Four Steps to Never Miss a Deadline

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🕓 7 Minute Read

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TL;DR

Projects take exactly as much time as you give them. Un-romanticize the process, figure out what you’re actually capable of, and create the most optimized version of your workflow to create massive value for your clients and your own business.

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Trick question: How long does it take you to do your work?

If your immediate response is “well, it depends”, then you’re absolutely right — but probably not in the way you think.

Parkinson’s Law says that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, your work will take exactly as long as you give it — no matter the deliverables, features, or bells and whistles that you think require more time.

How can you know this is true?

Imagine a client says they’ll pay you 3x your normal fee if you can deliver your best work in 1 week (even though your “normal” timeframe is 1 month).

Barring all natural disasters and personal catastrophes, you’d absolutely find a way to deliver in 1 week, and at the same level of quality that would “normally” take much longer. If that’s the case, and you truly are capable of delivering 4x the value in 1/4 the time… why not just do that normally?

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Now you may think: “But isn’t that kind of unnecessary? Like, why rush the process and overwork myself?” You’re right — there isn’t an inherent need to get your work done faster.

But consider this: What if you charged the same amount for a 1-week website as you would for a 1-month website? After all, the client will be happy so long as you keep your word on whatever time expectation you set.

You may not get paid that hypothetical 4x rate as in our example above, but… you could deliver two 1-week websites in a month, get paid twice instead of once, and have two weeks left in the month to do what you please.

That sounds pretty awesome.

And it’s totally possible! But only if you have a solid grasp on your process, and are willing to optimize it for maximum efficiency. Here are a few tips to make Parkinson’s law work in your favor.

1. Measure your process

The only way to get precise with a project timeline is to have the right information.

Whether you’ve been creating for a decade or just started yesterday, anyone can measure a few things in their creative process.

A few time-focused metrics to consider:

• Each phase of your process

• Hours of actual productivity

• Hours of distraction or waste

• Emails, meetings, and follow-ups

• Client revision requests

Every little thing adds up, and can be the difference between a project taking a week, or three months.

Let’s be real: The amount of Reddit browsing, Chipotle ordering, and daydreaming that’s a part of everyone’s lengthy “process” is unnecessary, and just wasting time.

Of course, nobody’s perfect and there will always be flux in how productive you can be — we’re not saying you have to be super-human. But it pays to know where your time is going, and how your workday can be plotted to optimize your project timelines.

2. Get assets in advance

We like to believe that projects that take forever are the client’s fault — “they didn’t give me the necessary assets to get the job done in time!”

That’s because we either forget to ask, or don’t have our process dialed-in enough to know what we’ll need before we start. So, as simple as it sounds, make sure you have everything you need BEFORE you technically “start” a project.

Depending on your project, this might mean:

• Fonts

• Photos

• Illustrations

• Addresses

• Team Bios

• Brand Colors

• Logos

• Booking Details

A simple way to keep track of this is to make a checklist for each project — then translate it into a web form or Dropbox folder for the client to put assets into.

3. Set specific deadlines

We’ve all had at least one runaway project, where no matter how well-intentioned we were at the start, the timeline just kept on stretching because no definitive end-date was set.

The only antidote is to be up-front about the timeframe, and stick to it relentlessly. Most clients already have some kind of preconceived idea of how long your kind of services will take, and this is why talking about the timeframe during the sales conversation is crucial.

Never make assumptions.

Most clients have some sort of specific reason for seeking out creative services — perhaps it’s rebranding before launching a new location or designing a new website before seeking out funding. It’s in both of your best interests to uncover these details, and be honest about what you can do with their constraints.

For all you know, they just might be that hypothetical client from before that would pay you more to have it done sooner — and if you’re able to accommodate, you’d be miles ahead of the competition.

4. Decide your pace

The point of understanding your optimal project workflow isn’t so you feel guilty every time you don’t work at a breakneck pace. No, getting clear on what you’re capable of sets you up for the most control and flexibility over your creative business!

Back to our previous example: Let’s say you can comfortably deliver a website in one month — but if you had the incentive, you could do it in one week. That doesn’t mean you MUST choose one or the other, but rather make the best decision for your goals with a project.

Do you have the bandwidth to knock out a site in half the time, allowing you to take on more clients and make more profit? Then do that!

Or, are you slammed with recurring work and don’t have much flexibility to devote lots of focused time to complete a project at double-time? Then let it take the full month.

Either way, as long as you’re charging appropriately (see Value-Based Pricing), and communicate transparently with clients, you’re in charge of how long a project takes to complete.

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Parting Thought

Everyone works differently — morning or night, fast or slow, sporadically or with intense focus — and that’s a great thing!

We’re all sorting through our own best practices for making creative work that matters. No matter how you work, the best thing you can do for your business, your clients, and your sanity, is to be methodical with timelines.

Get real with yourself, measure how you work, decide what’s best for a project, and execute in the most productive and profitable manner you can manage.

Parkinson’s Law is always working, but you don’t have to let it control your projects.

Next Step

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Brave U: Accelerate

A virtual mentorship and business accelerator program led by Gabe Lopez, Founder of Brave People, Brave Haus, and Brave U. Members receive monthly investments of time and teaching across sales, operations, and creative process to accelerate their venture’s growth.

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