Why you can't create without deadlines

One single insight changed how I wrote my PhD thesis.

It’s the same reason I’m now joining communities to work on my business.

And it’s all about deadlines.
(or the struggle when they are non-existent).

Let me explain.

Back when I was doing my PhD, my supervisor cared about results. Experiments, data, progress, yes. But the actual thesis writing? Submitting chapters on time? That was up to me.

Which sounds empowering, but it really wasn't. Because I don't get things done without deadlines.

Armed with my new self-awareness, I did something very un-academic: I made my supervisor give me fake deadlines.

Did he actually care if it came Monday or Thursday? Not really.

What mattered was: for me, the pressure and accountability felt very real.

Gretchen Rubin would call that a typical obliger behavior: I’ll do anything for an external deadline, but I’ll happily ignore my own plans.

Fast-forward to solopreneur life, I feel the same pain when creating my own content: there is no consequence if I skip a day of posting. Make it a week. Or a month?

And before you know it, you’re invisible online. You’re not building relationships. You’re missing opportunities. All because no one is “expecting” anything from you.

If creating for someone else always feels easier than creating for yourself, this is for you👇

Inpired by Gretchen Rubin

Obligers make fantastic employees. They meet deadlines, deliver on promises, and are reliable teammates.

But when it comes to doing things for themselves, they often stall. Not because they lack confidence, but because they lack external accountability.

So what can you do when you are your own boss?

Here are three strategies to overcome the lack of outer accountability when you are building your own business:

Find an accountability partner

Challenges work great for this. When others are showing up, you’ll feel the pull to show up too. It’s a mix of peer pressure and encouragement (plus, it’s just more fun to create together).

Join a community.

Find a group of people IRL or on the internet that share your goals.

Want to read more non-fiction? Join a book club.
Want to commit to improving your newsletter? Join a community of newsletter writers.
Want to finally create that one product you've been dreaming about for three years? Find a group of creators doing the same!

(P.S. I know some really great ones, happy to share!)

Create a waiting list

If you are putting off that lead magnet (like me🤓), that short training, or that email course, one strategy includes creating a waiting list. As people sign up, you actually create a commitment for yourself to create the thing.

At the end of the day, being an Obliger isn’t a flaw, even though it often feels like a big dissapointment. But once you know it, you can play into your strenghts when you design your work life.