

Deadlines keep you ALIVE - a blog post - kanebennett
http://kanebennett.wordpress.com/2010/12/31/deadlines-keep-you-alive/

======
plamenv
I wish it was as easy as that. Real deadlines work because there is some
external factor taking place. For example, you get fired by your boss if you
don't put that important report on his desk by tomorrow. Or you'll be
embarrassed if you don't keep the delivery deadline you've promised to a
client.

When you're setting deadlines that only you know of, there is no possibility
of getting "punished" so it's much easier to procrastinate. If it works for
you, cool, but I know it doesn't work for me and most likely it doesn't work
for the majority of people.

------
brianwillis
There's actually a name for what you're trying to describe in this post. It's
called Parkinson's Law (<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinsons_Law>), and it
states that "work expands to fill the time available."

I'm not sure if you're trying to be self deprecating with that "overly
simplified graph" line. Either way, I wouldn't panic about it too much. Kathy
Sierra wrote some of the best user experience writing on the internet using
diagrams that were just as simplistic.

------
kanebennett
I'd love to hear any thoughts or opinions on this post, and on my blog in
general!

------
andre
Without deadlines, I don't think, I would get anything done.

