The act of setting deadlines to achieve professional and personal goals is critical to reaching the finish line!  As a Corporate Executive, I’ve participated in countless meetings where ground breaking ideas were shared, directives were given and participants left the meeting with a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities on a particular project. Unfortunately, when the time came to reconvene and monitor the progress on the project at hand, it was evident that there was lackluster effort given because there was a major flaw in the planning process.  The deadline for completing the project was either not clearly planned or defined!  Although the team was motivated and more than capable, they were working into the abyss with just another task assigned to them.  Without a hard deadline, goals and projects are meaningless.

Below are three critical reasons why establishing a deadline is so important:

Deadlines generate critical thinking in the planning process:
When establishing a deadline, it requires critical thinking about a timeline of events needed to accomplish the end result.  Once I set a deadline date, I work backwards and think about the smaller tasks that need to be completed and allocate the time necessary in order to bring the full project to fruition.  I set deadlines on Google Calendar as a constant reminder to myself.

Deadlines allow you manage your time effectively:
Whether its a self-imposed or an assigned deadline, there is nothing more effective at helping you manage your time at the office efficiently.  We are all victims of scope creep, where we fall victim to the uncontrolled or continuous growth of a project’s scope.  Accept the fact that there may be changes made to improve the project along the way.  You don’t know what you don’t know.  Once you implement, there may be a bit of tweaking involved.  Most importantly, manage your time by scheduling it and don’t let anything creep into your designated time to work on your project.  The incoming calls and emails can be tended to immediately following. Stay focused!

Deadlines are motivating and exciting:
Deadlines make things real!  It helps bring clarity to a project and motivates us to get it done within a strict timeline.  As a manager, I enjoy watching the team camaraderie that comes from an assigned project with a hard deadline.  Although it creates a little anxiety, it generates creative thinking and influences team members to work collectively to accomplish the goal.  Once completed, it’s time to celebrate the success of completing the project by the deadline.  That’s the fun part!

Always refer back to the lessons of Management 101 and set deadlines to goals or projects.  It’s so easy to forget, but once you create the habit of setting a completion date to all projects at hand, you become a more effective executive.  Tony Robbins stated, “setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”  Set a deadline and make it real!

At Planet Beach, our mission is to change the way the world rejuvenates. We’ve created systems and processes through the act of setting deadlines to provide the best experience for our customers. Our locations provide an inspiring and alternative atmosphere where members can enjoy a private spa experience at a fraction of the cost than the traditional day spa. To learn more about Planet Beach, visit https://planetbeach.com/.

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Written By: Jodie Mateu, VP of Special Events & Productivity, and Franchisee