TIME: 3 Ways to Avoid Deadline Creep!

FUN: I love a good acronym! Here are some of my favorite acronyms for TIME:

• Things I Must Enjoy/Endure/Experience/Enjoy
• There Is Money Everywhere
• Time, Intention, Money, Energy
• Technical Instrument for the Measurement of Existence (heavy…. dude!)

ACTION: How to Avoid Deadline Creep.

As entrepreneurs, we are our own bosses and sometimes that means we let ourselves off the hook a bit when it comes to deadlines. How many of you have set a goal “Say I’m going to call 5 people this week about my new offer”, then that doesn’t happen, so you say “I’m going to call 5 people this month about my new offer”, that may not happen, because life happens, business happens, but if you let that deadline keep creeping out further into the future – it may be 6 months before you make those 5 phone calls!

Deadline creep happens more often than not when its around something you aren’t super excited to do in the first place!

3 WAYS TO STOP THE DEADLINE CREEP!

1) Make them Urgent!!! (notice the 3 exclamations?) If you have deadlines that are too far out – you will take longer to work on them. Parkinson’s Law is the adage that work expands to fill the time allotted. Break down bigger goals into smaller sub goals with tighter deadlines (like this week!)

2) Make them Actionable. Recognizing that even the smallest consistent action is making a difference can keep you motivated to hit your deadlines. It’s easy to look at a goal “write a marketing plan” and feel overwhelmed or to convince yourself you can’t start working on it until you have a full day. But asking what can I get done on my marketing plan in 1 hour? makes it easier to take some action.

3) Make them Personal. In don Miguel Ruiz’s bestselling book, The Four Agreements, #1 is Be Impeccable With Your Word. Simple but profound! Not keeping your word to yourself has consequences – if you continue the pattern, you become to see yourself as someone who does not keep their word. Who want’s to do business with someone like that?

BUSINESS: FOCUS Sessions. Do you need to some outside eyes on your business? Hiring a coach like me can help by asking questions about those ideas and projects swirling in your head. We can then implement a streamlined, simplified plan of action you can implement with ease and joy! In a 90 minute FOCUS session we can sort out what brings you energy and revenue, and grant you permission to eliminate the attachments to the rest.

The first step – let’s chat! Schedule a Free 30 Minute Call.