Due dates give us an incentive to finish, to wrap up whatever we’re doing before we proceed further. Even though there can be pressure and anxiety associated with due dates, they push us to work harder, to focus on the task at hand until the work is completed.
But due dates can have a negative effect as well. Depending on the amount of work there is in proportion to the due date, that due date can add undue stress and fatigue, especially if the work far exceeds what can be accomplished by the due date. This can make the work/project unbearable, unenjoyable, and make us want to never return to that kind of work or project again.
On the flip side, without due dates, the initiative isn’t there to finish a project. We can take as much time as we need, but on the assumption that we’ll be working on it consistently, and that we’re not pulled away by other things that distract us or demand our attention. But how often are we distracted, and how often do new things come up that demand our attention? Daily, of course.
Thus, there must be a middle ground between the two extremes of unreasonable due dates and no due dates at all. That middle ground exists where experience shows what can be achieved given what is humanly possible. Exceeding that limit can cause us to sacrifice quality for completion, or to sacrifice completion for quality. But the question is how far can that limit be pushed?
Fallton Havenstonne 