Are we more productive during crunch time, or do we do a poorer job because of it?
We’ve all faced crunch time before. Just think back to a deadline at work or when we had to turn in a paper or an assignment at a university. It happens in sports too, especially when the clock is winding down. But do deadlines give us an incentive to do better, or do we make a myriad of mistakes because we feel rushed?
Having deadlines is a part of life, and it’s really about time management and how realistic the expectations are in completing a task. If we had procrastinated on a project and then started on it at the last minute, then the chance of a high quality result will be lower than if we had worked on it earlier.
If we had started on the project earlier, then crunch time would be more about putting the finishing touches on it (or double checking the work) rather than starting from scratch. The earlier we start, the more leeway we have to try things out, experiment, make mistakes, and to see if we need more time or not.
Crunch time happens all the time, but it’s really about how prepared we are for it. Will we start at the last minute, or will we work ahead and be ready for the deadline?
Fallton Havenstonne 