With word from my publisher, Morgan James, that advance copies of my latest NEW book, Trailblazers: Leadership Lessons from 12 Pioneers Who Beat the Odds & Influenced Millions, will arrive next week, I thought…Finally! We get to see the new book in its finished form. A series of deadlines over the last 12-months have been set and hit to make the book and June 5th eBook launch a reality. This story will serve as the Genesis for my thoughts on why deadlines are essential to success in ALL aspects of life.
There’s an adage that if there were no deadlines, nothing would get done. I believe this to be true. The story I just shared proves it. I can also say that without a doubt, that two other key ingredients are essential to hitting deadlines and achieving more in your life.
#1. The ability to fend off procrastination.
Let’s face it, we’re all busy. However, the one thing we can control is how we allocate our time. For example, many people often ask me how I find time to write and do it under deadline. My answer isn’t sexy, but here it is: I make it a priority to write regardless of what’s going on around me. I could be traveling, tired, have a day packed full of appointments, but come hell or high water the writing must and will get done.
I will say it’s gotten easier over the years, but I still find on occasion the temptation to procrastinate can be great but despite this, I still press on and get it done.
#2. Avoiding excuses.
When something becomes a priority and you assign a deadline to it, the magic power of momentum begins to kick in and work to your advantage. A sense of urgency is what makes humans push onward.
For example, one of my favorite strategies when working with authors to help assist them in breaking through to finish off their book, is to instruct them to tell ten people when they plan to have it done. Once they do this, something interesting happens. Not only are they now more motivated, but many of the ten people they spoke with the next few weeks and months often start asking how the book’s coming along. This positive peer pressure, many times inspires them to press on and get the work done when they don’t feel like doing it.
Bonus tip: Having great people around you is also the key to hitting deadlines. It would be a travesty if I didn’t mention and thank my friend and business associate Paul Guyon for his efforts and guidance the last few years. He’s not only a smart guy, but he also acts as a great motivator to keep me in line. His nickname is TMP (Task Master Paul) and he certainly lives up to the title!
So, in conclusion, I encourage you to monitor your daily progress in relation to your goals and dreams and to also utilize these tips to unleash the power of deadlines to achieve more in ALL aspects of life!
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