4 Set deadlines, even if they’re arbitrary.

4 Set deadlines, even if they’re arbitrary.

Beyond the tried-and-true axiom that work expands to fill the time allotted for it, this one is especially helpful when you’re part of a team and need one person’s work to finish before a colleague can incorporate it into their next step. Feeling like part of a well-oiled machine can inspire your coworkers, and it helps to bypass the grating hurry-up-and-wait feeling that saps motivation.