The Heat of a Deadline

I LOVE THE HEAT of a deadline.

There is something about the urgency of crossing the finish line in time that revs my creative engine. Some of my best ideas will show up in that tense filled eleventh hour.

I used to envy the highly organized types who had a generous swath of time before a deadline. I would admire their efficiency from my frenzied git-er-dun state.

Despite my seemingly lack of time management, I have come to realize that I straight the fuck up like a good race. I don't win them every time...sometimes my kink for hot n heavy deadlines means I miss the mark. I have to live with that.

But ... it is the exception.

Even way back when I was a high school student, I was wired this way. I'd write that final term paper on the fly the night before with flames licking at my fingers. And then, I'd ace it. My smoked up pages would earn me an A. I almost felt guilty knowing that many of my peers sweated the assignment for weeks.

There is something about a deadline that activates the mad genius in me.

I will lose sleep. I become a crazy woman. I don't shower and I drink way too much coffee. And then I slay it like the Taurus Dragon Woman I am.

I'm up against two deadlines right now. One of them is manageable. I feel good about it. But the other one... well.... maybe if I run faster and throw every single caution to the wind I'll kick it's ass.

The thing about running hard up on a deadline is that indecisiveness --- also known as a creativity killer --- is pretty much shut down. There is no time to assess or rethink or try something five million times.