Why do we need deadlines when we’re setting goals? How important are
they and what do we need to know about them? Here are five key tips to
help you get deadlines into perspective.
Tip #1. Every major
goal needs a deadline. Why? Because if you don’t know when you need to
get to your goal, then how do you know how long to spend on each step?
A time plan is just as important as an action plan.
Tip #2.
Every step along the way needs its own deadline. If you are breaking
your major goals down into chunks, or action steps; and you should be;
then each one of those steps needs its own time limit, so that you know
exactly how long to spend on it.
Tip #3.
Deadlines must be realistic. Goal setters tend to fall into two types;
stretchers and plodders. The stretchers are the ones constantly pushing
themselves to do better, do more, go faster. Stretchers tend to set
very tight deadlines that put them under pressure. This gives them
satisfaction because they are always competing against themselves.
Plodders
take the slow and steady approach and set long deadlines that they know
they can hit. They don’t thrive on pressure; they would rather be sure
of success.
Whichever type you are all you need to do is make
sure that your deadline takes into account your abilities, your
available time and all the other things you need to do in your life.
Don’t aim to write your novel by the end of the week, if you have to
spend 12 hours a day looking after your young children. Be realistic.
Tip
#4. Be tough on your small deadlines, but more flexible on your big
ones. In many ways, hitting the time targets on your individual action
steps is more important than hitting the deadline on your major goal.
Here’s why.
If you are too laid back about getting each action
done, you start to get laid back about the whole plan and before you
know it, you’ll be making excuses, getting distracted and watching your
great dream fade into the distance. If you allow every action step to
overrun, then the final deadline will be massively extended and might
never happen.
Push yourself to meet your short term aims and
you’ll be amazed at how much more satisfaction, self esteem and extra
motivation you’ll gain each time you cross off a step along the way.
Tip
#5. Be prepared to move the final deadline. If you can be disciplined
about the little time goals, then don’t worry too much if the major
deadline is a little late. It can be tough at the outset to accurately
predict how long your big goals will take. You can’t foresee every
setback or change of plan. Missing a major deadline is not a failure,
provided you have consistently taken action since day one and provided
you still have your goal in sight.
Keep doing what you’re doing.
You’ll be there real soon and never forget that wherever you are now,
you’ve come a huge distance from where you started.
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