Deadlines are often BS!

Do you know the origin of the word “deadline”?

Historically, it was a line drawn around a prison beyond which prisoners were liable to be shot.

These days it’s just “the latest time or date by which something should be completed.”

Even though, in the modern world, missing a deadline does not ultimately lead to your death, sometimes we behave as if it may.

We rush to get things done as if our life depended on it.

And what’s worse, often these deadlines are imaginary cut off periods that we impose upon ourselves (and our teams and families), right before any time we are about to take a break.

Christmas next week? Let’s finish the book, implement a new marketing strategy, get a towbar for the car, deep clean the house.

Let’s cause as much pain to ourselves and those around us, shall we?

Now how do I know this, pray tell...

Well, I do it. Every. Single. Time. Any time I am taking a break from my current routine for travel or holidays, all of a sudden I have a list I can’t possibly complete and it bloody stresses me. (And I let people add to my list of course, don’t I?!)

Well, you know what? It’s not life or death. It’s still going to be here when I get back from my

Christmas break so some of it can be left for now…

I am going to get the towbar (so I can put the bike rack on for adventures), but the new business strategy and the pristine house can wait.

Targets and deadlines can be helpful to make things happen but don’t stress yourself doing the things that can be done in the new year.

Here’s to taking some sh*t off your list!