The Downside of Deadlines
Christopher Laney 
In May 2009, I left a high-paying job to write a novel, and I’ve never regretted it one bit. Navigating the traditional publishing route—versus self-publishing—takes vast patience, but I’m up for the challenge. When it comes to accomplishing goals in my personal life, I’ve learned it’s dangerous to place deadlines on myself. I’ve watch these artificial deadlines derail individuals too many times when they didn’t hit them. Work may be about deadlines, but life, is not.
When you are near the end of your life looking back, are you going to care if it took an extra five or ten years to become a best selling novelist, or successful business owner, or a renown painter?
I doubt it.
If anything, that extra time, those additional miles and scenery, will make the accomplishment sweeter.
Life is not about deadlines.
Are you placing too much pressure on yourself to hit a personal goal next month? Next year? Let yourself grow and blossom naturally. Keep moving forward. It will happen when you are ready.
Friday, March 18, 2011 at 12:01AM | in Balance, Doubt, Guidance, Letting Go, Limitless Living, Reaching Your Dreams, Success | Share | 6 Comments | Email Article Tweet
Reader Comments (6)
Deadlines determine the amount of time we are willing to put into something. How much of our time is it worth? There are things in our life that are so valuable they never have a deadline. There is no deadline on love, or hope, or faith.
Happy sigh. I love this blog.
That's right, Stephanie. I should clarify that deadlines are extremely useful for tasks, but not for getting to a certain destination in life, like, a famous photographer perhaps?
Thanks, Dena.
Hi Christopher,
Thanks for writing this. It's something I've been trying to convince myself and I think I've just been needing to hear it from someone, somewhere. That sometimes it's really about the living, and not so much about the achieving. And to allow oneself the time and space too, like you said, to grow and blossom naturally. So thank you, once again. :)
Hi Fern,
Thanks for the comment. Glad the post resonated with you. Come back anytime.