4/27/10
Fooling Myself in Hopes of Doing a Better Job
Like others, I have traditionally used deadlines for motivation to finish a project. As I’ve grown older, though, I have found that waiting till the last minute does not always produce the best results. So what I’ll do, sometimes, is impose an “artificial” deadline earlier than the real one. This way, I still have time to make more revisions between my self-imposed deadline and the real one. Of course, I’m aware that my own deadline is arbitrary and so procrastination is still a very real possibility, but knowing from experience how much better my work will be without the last-minute pressure usually works to keep me focused and motivated.
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6 comments:
I do the same thing. I have to or I'll never get it done...
Yes, Mark, self-imposed deadlines are helpful, too, especially if you are a disciplined sort of person. :>)
Yup, I've found this trick helpful as well, Mark. And it's a relief to have that extra time that you hope you won't have to use built into your schedule.
Say, has anyone heard about the Mac Freedom computer program which allows you to turn off your access to Internet for a set period of time? I know several writers who think this is a godsend in helping them meet their deadlines. They aren't tempted to check email or surf the net when they should be writing.
David, that sounds like a deadline of a different kind. I use a program called Phone Freedom that involves taking it off the hook when I'm writing. It works great.
I have heard of Mac Freedom, but have not had to use it yet-- and John-- I use that phone freedom all the time! It really works.
I have a huge calendar (handmade) on my wall with all of my planned deadlines-- it works for me!
I've never been able to trick myself like this, and am finding it harder and harder to be single-minded in working toward a goal. So many distractions these days! I'm usually good about meeting deadlines, but as you can see I've totally missed the last two on this blog--guess it was equivalent to John's Phone Freedom plan.
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