Deadlines are an integral part of many sectors, from freelancers working on web content to developers writing code for a new SaaS offering. Clients have KPIs to meet and workers can’t afford to be late with their submissions. Unfortunately, unless you are blessed with excellent focus and your workplace is free of distractions, meeting deadlines can sometimes be tricky. In this article, we’re going to look at a few sensible tech solutions that will help you meet deadlines like a pro.
Digital Planner
It is difficult to meet deadlines when you don’t have a clue what’s due and when. Crushing deadlines requires a high degree of organizational acumen. The best way to achieve this is by using a digital annual calendar.
Use an online planner to track your deadlines. It will give you a clear visual representation of the weeks or months ahead, so you can better allocate time and resources to the various tasks, both for yourself and others working alongside you.
The beauty of tools like this is that they are collaborative. You can loop in other people working on the same project, leave notes, and instantly see what’s due and when.
Time Tracker
Time tracker apps are very useful for freelancers. Install a time tracker app to monitor how much time you spend working on projects for different clients. This will help you spot if you are spending excessive time on work for a client that earns you less money.
To-Do List
You’ll need to get a handle on all aspects of your life if you plan to meet tough deadlines. A digital to-do list is a useful way of organizing various parts of your life, such as childcare, other work commitments, and social engagements.
Digital to-do lists are also handy for teams and project managers.
Project Management Tools
Project management tools are useful for helping to streamline larger projects. Whether you work as a freelancer with different clients or manage teams of 10+ people, project management interfaces will make life easier.
Project management solutions let you track your time, communicate with other people who are also using the platform so that you can share ideas, and add comments to different tasks. The software will give you a useful overview of where each task falls in the overall timeline. That way you can spot potential bottlenecks before they become a bigger issue and threaten deadlines.
Focus Apps
Some people are better at focusing than others. If you regularly fall down a social media rabbit hole and end up wasting countless minutes reading junk articles or posts, you need to download a focus app on your browser or smartphone.
Focus apps do exactly what they say on the tin. They block notifications and distractions, thus ensuring that the only sites you visit are the ones you need for work. Use a focus app to block your access to Facebook, Reddit, or any other site or app that loves to suck you in and steal time. It’s a useful way of ensuring you focus on work rather than cute kitten videos. That way you are better placed to meet your deadlines.
Our last tip is to switch off your smartphone for an hour or two if you really need to crack on with worth. You can thank us later.
