Graphics: S. Heramb
That moment in our life, when the brow is decorated with sweat beads, our heart starts thumping and mouth goes dry. This is the moment when we are struggling to meet a given deadline.
Why are we afraid of meeting deadlines?
What makes us flee from accepting the responsibility to work within deadlines?
Can we use these dreaded deadlines to our benefit? Let us find out!
Why do we associate deadlines with fear, worry, procrastination and sleepless nights?
Is that all there is about deadlines?
It doesn’t seem so. Here are a few things, I felt, which are often unnoticed about deadlines.
1) Change: Nothing lasts forever, even if many things seem timeless. Do we hold onto tasks, leaving them incomplete, just because they are going to be replaced by another?
2) Intensity: Remember that a candle glows the brightest when it is about to go off. Give your best within the given time. It is about giving your whole to the work in hand. We are never going to get all the time in the world to achieve what we desire.
3) Novelty: Would you continue doing the same thing, time and again, even if it made you feel good? Right from childhood one grows tired of repetitive work. Even if it is the most expensive toy, the desire for a new toy never ends. Even as adults only the objects we desire change. A life-size car replaces a toy car. We find joy in discovering new opportunities, seeking new vistas. Deadlines are another name for this chance of getting acquainted with new things.
That being said, if some might find deadlines a better excuse for hopping over responsibilities, then this would be a distorted comprehension of deadlines.
I hope this post sheds some new light on our understanding of deadlines and why they exist.
Did I miss out something? Then share your thoughts with us.
We are eager to hear from you.
