Deadlines

Deadlines are a really good idea. You might have one already imposed on you by an outside body, like dates for entry to competitions.

But self imposed deadlines are also effective. However, they should be realistic, otherwise they might not be achievable. They should be there to motivate you to reach the goal post, achieving the target, or at least close enough to the target.

A Birthday is a good deadline. If you have an important birthday, that can be a huge motivation to finish a piece of work by that time. But any birthday, yours or a close family member's birthday can also have a similar motivating effect.

My first attempt to write a novel, was completed within 13 months of a big birthday. At least I got the 120,000 words down. That was an achievement all by itself.