Planning softens deadline anxiety

Sometimes dreaded, sometimes anticipated with pleasure, deadlines are part of our daily lives.

For procrastinators, deadlines mean rush and stress. But even for the careful planner, daily deadlines can step up the adrenaline, make the heart beat faster and drain energy. Still, we couldn’t function without them.

The following suggestions may help us deal with these time reminders that we have to live with.

• If you receive a deadline, don’t panic and build up stress. Analyze the request.

• Try to view the deadlines as a challenge. That should start the creative juices flowing. Will it be possible for me to meet this deadline? Is this an opportunity for me to show what I can accomplish? Is this a way to demonstrate my leadership ability, my organizational skills? Can I do it?

• Let the deadline giver know you are going to make every effort to meet the time frame given. Immediately map out a plan and set your priorities.

• If deadlines are assigned on a regular basis, begin to look for patterns in these requests, set time aside so these requests can be relabeled and considered anticipated parts of the daily schedule. In other words, rearrange your day or week to make time for these requests.

• If the deadline concerns an unplanned, emergency situation, let the giver know you can accept some deadlines of this type, but not always. Being assertive about time is not being assertive or hostile, it means you are an organized person and cannot always adjust time factors without seriously affecting other responsibilities. Of course to deal with deadlines given you, you will have to set your own deadlines. These will either coincide or change the deadlines you already have both in your personal life and in your work.

The following suggestions may help you juggle your time schedule for more effective time management.

• In setting a deadline, evaluate each situation in terms of its true need to be a deadline. Must this task be completed or ready at an exact time? Would the end result be the same if I worked on this at another time? Do I have to have that appointment on that particular day? Would it change anything if I deferred this decision? Don’t set so many deadlines for yourself that deadlines begin to lose their meaning. An overload sometimes means overkill.

• Try to set deadlines for only the important things. Sometimes the less important things take care of themselves. Reevaluate your work and personal goals so you can get a look at the big picture. What is important to you, your family, your professional growth? Broad goals need a less definite deadline. Save the deadlines for specific time frames. Again, take a look at the outcome you want. Are you over labeling situations as needing a deadline because of your own lack of organization, procrastination or your time urgent manner?

• Be considerate of others. Your deadline may play havoc with their time management. If it isn’t a true deadline, let them know that your request isn’t urgent, that you can negotiate. Cooperation and mutual planning will work.

Copyright c 1990 Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D.