When we set deadlines, we are committed to meeting, our execution improves. Setting deadlines for goals, projects, and specific tasks creates an urgency that keeps us moving forward.
Let’s see how deadlines are working for us currently…. How often do we meet our deadlines? If our answer is “not often” then we likely are viewing deadlines as suggestions.
For deadlines to work in our favor we need to commit to the date we set. The definition of ‘commitment’, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is “a promise or firm decision to do something.”
A commitment also requires us to be thoughtful and intentional when setting the deadline. The deadline that we establish must be realistic. We can begin with when we want this to be completed and then we must consider what needs to happen to meet the proposed deadline.
- What else are we working on?
- Do we need other people to complete this?
- Does this give us a bit of margin for the unexpected?
Based on our analysis of what it will take to meet the deadline we can set a deadline we are committed to meeting.
In summary, considering our deadlines as commitments and refusing to set a deadline that we cannot meet will improve our execution and goal achievement.
