Jul 26 2005
Deadlines
Here’s one that too many people learn too late – Deadlines are essential.
Without a deadline, your project has no specific priority. I repeat – No Deadline = No Priority.
You may know the priority – it might be blatantly obvious. But without a specific deadline, the priority doesn’t take shape. You cannot carve a distinct path to reaching the goal if you don’t have an idea of when the goal must be achieved.
And don’t even get me started on procrastination. Not setting a deadline is the easiest way to procrastinate yourself right into the unemployment queue.
For a small project, set a final deadline for accomplishments or deliverables. For a large project, set an overall deadline for delivery, but also break down individual tasks into sub-deadlines – this is useful to both keep you on track and chart progress along the way. Also looks good to your client/boss.
