Deadlines are mandatory when we race, and optional when we create. But do we really need them? The etymology of deadline is debatable, probably named after lines that did not move in times of war.

What truly matters is that they force us to arrange chores in order of priority focusing on our goals. They are the perfect aid to say no to non-meaningful goals.

You may have heard of the Yerkes-Dodson Law. It basically refers to the stress we experience under the circumstances created by a deadline, motivating us to improve performance. So it seems reasonable to place “time limits” in our calendar to help us improve performance and creation.

We can blame the Egyptians for inventing sundials, dividing day-time into 10 hour periods, and using that daylight period as a fundamental unit. But the factuality is that deadlines help us maintain certain momentum, organize productivity, become more infallible, and needless to say, better managers in life.

For me the key to stopping procrastinating is the creation of a prioritization essentials task-list, breaking them into smaller chores. And I admit, the Eisenhower Matrix has helped quite a bit too. What is yours?