Page Title

Don't Dramatize the Deadlines

May 30, 2001

"Many of us work under the constant demands of tight deadlines. But have you ever stopped to think about how much mental and emotional emphasis we put on our deadlines?  And have you ever wondered what negative consequences are attached to such emphasis?  If not, I encourage you to give these questions some careful consideration.

It's true that deadlines are a fact of life.  Yet a lot of this type of stress comes not so much from the deadline itself, but from all the thinking about it, wondering whether or not we will make it, feeling sorry for ourselves, complaining and, perhaps most all, commiserating with others.

It's been my experience that complaining about deadlines - even if the complaints are justified - takes an enormous amount of mental energy and, more important to deadlines, time!  The turmoil you go through commiserating with others or simply within your own head is rarely worth it.  The added obsessive thinking about the deadline creates its own internal anxiety.

I know that deadlines can create quite a bit of stress and that sometimes it doesn't seem fair.  However, working toward your goal without the interference of negative mental energy makes any job more manageable.  See if you can notice how often you tend to worry, fret or complain about deadlines.  Then, try to catch yourself in the act of doing so.  When you do, gently remind yourself that your energy would be better spent elsewhere.  Who knows, perhaps you can ultimately make peace with deadlines altogether (Carlson, 1998, pp. 15-16)."

Reference:  Carlson, R. (1998).  Don't sweat the small stuff at work: Simple ways to minimize stress and conflict while bringing out the best in yourself and others.  New York: Hyperion.

Do you dramatize deadlines?

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff at Work is available on loan from the OSU Leadership Center.  A complete listing of all the Leadership Center's resources is available on our website http://leadershipcenter.osu.edu/

Back to Top >

Created: 2009-01-02, Updated: 2009-01-15