After the last few days, I have once again realised the importance of deadlines. These days writers, of any kind, are rarely just writers; they are also parents, career people, committee members, team players, and so on. As such, juggling all the daily responsibilities can add an extra challenge to meeting writing deadlines.

I don’t think my desk can be the only one in the world where ‘that which cries loudest receives attention first’. In fact, some days it feels like I am simply reacting to what is going on around me, rather than planning what needs doing.

To overcome this I have found one simple rule that (usually) works – set your personal deadline for finishing a task a week before the official deadline.

Obviously, not everything allows us a week of ‘buffer-time’. But if you can find it, or even a few extra days, I promise it can definitely lift the pressure. After all, some days even the ability to catch a five minute breather can make all the difference.

Tags: Elizabeth Bezant, goals, writers, writing, writing advice, writing coach, writing deadline, writing tip

Trackback URI | Comments RSS