Deadlines part 2- Sprint to the End

In a follow up to this post about deadlines, here is another reason to set a deadline.

A deadline for your project is like the finish line for a runner. In a distance race, runners do not sprint out of the gate. They take their time with a planned purposeful pace. They don’t mess around, they run, but they run with a pace that allows them to finish. As they approach the finish line though, it all changes. At that point, with the end in sight, they push through the pain in their bodies and even though they can’t breathe, they sprint to the end. They give it all they have because they know as much as it hurts for those next few minutes, finishing will be all worth it.

What ever you have been working on that doesn’t ever seem to get done, set a deadline and when that deadline is approaching–sprint to the finish. You might lose a few hours sleep. Heaven forbid you have to skip your 10 favorite TV shows that week. You may even have to set the alarm clock an hour earlier or skip coffee with the girls. But it will be all worth it when you finish.

The last leg of a race is the most painful. You are tired, you might even hate running (or writing, designing, painting). But stopping right before the finish line will be worse because, long term regret is worse than short term pain.

Set your deadline. When you see it–SPRINT to the end!