"I don't have to set deadlines, I can get things done on my own. Besides, I'm not a procrastinator." You've probably heard people say this, or maybe you've said it yourself. But the fact of the matter is we all need deadlines, even if you can get things done. I would argue that deadlines are imperative for those of us who work a lot because without them, you WILL continue editing and perfecting for the next five years.
I realized this a couple months ago when I found myself repeating the same phrase to my friends and family regarding my book: "Yes, I'm almost done, I just want to edit a few more times." I would estimate I did more than ten blanket edits of my book in two months. And whilst I do believe my creation is far better off with that extra mothering, too much more of that pattern would have gotten me nowhere. Just the other day I looked at my book again after two weeks of abstaining from doing so and marked some changes I wanted to make upon first glance. At some point I probably will be making more changes yet I feel sure that if I had not submitted my book to that writing contest, I would be incessantly editing until this day.
I believe that you should work on a project until you are happy with it, but set a deadline for when your happiness is complete. I'm convinced that you can never be 100% gratified with something that you create. 98% maybe, but don't waste your time attempting to achieve perfection.
Written By: Karoline Kingley
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Deadlines: Everybody Needs Them
"I don't have to set deadlines, I can get things done on my own. Besides, I'm not a procrastinator." You've probably heard people say this, or maybe you've said it yourself. But the fact of the matter is we all need deadlines, even if you can get things done. I would argue that deadlines are imperative for those of us who work a lot because without them, you WILL continue editing and perfecting for the next five years.
I realized this a couple months ago when I found myself repeating the same phrase to my friends and family regarding my book: "Yes, I'm almost done, I just want to edit a few more times." I would estimate I did more than ten blanket edits of my book in two months. And whilst I do believe my creation is far better off with that extra mothering, too much more of that pattern would have gotten me nowhere. Just the other day I looked at my book again after two weeks of abstaining from doing so and marked some changes I wanted to make upon first glance. At some point I probably will be making more changes yet I feel sure that if I had not submitted my book to that writing contest, I would be incessantly editing until this day.
I believe that you should work on a project until you are happy with it, but set a deadline for when your happiness is complete. I'm convinced that you can never be 100% gratified with something that you create. 98% maybe, but don't waste your time attempting to achieve perfection.
Written By: Karoline Kingley
I realized this a couple months ago when I found myself repeating the same phrase to my friends and family regarding my book: "Yes, I'm almost done, I just want to edit a few more times." I would estimate I did more than ten blanket edits of my book in two months. And whilst I do believe my creation is far better off with that extra mothering, too much more of that pattern would have gotten me nowhere. Just the other day I looked at my book again after two weeks of abstaining from doing so and marked some changes I wanted to make upon first glance. At some point I probably will be making more changes yet I feel sure that if I had not submitted my book to that writing contest, I would be incessantly editing until this day.
I believe that you should work on a project until you are happy with it, but set a deadline for when your happiness is complete. I'm convinced that you can never be 100% gratified with something that you create. 98% maybe, but don't waste your time attempting to achieve perfection.
Written By: Karoline Kingley
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I hate deadlines, but I can see why they can be useful. They make me feel confined and stressed. I am a bit of a procrastinator, though. I should try setting more deadlines for myself. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to procrastinate less!
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