5 Steps to Beat the ‘Dead’ out of a ‘Deadline’
Deadline is a scary word. The sound of it can make you nervous and get your heart pumping. In this fast-paced world, deadlines have become an integral part of our daily lives. However, in order to make your deadlines not ‘deadly’ here are five steps that I have been using religiously to optimize my performance as a Social Entrepreneur running a mental health platform for three years:
1. Break your Tasks
The first step to get work done is to divide it into parts. It will help you get a sense of understanding of the work, the time that it will take, and the things that it needs to be completed.
How do you eat an elephant? Brian Tracy, author of the book Management Goals says, “one bite at a time”. For instance, if you have set a fitness deadline that states: “I need to work out 5 days a week to lose 9 kgs in 3 months to fit into my wedding dress”; overwhelming right? Try this instead: “I need to work out to lose 3 kgs in a month to fit into my wedding dress.”
2. Prioritize and Time Tasks
The second step is to prioritize each part of the task and allot a time frame for the completion of each part. It’s important to maintain a timeline so that you don’t invest too much time in a task that could’ve been finished earlier. However, don’t be too ambitious; add 20% more time to each task to help you not feel rushed. Muhuri and Shukla stare at the use of ‘fuzzy deadlines’ to cater to the uncertainty with the strict timing of tasks.
3. Take Breaks
The third step is the most crucial one! I often use to find myself facing burnout because I was mesmerized by the “Hustle Culture”, as that is what all entrepreneurs are expected to do. For me it didn’t work out, my body gave up after working endlessly, and then I was in bed for a week straight. That’s when I realized the importance of taking breaks to refresh your mind. A cup of coffee in between breaks or a light chat with a co-worker is a good way to get your creative juices flowing on a daily basis. Take that weekend off, plan a mini getaway with friends and family, or plan a week's vacation if you can. You will return more rejuvenated, active, and happy. Read this Forbes article in 2017 recommends the principle of pulse and pause to get more things done.
4. Cut the clock-checking, set a timer
I find this step to work pretty well for me after step 2 i.e creating a timeline for my task. I switch off my wifi and all other notifications, set up a timer for a particular task, put my phone face down, and then get to work. This alleviates the clock checking pressure as that wastes time and creates unnecessary panic. Cutting clock-checking by 75% is a good habit that helps to focus on the work and cutting out the stress while getting the job done, a double whammy!
5. Take more naps!
Getting a good consistent 7–9 hour sleep every day is extremely important as that is the time where your body recovers and produces all the hormones that are necessary to keep you healthy. However, if you are unable to get that night sleep in, try taking power naps. According to research, power naps help boost brain power and increase your decision-making ability. Remember, even 10–15 minutes of nap can help you feel refreshed and beat that deadline!
These are some basic yet highly effective steps that have helped me maintain my health and be a social enterprise owner of a mental health platform for 3 years now and I hope that it will help you too. Remember, it’s always the simplest things that create the most difference in life!
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