{"id":4033,"date":"2019-06-06T10:11:22","date_gmt":"2019-06-06T14:11:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/?p=4033"},"modified":"2021-04-21T10:04:40","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T14:04:40","slug":"how-to-avoid-deadline-freakout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/how-to-avoid-deadline-freakout\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Avoid Deadline Freakout"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 6<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

It\u2019s an unfortunate truth: for many creatives, deadlines can feel like studying for finals in college. Frantic. Frenzied. A panic amplified by sleep deprivation and caffeine injections. The deadline freakout usually starts with late\/early stage stagnation. Why do we get so jazzed at the start of a project, but freeze up when the real work begins? Blame it on perfectionism or over scheduling\u2014with a dash of desire to be doing anything else but work at that given moment. (It\u2019s so<\/em> nice outside, okay?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Point blank: Deadlines are hard. But they’re not going away, so you may as well get used to them. We enlisted five professionals who are pretty much on deadline all the time, to share their tried and true tips. For those of us who constantly feel deadlines lurking (like my dog when I\u2019m eating cold cuts in the glow of the refrigerator at 2 a.m.) this one’s for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Prioritize things by importance and the time it takes to complete.<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
– Alex Taylor, Assistant Branded Content Editor at Well+Good<\/em><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI used to be quite the procrastinator, but I\u2019ve learned that lends itself to poor quality work, so I want to hit every deadline to make the highest quality work possible,\u201d Alex said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the first step in managing a multitude of deadlines is establishing priorities. Is it due today or next week? Is this internal work or for a client? Is this a project you can knock out in an afternoon or are you going to have to space it out over several weeks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you answer the basics and put your to-dos into some sort of hierarchy (i.e. by urgency, time allotted), it makes your assignments seem less daunting, and you can move onto the next step: writing it all down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Write down every single thing you\u2019re doing or going to do.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

– Chloe Castleberry, Copywriter at imre Marketing Agency and Freelance Reporter at Medium  <\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve prioritized, write it down. \u201cWhether it’s a checklist or ongoing to do list, I have to write it down or else I will most likely forget to do it four hours from now,\u201d Chloe said. Maybe it\u2019s just a simple, numbered list; or maybe you have an elaborate workflow that looks like the Rosetta Stone to everyone else. No matter where you fall on the Type A-B scale, just write it down and check it off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only are you keeping a visual record of what you have to do, but when you get to cross a task off that list, your brain literally releases dopamine<\/a>\u2014the feel-good neurotransmitter that plays a big role in both our happiness and motivation. That\u2019s your reward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pick a Digital Organizing Tool<\/h3>\n\n\n\n