Comments on: 3 Ways To Structure And Keep To Your Deadlines http://www.freelancermagazine.com/3-ways-to-keep-to-your-deadlines/ Freelance Advice and Resources! Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:15:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: George http://www.freelancermagazine.com/3-ways-to-keep-to-your-deadlines/comment-page-1/#comment-554 George Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:11:17 +0000 http://www.freelancermagazine.com/?p=626#comment-554 Best of the best Best of the best

]]> By: Calvin Froedge http://www.freelancermagazine.com/3-ways-to-keep-to-your-deadlines/comment-page-1/#comment-461 Calvin Froedge Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:09:36 +0000 http://www.freelancermagazine.com/?p=626#comment-461 Great ideas, I just spent 7 hours straight on one website, to find out its screwed in ie6 and i dont even want to look at the dumb thing anymore (it was a pain to get it working in ie7 already) Great ideas, I just spent 7 hours straight on one website, to find out its screwed in ie6 and i dont even want to look at the dumb thing anymore (it was a pain to get it working in ie7 already)

]]> By: Halloween Linkswitch: Graphic Design And Small Business Treats | michellediva.com http://www.freelancermagazine.com/3-ways-to-keep-to-your-deadlines/comment-page-1/#comment-453 Halloween Linkswitch: Graphic Design And Small Business Treats | michellediva.com Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:18:13 +0000 http://www.freelancermagazine.com/?p=626#comment-453 [...] The pet peeve of every freelancer: deadlines! Taiyab shares with us some good techniques on meeting (or beating) deadlines. [...] [...] The pet peeve of every freelancer: deadlines! Taiyab shares with us some good techniques on meeting (or beating) deadlines. [...]

]]> By: thinkerpool.com: » Halloween Linkswitch: Graphic Design And Small Business Treats http://www.freelancermagazine.com/3-ways-to-keep-to-your-deadlines/comment-page-1/#comment-415 thinkerpool.com: » Halloween Linkswitch: Graphic Design And Small Business Treats Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:05:26 +0000 http://www.freelancermagazine.com/?p=626#comment-415 [...] The pet peeve of every freelancer: deadlines! Taiyab shares with us some good techniques on meeting (or beating) deadlines. [...] [...] The pet peeve of every freelancer: deadlines! Taiyab shares with us some good techniques on meeting (or beating) deadlines. [...]

]]> By: Linkswitch: Graphic Design And Small Business Owners Edition - FreelanceSwitch - The Freelance Blog http://www.freelancermagazine.com/3-ways-to-keep-to-your-deadlines/comment-page-1/#comment-413 Linkswitch: Graphic Design And Small Business Owners Edition - FreelanceSwitch - The Freelance Blog Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:33:40 +0000 http://www.freelancermagazine.com/?p=626#comment-413 [...] The pet peeve of every freelancer: deadlines! Taiyab shares with us some good techniques on meeting (or beating) deadlines. [...] [...] The pet peeve of every freelancer: deadlines! Taiyab shares with us some good techniques on meeting (or beating) deadlines. [...]

]]> By: hcabbos http://www.freelancermagazine.com/3-ways-to-keep-to-your-deadlines/comment-page-1/#comment-316 hcabbos Sun, 26 Oct 2008 15:00:22 +0000 http://www.freelancermagazine.com/?p=626#comment-316 I think the shadow deadline concept has merit. Yes, the date provided to the client may be different but it comes down to discipline in using this internal date as a target. As with a lot of things, a few weeks of sticking to it can lead to internalizing it. Ultimately, I can see where it leads to satisfied customer…and really, isn't that what it's all about? In this challenging economy, keeping current clients and selling them more is a very efficient way of keeping cashflow coming in. And the return on investment for a satisfied customer yields great dividends. I think the shadow deadline concept has merit. Yes, the date provided to the client may be different but it comes down to discipline in using this internal date as a target. As with a lot of things, a few weeks of sticking to it can lead to internalizing it.

Ultimately, I can see where it leads to satisfied customer…and really, isn’t that what it’s all about? In this challenging economy, keeping current clients and selling them more is a very efficient way of keeping cashflow coming in. And the return on investment for a satisfied customer yields great dividends.

]]> By: Bogdan Pop http://www.freelancermagazine.com/3-ways-to-keep-to-your-deadlines/comment-page-1/#comment-196 Bogdan Pop Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:52:16 +0000 http://www.freelancermagazine.com/?p=626#comment-196 The drag and drop feature is "out of the box" so to speak, in Mac OS X's calendar application. I have not used any other such applications, so do not know how other perform. The basic idea is that calendar applications now allow changing data very quickly, without typing anything. That causes this issue. If you weren't able to update that fast and postpone some small deadlines, maybe you would just spend 5 minutes and get them done. The drag and drop feature is “out of the box” so to speak, in Mac OS X’s calendar application. I have not used any other such applications, so do not know how other perform.

The basic idea is that calendar applications now allow changing data very quickly, without typing anything. That causes this issue. If you weren’t able to update that fast and postpone some small deadlines, maybe you would just spend 5 minutes and get them done.

]]> By: Taiyab http://www.freelancermagazine.com/3-ways-to-keep-to-your-deadlines/comment-page-1/#comment-192 Taiyab Sun, 19 Oct 2008 10:09:19 +0000 http://www.freelancermagazine.com/?p=626#comment-192 Well argued point Bogdan, I understand what you're saying. Your last point of temporarily lack of huge amounts of work is probably true to the main bunch of freelancers but I would still there's variation in this also. I tend to be able to work much faster when I only have one project on the go simple because I can focus all my energies into that. There's no stress involved because you can't really be late with a deadline when you only have one client. There are obvious issues with this though, such as not being able to earn enough from one client at a time. That idea on the drag and drop calendar sounds very good, maybe you could guest post here about it in more depth? I tend not to like to be forced into action as the deadline comes closer as you mentioned; yes, very weird I know. Thanks for the great comment overall. I'll be emailing you with regards to the guest post. Well argued point Bogdan, I understand what you’re saying. Your last point of temporarily lack of huge amounts of work is probably true to the main bunch of freelancers but I would still there’s variation in this also. I tend to be able to work much faster when I only have one project on the go simple because I can focus all my energies into that. There’s no stress involved because you can’t really be late with a deadline when you only have one client.

There are obvious issues with this though, such as not being able to earn enough from one client at a time.

That idea on the drag and drop calendar sounds very good, maybe you could guest post here about it in more depth?

I tend not to like to be forced into action as the deadline comes closer as you mentioned; yes, very weird I know.

Thanks for the great comment overall. I’ll be emailing you with regards to the guest post.

]]> By: Bogdan Pop http://www.freelancermagazine.com/3-ways-to-keep-to-your-deadlines/comment-page-1/#comment-191 Bogdan Pop Sun, 19 Oct 2008 07:45:41 +0000 http://www.freelancermagazine.com/?p=626#comment-191 Hmm. Setting "Shadow deadlines" and Milestones may not work. Simply because you know that the last and final deadline is not 100% real, you may procrastinate even more by moving the deadlines previously set forward. You have: Milestone 1: Design - Deadline: 26th October Milestone 2: xHTML/CSS Coding - Deadline: 4th November Milestone 3: Integration into e-commerce script - Deadline: 10th November Which may easily become: Milestone 1: Design - Deadline: 28th October Milestone 2: xHTML/CSS Coding - Deadline: 6th November Milestone 3: Integration into e-commerce script - Deadline: 12th November I have been using deadlines in my calendar which is synced between macs and phone back and forth, and when I am not in the mood to work for my company, I tend to put one more day to each major deadline. In fact, it is just a drag and drop. However, I do tend to be more productive when I know the real deadline comes closer. That stresses me a bit and procrastination is gone. Overall, I think this procrastination in freelancers and small business owners is caused by the temporary lack of huge amounts of work. When there's little work to do, it is easy to postpone it. Hmm. Setting “Shadow deadlines” and Milestones may not work. Simply because you know that the last and final deadline is not 100% real, you may procrastinate even more by moving the deadlines previously set forward.

You have:

Milestone 1: Design – Deadline: 26th October
Milestone 2: xHTML/CSS Coding – Deadline: 4th November
Milestone 3: Integration into e-commerce script – Deadline: 10th November

Which may easily become:
Milestone 1: Design – Deadline: 28th October
Milestone 2: xHTML/CSS Coding – Deadline: 6th November
Milestone 3: Integration into e-commerce script – Deadline: 12th November

I have been using deadlines in my calendar which is synced between macs and phone back and forth, and when I am not in the mood to work for my company, I tend to put one more day to each major deadline. In fact, it is just a drag and drop.

However, I do tend to be more productive when I know the real deadline comes closer. That stresses me a bit and procrastination is gone.

Overall, I think this procrastination in freelancers and small business owners is caused by the temporary lack of huge amounts of work. When there’s little work to do, it is easy to postpone it.

]]>