Have you heard someone say, or maybe you have said it yourself, “I work best under pressure.” I do some of my best work under the gun and at the last minute. There is nothing like a deadline to get me in gear. I remember doing some of my best work on the bus on my way to school. Well, for a high school freshmen that might be expected but as an adult professional we need to find ways of getting ourselves into gear before the deadline is near. I’m going to give you a few tips to help you meet the deadline well before you cross the line. I’ll be the first to admit that I have not masters the art of timeliness yet. However, I am probably my hardest critic when it comes to being prepared. There’s nothing like the feeling of walking into a presentation or workshop knowing that I have thought through all of the details and prepared to the best of my ability. That confidence and preparation usually translates into an outstanding performance.

So, how can we overcome that little voice inside of us that say, “you have plenty of time…do it later.” How can we create that sense of urgency when we feel so far away from the deadline? Here are three tips for getting in gear with the use of fear.

1. Lie To Yourself

One of the most effective tools for meeting a deadline is to lie to yourself about the deadline. I have mastered this process. If you are given a deadline, create a practice of moving your deadline date back a week, day or hour. For example, my business prides itself on our fast turnaround time. We guarantee our video clients a draft in two to three days. However, we only give ourselves 24 hours to complete the draft. That self-imposed deadline is as real as the one promised to our clients. However, when something go wacky, like they undoubtedly will, we have time to regroup and keep our promise to our clients. Today, I’m proud to say that our clients give us the highest ratings in timeliness.

Create a practice of buying yourself time buy setting your self-imposed deadline back a week, day or a few hours. You’ll be amazed by your increased performance and feeling of preparation.

2. Increase Your Fear Factor

Most of us wait until we hear that alarm in our heads that tell us to panic and get going, before we jump into action. Walter Cannon, physiologist, describes that alarm is your acute stress response, also known as our Fight-or-Flight response. The human brain that senses danger or stress and signals the release of chemicals, norepinephrine or adrenaline, that tells the body to do something. At this point we use that energy to complete the task before us.

Wouldn’t it be nice for your brain to send out that alarm earlier? Well, it can. Let us consider first your body’s natural desire to do something. It is our most natural state to be in action. Consider the average person’s desire to eat. Most American’s eat at least three times a day with snacks in between meals. We eat more than any other people in the world. That means we have more potential energy in us just waiting to act than any other people on the planet.

I have been guilty of spending too much time planning and talking about doing something. As a result, the doing of that thing was often left undone. That’s potential energy that never turned into work, wasted energy.

I recently adopted a challenge I heard from Anthony Robbins, motivational speaker. He said that you could turn on your own alarm by exercising. The same chemicals that are released when stress hits us, are also released in exercise, thus moving us into action. Tony said that the thing that keeps us from jumping into action is our mind. We simply think about things too much. His challenge to roll out of bed into my running close without thinking about it has resulted in a habit of running for me. That boost of action is like the starting of a lawn mower. After a pull or two and a few minutes of running, that engine will go until it out of gas. Well, after a few years of good eating, I don’t have to worry about running out of gas.

Figure out how to get your engine going before the deadline hits. I suggest that you start on a very simple or easy part of the project, one that it not intimidating or challenging. You will find that once you start moving, that momentum will lead you into completion. If you, by chance, stop moving towards your completion, I suggested that you stop thinking about it and just start doing something related to the task at hand.

3. Accountability Partnerships

Of all the tips for getting and staying in gear, having an accountability partner is the most effective. When used correctly, an accountability partnership will allow you to discover your greatest potential. As far as staying on task and in gear, a good accountability partner can move you to the next level of your performance.

What is an accountability partnership? Well, I’m glad you asked. An Accountability Partnership or (AP) is a relationship with one or more people designed to hold each other responsible for keeping a commitment or performing a task. The partnership is most effective when there are clearly defined rewards, benefits or consequences for performing the defined behavior. APs were popularized by the 12 Step process used in addiction treatment. Today, corporations, non-profits, social workers and schools are all using AP to achieve results.

I have several accountability partners. The way I use one of my partners to help me keep my work deadlines is pretty innovative. I often break large projects down into small clearly definable pieces. These pieces are things that if completed, I will feel successful. Once I have the pieces, or task, defined, I list them in a project plan or work plan with due dates and times. Then, I send this plan to my “Work Plan Accountability Partner,” Dan. Dan has three weekly jobs, which are as simple as a 2 min phone call. The first call comes on Sunday; the second on Wednesday and the last at the end of the work day on Friday. Sunday’s call is to confirm the receipt of the work plan. The Wednesday call is a courtesy call to remind me that Friday is coming. And the Friday call is a simple as one question, “Did you get it all done and where is the proof?” On Friday, I am responsible for showing Dan proof of my completion of all of my task. In most cases, that is a completed writing assignment, video production, or call list. All of these outcomes are clearly defined in the work plan.

Here’s the motivation. Dan has a generous check that I wrote him several months ago with the promise that if I do not complete all of my agreements by Friday, he has liberty to cash that check and spend my money in the most reckless and irresponsible way he can imagine. Afterwards, he is to tell me all about it.

For this kind of Accountability Partnership to work, each person should share their week’s work goals. In addition, there must be a mutual trust among APs, especially if you are using checks. Lastly, there can be no acceptance of excuses. Like my grandmother said, “excuses are the tools of the incompetent. They are built up monuments of nothingness. And those who use them are seldom good for anything else.” This is a good phrase to remember when your AP begins to make excuses. Encourage your AP to set SMART Goals that are challenging and attainable.

Harlan B. Hodge is a Life Coach based in St. Louis Missouri. He is the creator and publisher of Teach and Learn Magazine, a DVD-Based publication. He conducts workshops and seminars on effectively using technology to enhance performance, learning and leadership. To reserve Harlan for lectures or workshops, please send an email to harlan(at)harlanbhodge.com