Deadlines

Deadlines call our attention to something by prioritizing it and by creating a focus on its completion. Deadlines cut through the noise of the numerous activities that humans have to do each day.

Applications

• Consider if a large project or a process with many steps can be broken down into multiple deadlines.

• If a task is mentally uncomfortable to do (like writing a complicated report), consider adding a deadline that might prevent additional procrastination.

Considerations

A deadline should be meaningful – if it is constantly being pushed back or the individual knows it doesn’t matter, then a deadline might not have an effect.