When Deadlines Are Looming

You may feel like deadlines are always looming – grading, grant proposals, conference abstracts, promotion documents, article submissions, and the like (and that’s just at work!)?At home you may have a child who is applying to college or a deadline to get your house refinanced (and on and on).?

Deadlines would not be so problematic if you had large open gaps in your calendar and very few items on your to-do list.?But....my guess is that this doesn’t describe you (or most faculty members I know!)?So, here are ten tips I’ve used when I have impending deadlines:

1. On Sundays (because there are fewer interruptions for me), I take a look at the whole week. ?A good look. ?I check appointments, presentations, classes I’m teaching, etc.?I make sure that everything is captured so that I truly know what I’m dealing with.
2. Next, I take a look at what HAS TO BE DONE based on those prior commitments. ?For example, if I’m flying to Michigan to do a workshop at a university, then I have to have all my materials prepared to be able to conduct the workshop. ?That is a non-negotiable since I would find it unacceptable to arrive and not be prepared to teach my workshop.?Calling to cancel an appointment because I’ll be out of town is a non-negotiable since I believe that one should show up if another person is expecting you and not just leave them sitting and wondering.
3. I determine when – specifically – during that week I will be able to finish the non-negotiable-these-have-to-be-done tasks with deadlines.?Then, I schedule that in – because otherwise, it’s too likely that something else will just show up in that space.?You schedule your classes, right??Schedule your deadline-driven work, too.?It makes a difference in whether you get it done and in your peace of mind, as well.
4. If the schedule becomes too scary to look at (which freaks me out), then I start to take a good hard look at what can change.?Note: There is always something that can change. ?It may not be easy or comfortable to change, but it can change.?
5. I make calls, send emails, or have face-to-face conversations about what has to change in order for me to meet my deadline-driven commitments. ?Since I’m doing this thinking and planning on Sunday, I generally start sending emails, leaving voice mails, sending texts, or actually making voice-to-voice contact with people who are answering their phones on a Sunday.?Sooner rather than later is highly preferable and far more likely to help any of us maintain the relationships that are connected to whatever changes are being requested.
6. Then I get busy and focus on ONE of these tasks/projects, knowing that there is no time to fritter away because I have deadlines to meet, which are prioritized and require my best attention.?Often, I realize that if I had just focused earlier (duh), I wouldn’t be up against all these deadlines, but...that’s for another set of Top Tens. ?This focus may start on Sunday or be during the other times I’ve scheduled through the week.?
7. If I get completely fried (or approaching fried) on working on one of the tasks or projects and I realize that I’m starting to lose efficiency and quality, then I either take a quick break or go to work on one of the other non-negotiables for this week.?When I am feeling the heaviness of these impending deadlines, I need to keep moving forward, although I may have to switch between and among more than one key project.?This is not my favorite way to work, to say the least, but it happens – just as I know it happens for you.?
8. When one task, project is complete, I feel the satisfaction and experience the emotion!?Then, I use the momentum to get the next one done.

Note:?A couple more suggestions...

1. When you have multiple non-negotiable tasks, it is OK to work on them in any order.?Most weeks, it is better to work on your most important first, but if you have truly determined what HAS to be done – no matter what – feel free to work on them in any order that fits your energy level.
2. See if you can learn anything from a highly productive week like this (albeit highly stressful) that you can put into practice next week so that you don’t run into this situation again.?Just a thought :)

Although I tend to do this thinking and planning on Sundays, that doesn’t need to be your day, of course!?However, what is important is to carve out certain time each week that is your planning and thinking time for the upcoming week.?It could be Friday evening, Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning… or whenever you know you can consistently set aside a time for YOU.?Monday morning once you hit the week is not the time, based on my experience and that of many others who are experts in productivity.?So, be mindful of this, as well.?

Meggin was a university professor for over 15 years and spent five of those years working with faculty as the founding director of the Excellence in Teaching Program at the University of Nevada, Reno.?Since leaving the full-time academic life, Meggin coaches, writes, consults, and offers workshops for extraordinary people who want to be more productive, thereby being able to consistently keep their emphasis on excellence.?Thus, the name of her company is Emphasis on Excellence, Inc.?Learn more at www.meggin.com .

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