I worked furiously yesterday to get a project finished for today’s deadline. I was focused and systematic and I got more than I expected to done. That is, I finished all of the essential work and got most of the nice to have stuff done too.

Working up to the wire in this way is how I work best. I don’t know any other way to be. Without the time pressure I rarely find the zone of focus and flow I need to really get things done.

I battled with this for a long time because it feels out of sync with my nature. I’m a planner and always organised. In a group, I’m the one who has thought of every eventuality and prepared for it. What I’ve come to realise is that this is what allows me to work effectively when time is limited. I use my time in advance to come up with a plan so that when it comes to those final hours I know exactly what I’ve got to do and how to go about it. That means I rarely miss a deadline.

So back to this latest project I’ve been working on…

After the rush and high of finishing on time I discovered that I’d got my dates wrong and the deadline is actually a week away! It feels so strange to have finished something so far ahead of schedule. I almost don’t know what to do with myself!

This is day eight of my #100DaysToOffload challenge. Want to get involved? Find out more at 100daystooffload.com