DEADLINE

cinderella's deadlineby ~StephSpensley

BLOOD PRESSURE 250/125.
Why did I choose this picture for a thought on "deadline?"
It is because there are at least three situations that cause blood pressure to rise because of deadlines.  The first one is self-imposed deadlines.  The second is the deadline that is imposed from outside but whose outcome rests entirely in MY control. Finally there is the one that is either self-imposed or comes from the outside, but is only indirectly under my control.  This is the real witch.
Most of the pictorial representations I found were of the nature of dealines that are under the control of the operator.  These are stressful, especially of they have to be met to satisfy a superior or a customer.  Like the printer who promises the finished product by 10:00 AM tomorrow.  The printer now has to perform.  Except if he happens to be working in the town where I presently live.  Nevertheless, under normal circumstances the promise will be kept, even if the owner of the promise has to work deep into the night to assure delivery.
The most stressful deadline situation is the one in which the order to meet the deadline is given to a manager who has to depend on other employees to deliver the end product by the deadline.  This is enough to drive some people off the edge.  The manager has to trust those who are physically doing the work while all the manager can do is sweat and swear, or swear and sweat, depending on the depth of religious convictions.  I don't know why I am writing about this at my age.  Don't we all grow up under the sword of the deadline?  Kindergarten to doctoral thesis is nothing but a string of deadline after deadline. BUT, the control remains in the hands of the one to whom the deadline has been given.  SO, the question arises, "Is this supposed to train me to be able to relax when the deadline that I own is at the mercy of those who work for me?"  The answer is "NO."  
It is up to me to learn how to do that all by myself. I know a couple people who actually turned down promotions to supervisory positions because they did not have the desire to teach themselves the skills needed to guide others to meeting deadlines for them.  By the same token, I thrive on managing people, but that is not to say that my blood pressure stays at 120/60.  Ohhh, noooo!  I do tell you openly, that I do not swear when I am under pressure.  I only swear when I am relaxed and at ease. The good thing about that is, that I am so rarely relaxed and at ease that I swear very little.
Besides, in my present situation, I am always under the gun of dealines.  But meeting them is always under my direct control.  The other day I stayed awake 26 hours straight making sure that the company for whom I work delivered a product on time.  We did it.  goooood feeeeling!!!  So, in my life I have learned how to do both things.  I can do it myself or I can motivate others to do it for the sake of the common good.  
I end by saying that it is always easier to endure the harship that you impose upon yourself than to suffer through the one that you didn't choose...Worse yet, the one that blind-sides you unexpectedly.  Fortunately most deadlines are of the type that you can see coming.  May all of your deadlines be of the foreseeable, of your own choosing and under your direct control for the rest of your natural life.  
Good luck with that one!