A week after finishing the second draft of Living Legend, I find myself being quite unproductive. Sure, I’ve done a little work on my website, and some bathroom renovation, but I was hoping to write some short stories before November and that just doesn’t seem to be happening.
All of the above has me wondering about the power of a deadline. I had one for Living Legend. I was the only person holding me to that deadline, but it still existed. I don’t really have a deadline for anything on all of October. It’s a ‘let it all hang out’ kind of month.
Time Management Ninja (http://timemanagementninja.com) claims that tight deadlines are the best way to get anything done. If you have a project that you think will take you 5 days, set your deadline for 4. The reason? If a project will realistically take a few months, but it’s given a deadline of 3, the project will somehow take 3 months. If the deadline is for 6 months, it’ll magically take 6 months.
According to the TM Ninja, tight deadlines ignite creativity, reduce wasted time, build confidence and make the impossible possible.
Maybe this is why I haven’t done anything this month. I’ve told myself they’re things I’m going to do in October. Perhaps when this October is winding down, and there are only a few days left, I’ll scramble and finish 3 or even 4 short projects.
