No matter the job, every project has a deadline. For some, this calls for planning ahead. For others, procrastination ensues.
Do you often find yourself working like the latter? Are you sick of being a procrastinator? It’s time to make a few changes that will have a lasting impact to ensure that you meet your deadlines.
Breaking It Down
So it’s a Monday, you’ve got a new project to work on, and you dive right in. Well, there’s your first mistake.
Even if you are confident in what you want to develop, it’s always best to break down the project. Breaking down a bigger project into smaller tasks will give you more clarity as to what exactly needs to be done.
Now that you have your step-by-step plan on how to get the project done, it’s time to give those new tasks a deadline.
Yes, we know—this probably sounds like a lot. But setting a due date for each task makes it easier to track your progress and is a simple way to make sure that you will complete the entire project on time. Better yet! As you finish each task, you can communicate with your client about when they should be expecting the next one.
Learning as You Go
It’s important to treat each new project as a new learning experience. Sure, you might have finished your last project with tons of extra time, but this doesn’t mean that you’ll never find yourself cramming to finish the next. With this, be sure to avoid over commitment. Don’t be afraid to say no to a project if you don’t think that you can finish it in time.
Staying up hours past midnight to finish a project is not fun for anyone. If you do ever find yourself in this situation, remember to learn from your mistakes. Accept that you committed to too much work and make an effort to set realistic goals for yourself next time around; this will have a bigger impact on your workload than you might think!
Meeting deadlines is hard, so we’re here to help. Creative Spot is a full-service marketing and advertising agency in Columbus, Ohio. If you would like to learn more about how we can help your organization finish work more efficiently, please contact us.