Summary

The article discusses strategies for managing procrastination and enhancing productivity by creating artificial pressure to complete tasks efficiently, emphasizing the importance of leveraging one's most energetic hours for high-priority work.

Abstract

The article "How to Build Fake Pressure to Crush a Tight Deadline" by Sanjeev explores the common tendency to procrastinate and the subsequent rush to meet deadlines, advocating for a system of self-imposed pressure to improve work quality and timeliness. It reflects on the author's personal experience with punctuality instilled during childhood, where early school arrival set a precedent for later life. The author emphasizes the importance of prioritizing important tasks and not relying on the adrenaline of looming deadlines to fuel creativity. Strategies include setting a fake deadline before the actual one to allow for buffer time, identifying and utilizing one's peak energy periods, and rewarding oneself for meeting these self-imposed deadlines. The article is part of a series documenting the author's 100-days streak of productivity and self-improvement.

Opinions

The author believes that creativity does not thrive under the stress of tight deadlines and that better work is produced when tasks are tackled proactively.
The article suggests that personal discipline, such as arriving early at school, can translate into professional habits that enhance productivity.
It is the author's opinion that setting a reward for completing work by a self-imposed deadline can serve as a strong motivator.
The author asserts that aligning work with one's circadian rhythm and identifying personal "power hours" can significantly boost productivity.
The author reflects on their childhood upbringing as a contributing factor to their work ethic, highlighting the role of family in shaping habits.
The article promotes the idea of using artificial pressure as a tool to manage time effectively and to avoid the regret associated with last-minute work.

How to Build Fake Pressure to Crush a Tight Deadline

It is a misconception when we say to ourselves, “We have a lot of time”. And when we are finally near the deadline, we find our way to work under pressure. There are a lot of ways to handle this procrastination. Based on the importance level of the present work, you will practice different kinds of approaches.

We need to understand the relevance of prioritising important work in the present because creativity doesn’t fly under the gun.

You can choose to postpone the task at hand for the last minute, but one thought will always stick in your head, which can even persist depending on how terrible feedback your project submission receives. You will almost always end up thinking, “If I had started earlier, I would have done better. Better than this satisfactory shit I delivered. It makes sense but could have been a lot better if I were attentive earlier.”

The brain programming from childhood

If the school started at 7:20 AM, I reached there by 7:10 AM or earlier if possible. On top of it, I did not have a self-motivated reason to do so. Let’s face it; I was a procrastinator since childhood because of the tremendous support and guidance I received from my family in every area. I became dependent on them because I was the youngest. I received the utmost care because I was the most sensitive one.

My father used to drop me to school every day. And I mean every single day, 10 or 20 minutes earlier than the scheduled school timing. He did not depend on the school bus or any other commute because if they are late even for just one day, his anger trumped everything and scared the shit out of them.

I had 100% attendance since I became competent in academics. The only time (max two days in an academic year) I skipped school was during the second half of October when there is a climate change, and you become sick when you underestimate the winter chill. I even remember the day. It was around 18 October every year. I am sorry, I can’t help it. I trust my strong contextual memory! 😂

Remember when you wander in two-piece just for the fun of the cool breeze and the next day your eyes burn because of the cold? Yes, if you fuck with nature, then you better pay for the consequences.

Even then, if my legs were working and I could move, I went to school anyways.

Following the same system in the professional life

If you have done it once, then you know how relaxed it feels to finish quality work before the deadline. We realise how much time we have to spare for the less essential tasks.

In my full-time job also, I had to finish the given day’s task before 6:30 PM, and I could leave earlier if I finished around 6 PM. But not before that. That would be too much freedom my boss thought I would take for granted.

That’s where I build a fake pressure in my head to seize the day.

During the initial days of joining, I used to set a buffer of a few hours to finish the work and relax for the rest of the day. Like, if I have time till 6:30 PM, I would finish before 4 PM or even earlier by getting into the flow state when I am most energetic.

Sadly, since I was not following my body’s circadian rhythm, it was not sustainable in the long term. I didn’t know what time of the day I was most energetic before I mastered my sleep schedule by sticking to a morning routine. Becoming a morning person is the best lifestyle change I have done so far.

Finish the most important work in your power hours

I set up lunchtime as the fake pressure. However difficult the task was, I worked strategically to finish before noon. I set a reward for completing the work before lunch.

Rewards are subjective depending on what triggers your creativity muscles. In my case, finishing everything before lunch to have a tasty meal was motivating enough.

Since I became a morning person, I set the initial work hours as the power hours to reach the flow state once a day for maximum productivity.

If you can set a reward that you will feel immediately after finishing the work, you will have a strong reason to race with time. You will even have a lot of time to experiment with new ideas that will add a unique touch to your project!

This article belongs to a set of posts I am publishing in this 100-days streak. Navigate to the end of the article 22 for the references from day 23 onwards. If you would like to read the ones before day 22, here is the first one that documents them in the end.

~Sanjeev