Clock ticking? Assignment due? Fear not! A deadline is a great way to stay motivated and focused. But you've got to make your deadline work for you. Here's how...
I used to HATE deadlines.
An editor or client would say, "Need it by Friday," and panic would set in.
The countdown had begun.
A deadline – in case you're the last person on earth not to know this – is a date by which something is due.
In my circles, the thing that is due is copy: email copy, web content, brochures – whatever.
But deadlines help keep things on track in every sector.
If your natural reaction when given a deadline is to fall to pieces – stop.
Take a breather.
Because I'm going to explain how to make deadlines work for you.
The secret to mastering deadlines: start with the end goal in sight
Deadlines are great if you use them correctly.
That's because they keep you focused. They give you an immovable point in time from which you can work backwards.
There's nothing to fear from a deadline unless it's unrealistic. If it is, speak up.
You wouldn't take your car to a garage and tell the mechanic you expected to pick it up in two hours after they'd told you it required 16 hours of labour.
If you've been given a deadline that doesn't make sense, discuss it with whoever has given you the deadline. Explain why it won't work. Ask for more time or extra help.
But let's assume the deadline is realistic.
All you have to do is look at your deadline – and break it down into the steps you'll need to complete to get there.
Suppose I am working on a website copywriting project with a 21-day deadline. I just break it down into steps, like this, moving backwards from the deadline:
Deadline ➡️ 21 days
Last read-through ➡️ 20 days
Ready for proofing ➡️ 19 days
SEO polish finished ➡️ 18 days
Supporting content polished ➡️ 16 days
Supporting content written ➡️ 15 days
Main content polished ➡️ 14 days
Main content written ➡️ 13 days
Research finished ➡️ 5 days
Onboarding/discovery completed ➡️ 2 days
Easy, right?
Keep distractions to a minimum, and make sure you hit each goalpost every time.
What to do if you fall at the first deadline hurdle
If step one takes twice as long as you'd 'budgeted', don't panic.
Take a deep breath.
Then, look at all the remaining steps and subtract a little time from each.
If step two also takes longer than you thought and step three is equally problematic, then you're left with only one option:
Find more time.
You can do this in two ways:
1/ Ask for a deadline extension.
2/ Dedicate more hours to the project than you anticipated (i.e. work nights).
The alternative is to miss the deadline – which isn't recommended. The ramifications of this could be bad for you in terms of future employability and also for whoever you are working for, as they may incur losses because of the delay.
However, if you set realistic goalposts in the first place, you should be able to stay on track. Always. Just work backwards!
Written by Mike Peake, UK freelance copywriter and website content writer. Do you have any awesome deadline tips you want to share? Let me know!
And check out my post on must-have copywriting tools for 2025.
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