They have meanings.

And you can make that work in your favor.

That’s the tip for today.

Stop worrying about a “deadline.”  How about trying to reach the “finish line,” instead?

Does it have to be such a horrible, scary thing?  Horror movie scary?  Day of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Dead Ringers.

What’s the drop dead date? we used to say at work.  Meaning the absolute, unequivocal, unbreakable deadline.

Who wants to drop dead?

Not me.

Finish line makes me think of success.  Most of the time, when I think of crossing the finish line, I think of coming in first.  (Well, really, only when I think of somebody else crossing the finish line.  I never came in first in my life.)  Coming in first is success in anybody’s book.

Even if you don’t come in first, crossing the finish line means you finished the race.  That’s an achievement in itself.  You stayed the course.  You finished.

A finish line is something you race toward.  It’s not something that looms over you, something the clock ticks toward with the inevitability and concomitant dread of an armed explosive device.

Plus, one definition of “finish” is “a highly developed state of perfection; having a flawless or impeccable quality.”  I’d sure like to achieve that in my writing, wouldn’t you?

Shiny, polished, finished.

I’m not setting any deadlines any more.  I’m going to be crossing finish lines.