Deadly Deadlines (Part 2)

Today I finally realized that summer is almost here.

Well, I mean, it's only May, but that means only a month until summer, which is only about three months long. So, since this is my last summer before I graduate, I wrote out my goals for the summer.

They include:

• Finishing the first draft of my novel
• Passing six CLEP tests (two per month)

I especially want to finish my novel by the end of summer so I can do NaNoWriMo in November.

There's something so refreshing about writing out goals. Deadlines can be "deadly" but in some ways they give you more freedom.

Freedom isn't doing something just because you can. Ooh look! I can spend three hours surfing the internet instead of studying.

Freedom is doing something because you want to. I want to write this blog post by Friday, so I will.

So I said that I would talk about different ways to "disconnect your mind from the task at hand in order to give it a break."

There are three main ways I do that (it's Lauren-creates-another-list-time!)

1. Do something else

Obviously if you're an hour from the deadline then this may not be such a good option. But sometimes taking a walk, doing dishes, or doing something similarly mindless can help your mind focus on something else, letting your subconscious do the work for you.

2. Do something creative

Some writers have more than one project at a time to work on so that they can switch back and forth. I like taking a break and playing the piano, which works a different creative part of my brain. I read an article (on the CollegePlus website, actually) on "How to Be as Mentally Acute as Sherlock Holmes." The main idea of the article is that Sherlock Holmes played the violin, which is a great way to relieve stress, improve your mind, and learn discipline and patience.

I've also found that the different creative processes involved in writing fiction and writing blog posts is a nice switch.

3. Take a nap

Okay, this is actually a suggestion from the CollegePlus speed reading and memory course that I had to take. Apparently your brain solves problems while you're sleeping, so if you're stuck while studying (or writing, or whatever deadline you're on) then take a break and sleep. Even if the problem wasn't solved while you were asleep, you'll be a lot more refreshed (unless, of course, you overslept your deadline!)

Also last week I asked how people coped with deadlines. Three lovely readers shared their insights:

From MOV:

Deadlines. Just the word itself has a "deadly" connotation.

In college, I always produced my best work under the pressure of a deadline. I often waited until the last minute, but usually came out with the "A."

Now, with writing my blog, I only write when I have an idea. Sometimes that is every day, sometimes twice/ day, sometimes it is only once/ week. The A to Z Challenge was tricky for me because I did not like that added pressure of having to be "on" and "produce" every day. It is one thing to want to write every day (for yourself), quite another to be forced to (even if it is a voluntary contest).

From Andrew Leon:

Generally speaking, I find that most people won't do anything without a deadline. That's why almost everyone is rushing to get things done at the last minute. Like taxes.

I work with a lot of self-imposed deadlines. It keeps me moving.

From Amberr Meadows:

When confronted with deadlines, I become amazingly calm and then divide and conquer. It's almost like I become another person. Weird, I know.

I have to agree with MOV about school deadlines. And Amberr - wow, that's pretty amazing!

And I think Andrew brought up a great point. People won't do anything without a deadline. I think this is true on a far bigger level than just day to day deadlines, either.

If you think about it, life is one big assignment with the deadline being the day you die. An unknown deadline, which makes it even more urgent. A deadline which you can't pass.

Maybe it's kind of a morbid thought, but I think that it really puts life in perspective. We only have a set amount of time on this earth. Are we going to spend our time dawdling and dragging our feet, or are we going to accomplish what we were put here to do?

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.

- Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring

Couldn't resist throwing in that LOTR quote. ;)

Got any plans or goals for the summer? Any other advice on meeting or coping with deadlines?

Deadly Deadlines (Part 1)

Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines.

Sometimes deadlines can be good for writing - that last minute adrenaline rush can get your creative juices flowing better than any amount of free time.

But sometimes deadlines can freeze your mind, stifle your creative process, tighten the rope around the neck of your inspiration, put your muse on the chopping block... you get the picture.

I tend to work better with some semblance of a deadline. I need endgoals, I need to see the finished product, so it's easier for me to have something tangible to work towards.

But let's face it, deadlines can be stressful.

I mean, deadlines are something we use in writing to up the stakes for our characters. Think the characters don't have enough problems, or there just isn't enough conflict? Eh, throw in a ticking time bomb. It worked for 24.

I have different ways of coping with deadlines. 

Checklists, planning ahead, setting a timer. These sometimes seem to work for me. But sometimes it takes the very last minute to come up with inspiration for a deadline.

For example, in my current online Rhetoric class I had to write a speech over the weekend and deliver it Monday morning. It was a very short speech - about 2-3 minutes long. I had specific restraints I had to follow, but the topic could be whatever I wanted.

My mind was frozen.

Finally, I wrote a mediocre, second-class speech on Saturday that I thought would have to do unless I came up with something better. I wasn't pleased with it at all, but I couldn't think of anything else to write.

My class is at 8:00 in the morning since I'm in Pacific time. I usually get up early so I can be awake for the class, but that morning I woke up at 7:00. I had been dreaming about the speech, but when I opened my eyes a flash of inspiration came to me.

I had an idea for a much better speech - but I only had an hour before class started.

So I got out of bed, hurriedly turned on the computer, and typed as fast as I could. I ended up finishing the speech 15 minutes before class started. I submitted the outline, rehearsed it a couple of times, and then entered the online class and gave the speech.

I got an A+.

As nice as that was, I really would rather not have had to come that close. But sometimes you need to disconnect your mind from the task at hand in order to give it a break.

Next Friday I'll talk about different ways to do that.

And I want to hear your thoughts, as well.

What do you think about deadlines? Are deadlines generally helpful or hurtful? Do you have ways to trick yourself into completing a deadline? Do you have any stories about close calls with deadlines that you'd like to share?

Leave me a comment with your answer, and I'll feature it next Friday in Part 2 of this series.

So, tell me:

How do you cope with deadlines?