I hosted my first tabletop RPG session last week. It went well!
And all because I set a deadline.
Deadlines are usually a negative thing in life. For me, I think of school assignments or college applications or arbitrary sprint goals. I mean, it’s got the word “dead” in it and everything.1
But a deadline doesn’t need a sense of dread or punishment behind it. A deadline can be an exciting challenge to rally towards.
One reframing is to consider throwing a party. You can’t host an event if no one knows when it’s going to happen. You can’t tell people to RSVP to “when I feel 100% ready”.
You gotta set the event date first and work backwards from there. Sure, you won’t be wholly prepared and you may have to cut some corners, but the important thing is that you actually do the thing so people can show up and have fun!
The deadline is the circuit-breaker against the never-ending pursuit of perfection.
That was certainly the case for me and TTRPGs. Researching was fun, but if I wanted to experience running a game with friend, I’d have to… actually run a game with friends.
Deadlines like college applications and company launches are usually externally motivated. But when you’re setting deadlines for yourself, you can choose and ensure they align with internal motivations.
Deadlines can be a tool to help you get what you want!
Pretty grim history behind it: https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/01/origin-deadline/