Compelling Event

What is compelling events or deadlines?

A compelling event is something that’s going to happen and bears serious consequences on the day of the event, if certain criterion is not met. A deadline is a date or time something must be done; a deadline could be a compelling event. For the remainder of this section we use Compelling Event and Deadline interchangeably; this process is about getting work done, having fun and growing ones career, in the spirit of growing careers, the two terms are the same.

Why would one want to create your own deadlines?

It creates an environment of growth around you. You will need extra resources; acquiring those resources to get the job done will fast-track your growth in career skills. Deadlines, ones you created or otherwise, get the job done and that’s always a good thing.


How do I create my own compelling events?

Prioritize your work. Those tasks and projects at the top is the place to begin. Ask questions like:

• Do these projects have deadlines?


• If not set a reasonable time for them to be completed.


• Which extra resources will I need to complete these projects?


• Get these resources, use delegation.


• Ask yourself what the one with the resources you have needs that you can offer.


• If the project does have a deadline, can I complete the project before the deadline date?


• Can I create “small” compelling events before the big date that will assist me in completing certain tasks faster?


• Create mini projects out of certain aspects of the bigger project.

If I am unable to complete the deadlines I set for myself, how should one handle this?

Knowing that you worked hard to complete this deadline, the only thing you can do is learn from what happened. Make some time and review what you did, ask yourself questions like:

• What could one have done differently?


• Which other resources could one have used?


• Which of the tools, methods and processes one used worked and which did not work?


• Why did they work and, if not, why did they not work?


• Which skills did I learn through creating my own compelling events?


• Use questioning skills.

Remember to make time and see how much you grew in the process. Do not just focus on the things that did not work…

Take an orange from your backpack of life, sit down on the mountain you are climbing and look back at the view. Appreciate the effort it took to climb to where you are and enjoy the new skills you have learned.

Reference: http://www.careerdevelopmentplan.net/Deadline.html

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