I
think deadlines are the one thing every adult alive has in common with
each other. At some point or another, we have to deal with them. Some of
us embrace our deadlines. Others run away, find a corner, and curl into
a little ball, weeping at its approach, all the while fearing the
consequences of missing it. Some of us sit off to the side, watching it
zip by our heads, joining the pile of other missed deadlines, numb to
the fact that yet another one has flown by.
I
deal with deadlines on a daily basis. When I’m not novel writing, I
work as a freelance developmental editor. My clients expect me to get my
work done so they can get their work done. Sometimes, all I want to do
is run away from an encroaching deadline and weep. Most of the time, I
stare it in the eye and face it with all of the determination I can
muster. And yes, there are times I watch it zip by my head and shrug it
off because there was just nothing I could do about it.
So,
how do I deal with deadlines and stay sane? There are days where I’m
convinced I don’t deal with them and stay sane. The simple truth is that
once a deadline approaches, I have to sometimes go to extreme measures
to get it done. Sanity is optional. So is sleep. Sometimes, so is
eating. When it takes a certain amount of time to get things done, that
amount of time isn’t going to change just because the deadline
approaches.
Procrastination is not your friend.
The
first tip to succeeding at deadlines is to learn not to procrastinate.
It won’t help you. Spending an hour a day on a project is much easier
than trying to cram 20 hours of work in a 24 hour day. I’ve done days
like that, and they’re hard. They hurt. They can often be avoided. If I
goof off instead of work, I only have myself to blame when the deadline
comes up and I’m running out of precious time.
Procrastination
is a habit, and it is one that can be beaten. But, if you have to
procrastinate, do things that are useful. You aren’t writing? Clean your
house. Don’t want to clean your house? Well, consider writing instead.
I’ve beaten many a deadline by procrastinating on other projects. It’s a vicious circle of productivity if you learn to harness procrastination as a benefit instead of a disadvantage.
Plan your Time
Planning
your time is a great way to avoid the worst of the edge of a deadline.
The longer the deadline, the more the buffer you should give yourself.
If you have a project you anticipate taking you three months, plan your
time to finish three weeks early. That should give you enough time to
address any of the problems and hiccups that will happen in a project of that scale.
I
recommend a week of buffer time for every month of time you’re
investing in a project. Then, if you need a day off, you can take one.
Understand your Limitations
We
all have limitations. Some of us can’t work more than an hour or two on
a project at a time. Some of us like working one long day a week on a
project. Understand how you work best, and understand your limitations.
That way, when you’re planning your time and estimating the project, you
can be realistic about how you’ll accomplish it.
Rise to the Challenge
When
you go into a project, have the attitude of being challenged. Have an
attitude that lets you strive to do better and reach your deadline. Have
the attitude that you want to
accomplish your goal. Some people say mind over matter is a cliché, but
it really does make a huge difference. Your perception of your
deadlines makes a big difference on your ability to accomplish your
goals.
Have a Little Fun with it
The last thing I’ll leave you with is the idea that accomplishing goals and meeting deadlines can be fun and rewarding. Find
a friend who will challenge you. Find a friend who also has deadlines
to cope with. Tie your deadlines to a small reward, be it a handcrafted
present or a prized journal. Sure, it’s a reward system, but when you
and your friends do it together, it’s a lot of fun, too.
One
of my friends bribes me with a journal if I have a particularly crazy
month full of deadlines. If I accomplish everything I need to do, I get a
reward. There is that little extra of a reward at the end of it, which
makes me work harder to get it done.
Have fun with your work whenever you can. It makes beating deadlines a lot easier.
Kalen’s
throne is his saddle, his crown is the dirt on his brow, and his right
to rule is sealed in the blood that stains his hand. Few know the truth
about the one-armed Rift King, and he prefers it that way. When people
get too close to him, they either betray him or die. The Rift he rules
cares nothing for the weak. More often than not, even the strong fail to
survive.
When
he’s abducted, his disappearance threatens to destroy his home, his
people, and start a hopeless and bloody war. There are many who desire
his death, and few who hope for his survival. With peace in the Six
Kingdoms quickly crumbling, it falls on him to try to stop the conflict
swiftly taking the entire continent by storm.
But
something even more terrifying than the machinations of men has
returned to the lands: The skreed. They haven’t been seen for a thousand
years, and even the true power of the Rift King might not be enough to
save his people — and the world — from destruction.
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Genre - Fantasy
Rating – PG - 13
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