Deadlines

Recently I read an article by Rachel Syme in the New Yorker about deadlines, and I knew I had the topic for my next article. It’s amazing to me that I haven’t written about this topic before now. In our business, deadlines are part of daily life. Sometimes they spill over into our personal lives.

Most high-stakes projects – foundation grants, federal grants, state grants, reports, cases for support, and letters to donors – have deadlines. Some are firm (5:00 p.m. on Friday), and some are internally imposed deadlines that, frankly, can be just as hair-raising.

Symes writes that people approach deadlines differently.

Some (well-adjusted, diligent) people jump in, figuring that the anxiety of an unpaid bill or an unfinished project is far more painful than the difficulty of sticking to a sensible schedule. But others, like me, live in blissful denial – at least until the last minute, when… we bolt to the end, vowing that we’ll do it all differently next time.¹

Strategies
Whatever your style, here are some ideas about how to manage this unfortunate fact of a grant writer’s life.

• Educate the team. Not everyone is deadline-savvy. Make a plan that describes what’s involved, who’s doing what, what you need, and when. Explain why it’s important, and the risk to quality of going to the wire.
• Focus on the finish line. Remind yourself of that blissful moment when you click send and the project that’s been driving you nuts is suddenly just a distant memory.
• Plan your reward. Do this as soon as you start your project, to allow plenty of time for joyful anticipation of a day off or a trip for ice cream.
• Enjoy the perks. When we’re in the throes of a deadline, friends and colleagues may commiserate, buy us coffee, or help us get other things done. And don’t forget that a deadline is a great excuse to avoid doing the laundry.
• Make it fun. It’s possible. Expressions of appreciation for the person who’s slogging through the budget can spur energy and determination.
• Put your experience to work. Daily life is full of deadlines – getting to the dentist on time, preparing to move, and the big one – filing taxes. The next time you face a grant deadline, remember you’re a pro and this project is a piece of cake.
• Address stress. Even a short break can help. One day, realizing I had to knuckle down for a few more hours to meet a deadline, I closed my computer, relocated, and did nothing, for just a few minutes. I was astounded to find I now had the energy to finish the job.

Finally, deadlines are a fact of life so we might as well accept it. Once, when I told my son I couldn’t talk at that moment because I had a deadline, he said “You always have a deadline!” I got the message and am trying to chill out about it.

I hope these ideas are helpful. But now I’ve got to run. I’ve got a deadline!

1 Rachel Syme, “Clock’s Ticking: Can deadlines bring us to life?,” New Yorker, July 5, 2021, 26.