Deadlines are often perceived negatively. They can induce high levels of stress and anxiety, especially when tasks are complex, or time is limited. The pressure to meet deadlines can lead to burnout, reduced quality of work, and even health issues!
But, what if your deadlines did not evoke chaos? What if you could systemize your work and manage tasks with confidence and ease, turning pressure into productivity?
With these unique tips and tricks, the weight of deadline management can be easily lifted off your shoulders.
1- Let Go of Perfectionism in Non-Essentials
While it’s important to execute your work accurately and to the best of your ability, avoid letting the pursuit of perfection in nonessential areas, such as graphics in a data report, hinder your progress. Perfection paralysis is a common cause for procrastination, often driven by a fear of not meeting expectations which could cause you to miss your deadlines. Instead, focus on the core necessities of your project, rather than self-imposed standards of what is critical. Don’t hesitate to share multiple drafts for feedback. If trusted colleagues or supervisors commend your work, trust their judgment and confidently submit your final piece!
“Learn how to separate the majors and the minors. A lot of people don’t do well simply because they major in minor things.”
Jim Rohn, American Entrepreneur, Author, and Motivational Speaker.
2- Create extra deadlines
A great approach to organisation would be to break the task into micro-tasks. This would be multiple micro-tasks with their own target dates ahead of the final deadline. This will also allow you to delegate or share your project objectives with a colleague who could help with subtasks or simply provide encouragement and monitor your progress.
“Those who work hard, work alone. Those who work smart, work as a team.”
Utibe Samuel Mbom, Coach, Philanthropist, Counselling Psychologist.
3- Reclaim your lunchbreak!
Even if faced with heavy deadlines, stepping away from your desk reaps benefits. Taking a walk through a change of scenery or enjoying the outdoors makes your work better. You’ll not only bounce back with more creative ideas, but your clear mind will find ways to simplify solutions and alternate ways of thinking about your work.
“In this game, everyone needs a break to refuel, recharge, and jump back in full throttle.”
Helen Edwards, author.
4- Reward Yourself
Positive reinforcement transforms pressure into motivation by turning work sessions into focused sprints. Embrace a personal reward system, like indulging in an activity you love after completing a task. Studies show that rewarding yourself when you do things correctly rather than criticising yourself when doing the opposite, proves most effective. This system will keeps you focused, motivated, and consistently moving forward towards your deadline!
“The rewards system is a powerful driver of behaviour and therefore culture.”
Lou Gerstner, Former chief executive officer of IBM.
5- Reverse your schedule
Create a workback schedule:
This is a time-line that outlines all the tasks required to meet a project deadline by identifying task completion from end to beginning rather than from beginning to end. This is a great way of knowing wen taking on a project exactly what you must do to reach your deadline, not leaving room for the surprise of extra workload.
Recommended Work Schedule Tools:
“For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earnt.”
Benjamin Franklyn, Founding Father of the United States.
6- Use Automation
Automation reduces workplace stress by streamlining repetitive tasks, enhancing efficiency, and minimizing errors, allowing you to focus on high-value work while staying on track.
Here At E-Tabs, we’re here to help you hit every deadline with confidence!
We offer various report automation solutions that make reporting seamless. Instead of spending days manually reporting your findings, meet deadlines stress-free with our automated system taking only minutes with 100% accuracy!
“E-Tabs enabled us to deliver the final product stress-free and in a fraction of the time.”
Jenna Allen, Research Director, DJS Research.
Learn more about E-Tab’s Report Automation solution below.