Meeting deadlines is either something you love or hate. The truth is though, having to keep to deadlines is great for both you and your business. I’d even go as far as saying that deadlines are your best friends! Don’t agree with me? Then read on because I’m going to explain why meeting deadlines is great news.

5 Reasons Why Meeting Deadlines is Awesome!

When most people think of a deadline, they think of it as the final thing that needs doing. A date on which something is due or the end of a project: in other words, you get something finished. However, deadlines can also be the start of something, a way of keeping you accountable, and organised. They can help you prioritise, generate pressure for you to do your best work and keep you working when the going gets tough.

Let’s take a look at five specific benefits of meeting deadlines:

1. Motivation – with a long to-do list, it’s easy to put things off and ignore them. Having a deadline motivates you to get something finished by a certain date, to concentrate better on one task and become more focused.
2. Verbalising a commitment – by declaring a deadline, you are telling yourself (and anyone who will listen) that something is important to you. It’s a great way to be accountable and something I make my clients declare!
3. Celebration – a deadline puts a specific date and time on the need to complete something by. This then gives you a specific date and time to celebrate on too. When you know you have to meet a deadline, you feel successful and are able to let loose and celebrate however you please.
4. Provide a challenge – if you like, think of a meeting a deadline as a challenge. It’s something you work towards to exceed not only your own but the expectations of your customers or clients too. It also encourages people to become more creative, to spur innovation and to work faster. Steve Jobs used to set ‘impossible deadlines’ and found that this brought out the highest levels of creativity within his team.
5. Keeps you honest – all too often we want to be everything to everyone. By having known deadlines, we are reluctant to take on work we know we cannot meet by a certain time frame. It’s a great way of keeping you realistic about your strengths and weakness, ensuring that you give your best to what you are focusing on. In fact, deadlines force you to keep your energy and attention on the tasks at hand, which in my opinion is no mean feat!

To Round Up

While it’s true that in meeting deadlines we can try to cut corners or take the easy route out. However, that’s not going to make you feel great or give you a reason to celebrate. Instead what I propose is that you set yourself some achievable and manageable deadlines. Not sure how to do that or want to check that the ones you’ve picked are ok? I’m here to help! Get in touch today, and together we’ll keep you meeting deadlines for both your business and personal lives!