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Three Simple Rules For Managing Deadlines
Urgency Bias
When we are facing multiple deadlines, we often tend to focus on the tasks in front of us rather than the ones that seem far off, regardless of how important they might be.
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Procrastination Paradox
This is similar to Parkinson’s Law, which states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”
We often procrastinate if we do not set deadlines, especially if the expectations of difficulty and importance are unclear.
Urgency Bias
When we are facing multiple deadlines, we often tend to focus on the tasks in front of us rather than the ones that seem far off, regardless of how important they might be.
Planning Fallacy
Self-Imposed Vs External
Prioritize deadlines
Prioritize your projects based on importance first, and your employees will use Parkinson’s Law and urgency bias to their best advantage.
If a project has low importance, set it a bit farther out.
Communicate consequences and payoffs
Mention the impact and positive results of completing the assignment. Employees will have more meaning and purpose to overcome procrastination.
Cultivate trust
Employees will be more motivated into staying on top of deadlines if managers set a good example by being consistent, supportive and trustworthy.
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Start right away
We get so caught up in researching and thinking about a project that the anxiety to create something great can build up.
Start immediately. You can even make small amounts of progress e...
Focus
If you have a few projects at a time, focus on one. Work with intense focus. Do not allow distractions.
When you feel your motivation slows down, switch to another project.
Prioritize
Determine the urgency of your tasks to figure out which requires priority.
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Set multiple deadlines
A way to create less stressful deadlines is to break large projects into smaller tasks. Set a deadline for each task instead of just one final deadline.
Regularly spacing the deadlin...
Yerkes-Dodson law
The Yerkes-Dodson law states that the more mental arousal there is in doing a task, the more efficient a person becomes. After you get to a certain threshold, your performance begins to decrease.
An appropriate quantity of stress should inspire increased productivity.
Your ideal stress level
Difficult tasks require low levels of stress, while easy tasks require high levels of stress to trigger mental arousal.
The next time you set a deadline, try placing a rush deadline for easier tasks and set your deadline far out for more difficult projects.
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“Time management is not a peripheral activity or skill. It is the core skill upon which everything else in life de..."
Brian Tracy
Work Around Your Energy Levels
Productivity is directly related to your energy level.
Find your most productive hours — the time of your peak energy — and schedule Deep Work for those periods. Do low-value and low-energy tasks (also known as shallow work), such as responding to emails or unimportant meetings, in between those hours.
Plan Your Day the Night Before
Before going to bed, spend 5 minutes writing your to-do list for the next day. These tasks should help you move towards your professional and personal goals.
You’ll be better prepared mentally for the challenges ahead before waking up and there won’t be any room for procrastination in the morning. As a result, you’ll work faster and smoother than ever before.
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