Here’s how to Stay Focused and Productive When You Have Multiple Deadlines.
Who would have guessed that the phrase ‘multiple deadlines’ could cause a soul-dropping-panic-dash to your planner? Can I fit it in? Can I juggle this extra work with the work that I already have? Usually, the answer is Yes! There’s always room for just one more when one project is winding down and you need new work to replace it.
When you have multiple deadlines approaching, it can be challenging to stay focused and productive. But, with a few tips and tricks, you can manage your workload effectively and accomplish your tasks before the clock ticks down to the deadline.
What’s important to you? Prioritise your tasks: Identify the most critical tasks and prioritise them based on their deadlines and importance. Make sure you include time for research, brainstorming, and editing. This will help you focus your energy on completing the most crucial tasks first.
Get chunky! Break down your work into smaller chunks: Instead of trying to tackle everything at once, break down your work into smaller, manageable tasks. This will help you stay motivated and focused. When I’ve worked on huge projects - like my novel; I try not to think of it as ‘finishing a novel’, instead I’m just working on a specific chapter during each writing session. This makes it less daunting and stops the ‘freeze’ response from happening.
Be organised! Create a schedule: Guess what? I’m pretty sure that I’ve tried every time management system you can imagine. At the moment, the one that is working for me is my habits ‘chore chart’ system. Each task is ticked off when it’s done and you can see the weekly progress overall. Using a planner or calendar to schedule your tasks and specific deadlines will also help you stay organised and on track.
Hey look, squirrel! Eliminate distractions: Do you get easily distracted by constant phone notifications? Or that pile of laundry that just needs to be done right now? Minimize distractions by turning off notifications on your phone and closing unnecessary tabs on your computer. Schedule time for important household jobs. You can stay focused on your work if you set up your environment to help you ignore distractions.
Learn to rest - not quit! Take breaks: Our brains are weird. Sometimes, when we don’t achieve something straight away, we give up. Not realising that in some cases, we’re just beginners. We’re learning how to do something and we need to give ourselves more compassion for not getting it right the first time. Taking short breaks helps me stay productive by giving my brain a chance to rest and recharge. I actually schedule procrastination time into my day because it’s part of my creative process. I use these break times to stretch, take a walk, or do something else that sparks my creativity.
Find an accountability partner! Stay accountable: Share your deadlines with a colleague, friend, or family member. Hire a life coach if you need to! I did. Many people are too afraid to admit they need help to achieve their goals and life coaches are an amazing resource. Most people default to thinking that if they can’t do something on their own, it must not be their ‘thing’. Maybe I’m not good enough? It’s probably not that - at all! You just need support, encouragement to keep improving and accountability. Do what you need to do to stay accountable and motivated to meet your goals! Your goals are worth every second of your hard work.
By following these tips consistently, you can stay focused and productive when you have multiple deadlines.
Try the Take Action Workbook to jumpstart your new focused way of working!