Things get done when I am involved.

Why?

Is it because I have some crazy work ethic or pace? Maybe.

Is it because I am intense? Maybe.

But, really it’s because of when, not whether, I get involved.

That is, I usually get involved in things near the deadline.

I especially struggle with starting things ahead of time. I only work with deadlines.

If there’s no deadline, I probably won’t get to it.

Most of us are the same.

With finals week, we realize how efficient studying can be.

2 class projects got completed in 4 days total.

It’s not that the work is hard.

It’s that our work expands to fill the time allotted.

And, if things take time, we label it hard.

That’s not necessarily the case.

Our professors talk about projects at the start of the course.

We set up ancillary meetings to feel like we are on track. Working towards the end goal.

But the reality is that most of the work gets completed at the tail end.

And, there’s nothing wrong with that.

Rather than worrying over it, we should use deadlines to our advantage.

No task should have a deadline of 1-2 months.

Because then it’s not a task. It’s a project you are talking about.

And, there’s a difference.

A project is a set of tasks.

So, if you really wanted to use deadlines.

You just set deadlines for the tasks, not the project.

Our professors set deadlines for the project, expecting us to start early.

But, we have the flexibility to set the task deadlines.

Bottom-line? Work expands to fill the time allotted. I get involved near the deadline so stuff gets done.