Whether you’re an experienced web developer, designer, or just starting out, you have probably heard about the word ‘deadline’.

The word’s ‘crazy’, ‘freaky’, ‘tight’, ‘f*kn’, and ‘terrible’ are often very close by in the same sentence.

We all have a love/hate relationship with them, but we also know that without them nothing would have been completed.

Understanding the power of deadlines and communicating urgency to yourself is a trademark of all high-performing people.

So what exactly is a deadline and why is it so important to have one? Why do projects without deadlines take forever to finish?

1. What is a deadline?

Deadline triggers us into a state of urgency. The state where we don’t have time to think about excuses, the time where the only option is to actually complete the task.

A deadline is a date or time before which something must be done. Dictionary.com

For example – I have always wanted to start a blog, but there was always millions of excuses why I never did. Until a few weeks ago when I tweeted this:

This was a great way into triggering my urgency state to a maximum level. You can see it worked for me if you are reading this post. Try it for yourself and set a deadline onto your next personal project now.

2. Why we need deadlines?

Setting a deadline turns on the super effective and productive mode, where we do our best work and where we complete things; not just start them.

Projects with a deadline force you to

• Waste less time – you are forced to do things and work more effectively.
• Move forward – by not wasting time you move quickly forward every day.
• Build your confidence – setting and meeting your own deadlines is one of the best ways to boost your confidence.
• Challenge yourself to perform – strong sense of urgency generates energy toward getting a result.

3. No deadline, no finish

What happened to your last project which had no deadline? Are the sketches of your next personal project still lying somewhere in your drawers?

Without a deadline there is no finish; and without a finish, there is no celebration.

Projects without a deadline

• Take forever to finish – the enjoyable and exciting project becomes your worst nightmare.
• Code becomes messy – believe it or not, but having more time than necessary will make your code or designs more messy and inconsistent.
• Makes you lazy – always postponing things and coming up with excuses is a lazy persons strategy.

Conclusion

Do you set your own deadlines? How do you deal with deadlines set by your bosses and managers? Let me know in the comments below and remember “Goals are dreams with a deadline” – Napoleon Hill.