Let’s go back a good 15 years-ish… When I was in high school and living my life. I hated tests and hated, even more, to study for them. Subjects I wasn’t naturally good at, like Math or English, would get neglected even more.
It wasn’t until my mid-twenties era that I learned a very simple technique that has worked for me for years: having short, aggressive deadlines.
And more!
Deadlines help get rid of procrastination and drive action.
I didn’t want to study for them. So you know what I did? I procrastinated. I waited until the night before a huge exam and crammed everything I could. I’d be up until 3:00 a.m. trying to learn and master formulas.
Did my technique work?
Absolutely not!
On some tests, I got bad marks - go figure…
I was the procrastination king in high school. From tests, exams, quizzes, homework, readings, and projects.
Even more so if the due date wasn’t for 4 weeks or more.
The further projects were out, the more time I had to wait until I took action.
Have you been guilty of procrastination?
I’m sure you’ve had your fair share of experiences of waiting until the very last minute.
And while high school is one thing, the stakes are higher if you move on to post-secondary education. Then once you move past that into your actual life, the results can diminish your way of life.
Procrastination is the killer of action and the killer of productivity.
I believe procrastinating only hurts your position, so I wanted to share how I’ve overcome this problem and solved it once and for all!
Procrastination caused me stress, worry, many late nights and early mornings, rushing, and feeling completely unprepared to take on the task.
Now, while I’ve focused on procrastinating in a school situation, let’s bring it to your life.
Think of some areas in which you procrastinate daily - right now!
Read the list above again.
This is a very, very important list. Everything on it directly affects your well-being. Your peace of mind. And your mental mindset.
Are you procrastinating in any or perhaps many of these areas?
How is this affecting your day-to-day life?
Procrastinating has caused much pain and loss of efficiency in my life. But it hasn’t had nearly the same effect today because of deadlines.
Firstly, let’s quickly touch on goals.
When you set a goal, you must have a specific timeline with a written deadline. Otherwise, it’s a dream, not a goal.
This is also true for other smaller tasks and items that may not be a goal per se. It could be cleaning your house, exercising, or cleaning your car.
Have a deadline.
A written date and time when you want to complete this task.
If you say you want to clean your car in spring, you’re setting yourself up for procrastination and inaction.
Put in your calendar you’re going to clean your car Sunday at 11:00 a.m.
This technique sounds simple because it is. But it will work wonders.
As I touched on earlier in the post, when dates were far away for projects and tests for me, I waited and waited until the very last week, day, and evening to do it.
Having something due in 3 months can be very worse for your action than having it done in 3 days.
This means that if you set the same goal for 12 months versus 4 weeks, it will fill the timeframe a lot.
Of course, it depends on the sheer size and severity of the project.
But you can accomplish much more than you think in less time if you put your head down and get to work.
When launching projects, videos, or new ideas, I suggest sticking to a 2-week timeframe.
Have a project you can complete in 2 weeks - start to finish.
What if it’s massive? Good. Do it in 2 weeks.
And if you don’t reach the target? So what? But with that tight deadline, you will likely accomplish much more in that 2 weeks than if you set a 2-month target.
You will most likely procrastinate if you’re not specific on a timeframe to get something done.
Making you feel stressed, anxious, pressured, and overwhelmed. All of this leads to inaction.
I procrastinated for years in my teens. Countless exams and projects were started and finished the night before at 2:00 a.m.
But setting aggressive deadlines has allowed me to take action, be focused, and get important things done.
Set a hard deadline and write it down.
If you feel a bit nervous and anxious about it being too tight, perfect.
You want to feel a push toward action.
Setting deadlines has literally changed my life. From health, wealth, confidence, and getting key actionable items done with efficiency.
Chris M Wilson
Chris Wilson is a keynote speaker, CTI coach, and entrepreneur. Through his Hover to Fly framework, he aims to impact the next generation in their careers and lives.
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