Why You Should Set a Deadline, Even When There Isn’t One

Set a dealine

Ever have a task without a deadline?

It will haunt your todo list. Sitting there (sometimes forever), never getting finished.

Without a deadline, there is no incentive to get a task to done.

Always Set a Deadline

A task without a deadline isn’t a “todo,” rather it’s a “want to do.”

Just like meetings stretch to fill the allotted time, tasks will expand to the time given to them.

“To ensure a task gets done, always set a deadline.”

Tweet This

Without a specific line drawn in the sand, there is no incentive to complete a task by a specific time.

Forever Tasks

Tasks without a deadline often become “forever tasks” that never get priority in your day.

Ensure your most important todos always have a specific “to be completed by” date.

Make your priorities real by always setting a hard deadline… and stick to it.

Question: Do you set deadlines for all of your important tasks? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

6 thoughts on “Why You Should Set a Deadline, Even When There Isn’t One

  1. This is a great tip. This is something I do from time to time and works. I just need to do it more often with more of my tasks. Setting the deadline and then writing that down – scheduling that deadline with a slight buffer seems to work best for me.

  2. Great tip, Craig! Similarly to your idea of setting a deadline for tasks, I’ve been also experimenting with setting a “Quitting time” for my work day. This helps me to get the most important things done and avoid distractions.

Comments are closed.