When I have a project with a deadline I tend to rewrite the deadline to break it down into multiple sections and also to shorten the length of time I have to finish the project in (sad) anticipation of missing the date. What can I say? Writers miss deadlines. So, if I don’t want to be that writer then I use a false deadline in order to ratchet down the pressure. Generally I forget the real deadline entirely and focus on the false one as the legit deadline. Sometimes I miss the false one. That is largely due to how I break down the work and what happens between setting a schedule and life happening.
Life happens. Hard.
On the other hand, having many shorter and more manageable mile-marker deadlines helps. For example, I am working on a 35,000 word project that is due in 30 days. That sounds legitimately rough. However, I have a subsection of just 12oo words due this weekend and several other smaller deadlines numbering close to a total of 8 k due over the course of the next week. Each small section seems doable. If I put in the work I ought to be just fine. If I miss one there will be a chain reaction that pushes everything back. That being said, I’d rather have that smaller mishap then try to tackle 35K all at once. It feels like too much. I’m not the first writer to say it this way.
Take small bites. You’ll get done and it won’t hurt doing it.