December 21, 2012, is the deadline when the world is coming to an end. However, there appears to be a little wiggle room here. Evidently the Mayans, who are credited with “publishing” this deadline, have added an asterisk to that date, explaining there is a lot more to the story.* It seems Hollywood has added some drama. Go figure.
But the drama that comes with meeting deadlines is very real. And there are many days where it becomes obvious that some of these deadlines are just not going to be met. It’s at that point in time when we learn the difference between “published” deadlines and “real” deadlines.
Published deadlines are very valuable. They help us set goals, get organized and establish milestones that need to be reached along the way. But even our most well-thought out plans can hit a snag, or time suddenly passes by and before you know it, that published deadline is no longer possible to achieve. When this happens, anxiety begins to set in, co-workers get crabby, mistakes are made and there is unhappiness everywhere. But this situation also opens up opportunities, and that’s when real deadlines are set.
Real deadlines force everyone involved to stop and reevaluate what really needs to be done and how the team can pull it off. The previously discouraged team is re-energized, united for a common purpose and mobilized to accomplish the seemingly unattainable task at hand. Together, they work smarter, use their creative talents to employ unconventional problem-solving techniques, and, in the end, have a huge sense of accomplishment and reason to celebrate a job well done.
Publishing deadlines is great and always the preferred means by which to reach a goal. But deadlines will be missed and when that happens, it doesn’t mean the goal cannot be achieved. Just figure out what really needs to get done and work smarter – together. Then enjoy life and don’t worry about it. After all, it’s not the end of the world.
So, what are you planning to do on December 22, 2012?
*For more about the end of the world see MSNBC http://ow.ly/vH93
Aztec calendar photo credit courtesy of Santa Fe College
It’s the World Famous Tumbling Bros. Hatling & Flint Circus
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Talk about an incredible evening! We had the privilege of working with 
