How to Deal with a Tight Deadline

Here are three tips to help you meet a tight deadline

Can you meet a tight deadline? Your ability to meet a deadline often provides a good measure of success. If you understand how to meet deadlines consistently, you can produce quality work, keep clients happy and boost your chances of attracting new clients.

Now, let’s look at three tips to help you meet a tight deadline.

1. Start Right Away

When faced with a deadline, don’t procrastinate. Instead, start a task as soon as you can, and you can put yourself in position to complete the task on schedule.

2. Take a Step-by-Step Approach

Break a task into stages. Separate a large task into a series of small, manageable stages, so you can reduce your stress levels and stay on course as you approach a deadline.

3. Eliminate Distractions

Put your cell phone on “do not disturb,” log off Facebook and Twitter and remove any other potential distractions. That way, you can focus on what’s important — finishing a task to the best of your ability, on deadline.

The Bottom Line on How to Meet a Tight Deadline

You may believe you have all the time in the world to meet a deadline. But, the longer you wait to get started on a task, the sooner your deadline will arrive. If you wait too long, you may feel rushed to get a task done on deadline, which can lead to subpar results for you and your client.

Plan ahead for deadlines as best as you can. One final piece of advice: if a client approaches you with a tight deadline that you don’t believe you can meet, let him or her know. Because if you establish realistic expectations with a client from the get-go, you can set the stage for honest, open communication that leads to a successful partnership.