Deadlines hovering over you can be stressful. Deadlines keep nagging you and occupy most of your energy and time just wondering how or if you will be able to complete it on time. Office deadlines, college deadlines, or any work deadlines can be pressurizing if you don’t know how to manage them well. It can be difficult to manage deadlines if you are overthinking a lot. So, firstly make sure you are in a positive state of mind and you are willing to do the work. Next, the most important step you have to take in order to never miss a deadline again is time management. Manage your time, tasks, and people accordingly so that you have an entire plan laid out in front of you and there is no chaos. Tips to manage and not miss deadlines: Break down your project into small units- When you are working on a big project, you may feel loaded with work. Try to break down that project into units that you can manage. Don’t take too much pressure all at once. Work on small pieces one by one and take smaller steps. This way you will be capable to fulfill your goals and deadlines easily. Break down your entire work into smaller tasks that you can manage more easily. Focus on WHEN instead of WHAT- Instead of focusing on what you have to do, focus on how much time you have to do the particular work. If you keep focusing on the WHAT factor, you will miss out on a lot of your time. The best way to manage the deadlines is seeing how much time you have and then assigning yourself the tasks according to that given period of time in your hand. Do not overcommit- If you have been given a deadline, understand your abilities and only take up as much work you are capable of doing in that particular time period. If you overcommit in order to impress your seniors, you may end up creating a mess and ruining your entire reputation. Do not overdo anything. Always have a backup plan- Emergencies come unexpectedly. Have a plan B ready alongside you all the time. If you think you are going to miss out on a deadline or you will not be able to complete the assigned task within the given time frame, then use your plan B. Your plan should be logical and practical. Don’t make useless plans. They might ruin your entire work. Rely on your calendar- Nowadays, everyone has a calendar on their smartphones. Use it smartly. Set reminders on your calendar regarding your deadlines. These reminders and alarms will keep reminding you how close you are to achieving your given deadline or when you have to buckle up or if you have the time to slow down a bit. Your calendar can be very useful if put to good use. Whenever you get a deadline, immediately add it to your calendar. Review it daily and keep updating it. Know when to ask for help- If you think you are not being able to do your work and your deadline is close, be sure to ask for help. Approaching for help will not do you any harm. It will only make your work easier. If it is possible, you can also delegate your work and this way you can meet your deadline on time. Maybe someone else can do that particular task much faster than you can. So, delegate smartly. Don’t take too much pressure- A little pressure is good to keep you moving, but too much pressure can lead to stress. If you are stressed, you will not be in the right frame of mind and you may end up missing your deadlines and will get no work done at all, even if you have all the time in the world. It is extremely important that you work with a sane mind so that you achieve your tasks and finish them before the deadline expires. Be realistic- Don’t be illogical when it comes to planning out your tasks to meet a particular deadline. Be practical and make realistic plans and schedules which are possible to follow and if you are capable of sticking to them. There is no point in investing your time into something you cannot achieve. Make a real plan- Planning is very important in order to meet any kind of deadline. If you have a plan in hand, you will know when and what you are going to be doing. So, before working on any deadline that is given to you, make sure you have a good schedule and a to-do list in front of you and you can follow it smartly to achieve your goals. Deadlines can both intimidate you as well as motivate you. You need to give in your best in order to meet your deadlines by completing the assigned task in a set time frame. Take your deadlines very seriously as missing a deadline could spoil your reputation and ruin your image. People could doubt your abilities. Give a good thought to all of your deadlines and see what you can do to meet them on time. Your work speaks for you. How you work and the time you take to complete a particular work is very important. Learning how to manage deadlines will only help you in your career to move forward. Even though deadlines can be a bit tricky, you should know the hack and work on it accordingly. Also Read: Why you should master the art of time management
