential part of running a successful business, deadlines matter because they:

• Set clear expectations on what we need to deliver and when
• Ensure that we get our work finished
• Help keep our businesses running smoothly

To be successful, you need to meet deadlines, and if you can’t, then that’s a huge lightbulb moment. It’s what I consider great news, and I’m going to explain why.

If It’s Hard to Meet Deadlines, That’s Great News to Hear!

You would have thought that the knowledge that you are finding it challenging to meet deadlines was a bad thing, wouldn’t you? But personally, I think it’s pretty good. That’s because you’re acknowledging things aren’t working for you, and that’s the first step in making them better.

It’s time to stop, reassess and make some plans.

• Stop – what you’re doing to meet your deadlines just isn’t working. It’s important to note that if you keep trying to do it the same way, you’ll continually have problems meeting your deadlines too.
• Reassess – take a good hard look at what you’re doing. Nail down the reasons why it isn’t working for you. It may be that you’re time poor, fear to let go of the reigns or haven’t got any clear processes developed.
• Plan – do some research into other strategies you can use to help you meet deadlines. Make a list of the ones you think would work for you. Try them out. If they work, keep them. If they don’t, put them away. It’s about trial and error here. Remember though that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel – using someone else’s strategies is fine, you don’t need to be 100% original in how you meet your deadlines.

Because I’m a kind and thoughtful business coach, I’m going to share with you some strategies for you to try out to help you meet deadlines.

7 Strategies to Help Make Meeting Deadlines Easier

Everyone has their own unique way of doing things, including me. Choosing which ones work for you is a matter of trial and error, but well worth doing. Here are seven for you to try out:

1. Be clear on what it is you want to achieve and by when
2. Break the job down into smaller chunks
3. Concentrate on the task at hand, not what comes next
4. Seek help straight away when you know you need it
5. Block out the time you’ll need to do the job
6. Identify during what times you work best and utilise those
7. Create a calm and distraction-free workspace

There’s one final strategy I’ve left out and it’s kinda fun. It’s working with me! I’ll make sure you meet your deadlines by providing that gentle kick up the rear end when needed. Send me a message today and let’s get you achieving your deadlines on a regular process!