Introduction
We have all been there. You have a task to complete, but you don’t know where to start. The days are moving by and nothing is getting done. Sound familiar? From now on, set productive timelines for your tasks with these 10 tips!
Start Small
Set achievable goals that will help you get started. It’s important to remember that it’s not about how much work you do in the time given; it’s about the quality of the work completed during this period of time. That means setting realistic expectations, sticking with them, and making incremental progress every day.
Block off some “Me” Time
Don’t feel guilty when taking some time for yourself or indulging in something fun like watching Netflix or playing with your pet. It’s important that you set aside time for yourself when setting timelines because if you don’t, it’ll be difficult to meet the demands of your work and personal life.
Define Your Work Style
Everyone has a preferred method of working, whether it is in an open environment or a quiet, secluded space. Whatever it may be, make sure you’re comfortable and productive in the environment you work in. This will help prevent distractions and increase your chances of meeting deadlines when working on a big project.
Set Goals At The End Of Every Day/Week/Month
By setting short-term (daily or weekly goals) and long-term (monthly goals) milestones, you’ll be able to break down your big projects into smaller achievable goals. This will help keep you motivated and on track to reach your final goal, finishing the project by the deadline.
Utilize Timelines To Maximize Productivity Over Deadlines
Deadlines can get overwhelming because there is a lot of pressure to complete the project within a certain time frame. So how do we manage these deadlines and keep our sanity? Separate your work by creating timelines for different tasks and milestones.
Set Actionable Milestones
Milestones should be able to stand alone and should, therefore, contribute to the completion of your project. This is important because it will help you stay on track and meet deadlines by giving you something to work towards every day instead of working on the same thing for an extended period of time.
Prioritize Tasks To Stay On Track
Prioritizing tasks will help you achieve more in a shorter period of time and will allow you to finish your project in a timely manner. Make sure your deadlines are realistic and at the same time, push yourself so that you’ll be able to start early or even finish early!
Break Up Your Work Into Different Categories
By breaking down your tasks into different categories such as research, writing, editing, fact-checking, and design, you will be able to divide your time evenly. This is important because it will help prevent any one section of the project from taking up too much of your time.
Create To-Do Lists That Fit Your Unique Working Style
The to-do list should fit your unique style of working because it should be comprehensive and helpful in keeping you organized. It should list all of your tasks, including deadlines and time needed for completing each task.
Take Breaks When Needed
It’s important to take breaks when you need them so that your mind can rest from the hard work being done during this project. This will help prevent burnout and increase your focus when working on the project.
It’s not enough to just set yourself and make an imaginary or written timeline. You have to visualize it for it to become real. Your timeline should not pressure you but should at least push you to make a move. Create a timeline that would actually get you to work.
To do that, we suggest you use Venngage — a free infographic maker that offers a wide range of timeline templates for everyone. Here are some timeline examples from their template page!
It’s important to remember that it is about the quality of work completed and not the quantity. Without setting short-term and long-term milestones, we won’t be able to stay motivated and on track in meeting deadlines. The key is to prioritize tasks, set reasonable expectations, and make incremental progress every day.
So there you have it, 10 productivity hacks to beat deadlines. Now you can breathe easy knowing that your project will be finished by the deadline you’ve set for it! For more creative timelines, click here.
