Focus. And Get It Done.
In 2010, a Berlin publishing house had asked me to write the contents for a new coffee table book. Sounds exciting, I answered, I’ll do it! My excitement was soon replaced by panic when the publisher informed me that the deadline for the copy was in six weeks. Six weeks! How on earth would I pull off writing an entire book in six weeks?
I Decided I Could Do It
Turns out I did it. I would lie if I’d tell you that it ended up being a piece of cake. But after my initial panic had worn off, the thrilling excitement found its way back in. And I decided that I could do it! I could write this book and deliver on deadline, as promised.
Cult Moments was published soon after I submitted the copy and was presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair to an international audience. The book has 395 pages of photos and text and contains six different sections on special moments that left a mark on world history – political events, sports highlights, natural phenomena and so on. I also wrote the book’s introduction as well as six separate intros for each of the six sections.
6 Tips on How to Make a Deadline
So how did I do it? Well, here’s what helped me stay on target with this project (or shall I call it race?):
1. Make a Plan
Sounds easy, right? Well, it took me quite a bit of calculating and assessing the time I needed to write each “cult moment“. I finally broke it down to a weekly workload with mini-goals that I needed to finish each day in order to make the weekly target. But it was worth my initial time investment because the plan – neatly put on an excel spreadsheet – helped calm my anxiety and made the project seem doable.
2. Divide Tasks into Manageable Bites
In your plan, divide your tasks into manageable bites. In my case, I set myself a weekly and a daily goal. The weekly goal helped me stay focused on the big picture making sure I’d be able to make the final deadline. The daily goal motivated me every morning when I set out to write – I knew I “only” had to finish my set task for the day, and I needn’t worry about writing a huge chunk of content.
3. Take Breaks
Yes, you gotta to allow yourself to take breaks! Whenever I felt stuck in the creative process (which usually happened about once a day), I stepped away from the computer and did something completely different – something that would not require my brainpower. Some days, I took a short walk. Other times, I went to my favorite neighborhood cafe and got a coffee drink or a tea. And you will be surprised what good washing the dishes or folding the laundry can do to your creative juices!
4. Share/ Celebrate your Progress
Don’t just check off completed tasks on your personal plan. Share your progress with a friend or fellow writer! Celebrate major milestones by rewarding yourself. I ended up buying myself a sweet treat (chocolate! yummy!) or making time for a coffee date with a girlfriend for every section I finished writing. Celebrate your creative genius – it will reward you with even more great work!
5. Don’t Look Back
Event after I completed my set daily task, I didn’t go back and re-read what I wrote that day. Don’t look back until it’s officially revision time! You will save yourself a lot of time if you just keep on working. Leave the editing towards the end. I noticed that editing is much easier anyways when you’ve “digested” your work a little bit.
6. Build a Creative Temple
This should be a no-brainer for all of us creative souls, but so often it isn’t. We forget to turn off our cell phones. We keep one eye on the incoming emails. We assure our partner or roommate it wouldn’t be a problem if he or she is playing video games while we’re working on our project. Well, turns out most of the times, we shoot ourselves in the foot by not setting up our creative temple. Eliminate what you know will distract you in your workflow! Build your creative temple. Create.
Did you ever have to make a tight deadline? What helped you finish your project on time? Share your experiences in the comments below!
