Why we should think less about deadlines (and what we should do instead)

Sign up for my weekly newsletter for more actionable tips and reflective prompts that will help you be a happier and more effective PhD student or academic. You’ll also be the first to know about my free webinars! Click here to sign up: https://thephdlifecoach.mykajabi.com/newsletter-form THIS VIDEO Do you find yourself putting stuff off because it’s not due yet or never reaching some goals because they don’t have a specific deadline at all? Is the only thing that actually gets you moving that slight panic associated with a looming deadline? If so, this is totally normal but it can mean that work feels very pressured and that we don’t always do the things that we want to be doing in the long term. In this episode, I will talk about how we can reduce our dependence on deadlines and how we can use start dates to organise our tasks instead. WHO AM I? I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach. I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. On YouTube and my podcast, I share actionable advice, compassionate reassurance, and the occasional reality check to help you achieve your goals. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss any episodes! ⌚️Timestamps: 0:24 The type of tasks we all struggle with 1:37 Why I sound like a weirdo today 2:38 The problem with deadlines 4:05 Why deadlines prioritise the wrong tasks 5:25 How to identify your important but not urgent tasks 6:40 Why Steven Covey’s quadrants didn’t fix my problems 7:39 How role-based timeblocking can be useful 8:19 Why deadlines don’t help with overwhelming to do lists 8:59 How to do lists fill up our cognitive capacity 9:46 Why a master to do list alone doesn’t fix this problem 10:37 Why we want to throw things over the horizon instead 12:03 How to decide what tasks to focus on 13:47 How to use start dates to manage your task list 14:32 How to combine start dates with role-based time management 15:00 How to personalise your to do list system to add start dates 15:53 What to do if you don’t know when to start 16:54 How to review your tasks 17:52 How this system catches your habits 18:03 Sneaky extra tip about those tasks you never get round to 20:10 Using start dates to progress plan 22:43 Start dates to plan for other constraints 23:28 How the PhD Life Coach Membership can help you this year 24:35 The importance of self-compassion in planning 25:27 The price of the membership 25:50 The details of what you get as a member