How to never miss a deadline

Not surprisingly a “To do list” ranked right up there considering the dearth of tools available online. Priority lists ranked second and using your ‘Email Inbox’ in close third.

Before going about trying to fix the problem, it’s important to come to terms with the reasons they exist to possibly arrive at a solution.

• Not keen on the task
  • Lacking motivation
  • Procrastination habits
  • Not Delegating
• Multitasking
  • Overbooked
  • Lacking planning
  • Trouble prioritizing
• Personal
  • Lacking rest
  • Perfectionism
  • Multiple distractions

Chances are you can relate to one of the reasons above for missing a deadline; To change the result, you might need to change the narrative itself. Here are three ways to get you across the line.

1. Be passionate about the work you do, it will help you ride the highs and lows of daily life. If you aren’t passionate about the task, find a team member who is and delegate or exchange tasks if possible. It will get done on time and it might even be done better than if you attempted it.
2. Multitasking has been touted for many years as the Holy Grail of task execution. This often leads to a lack of prioritization of tasks while juggling other things. Keeping a list along with a priority and a reason for it often helps in addressing the most important and time bound items first. Reviewing your list at the start of every day ensures what has to be done, gets done.
3. Lacking concentration to complete a task is often a result of rest or a distraction at your workplace. If you can address these key issues (rest / distraction) you are two thirds more likely to complete your task.