--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are people who literally cannot…" description: "\"There are people who literally cannot start a project until the deadline is four hours away, even if it's a big one. And those people have a serious pr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a01/robert-pozen-23969_bigs_there-are-people-who-literally-cannot-st_2649801.jpg" --- # There are people who literally cannot start a project… ![“There are people who literally cannot start a project until the deadline is four hours away, even if it's a big one. And those people have a serious problem. My recommendation is set up mini-deadlines. You might say, 'Okay, here's my deadline after three days for this and there's another deadline…” quote by Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a01/robert-pozen-23969_bigs_there-are-people-who-literally-cannot-st_2649801.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a01/robert-pozen-23969_bigs_there-are-people-who-literally-cannot-st_2649801.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a01/robert-pozen-23969_bigs_there-are-people-who-literally-cannot-st_2649801.jpg) > “There are people who literally cannot start a project until the deadline is four hours away, even if it's a big one. And those people have a serious problem. My recommendation is set up mini-deadlines. You might say, 'Okay, here's my deadline after three days for this and there's another deadline for that and then a third deadline.” [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Procrastinators need mini‑deadlines to overcome inertia. **In simple terms:** Mini‑deadlines combat procrastination. Key Takeaway Set short, frequent targets. Themes productivity deadlines procrastination Mood practical motivational Type business self‑help When to use this quote - work tasks - studying - habit formation Key Concepts business self‑management Questions to Reflect On - What tasks need micro‑goals? - How will you track progress? A Different Perspective Too many mini‑deadlines may cause fragmentation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) ## Related quotes > [Everybody in the real world will agree - the moment a project is behind deadline, quality assurance tends to go out the window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cox/everybody-in-the-real-world-will-agree-the-moment-a-project-is-behind/) Alan Cox > [All writers are forced to live within deadlines, and deadlines determine how good they can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/all-writers-are-forced-to-live-within-deadlines-and-deadlines/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Deadlines just aren't real to me until I'm staring one in the face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/deadlines-just-aren-t-real-to-me-until-i-m-staring-one-in-the-face/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Meeting external deadlines is much harder than meeting internal ones. On the other hand, internal deadlines sometimes don't feel real, and are therefore easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/meeting-external-deadlines-is-much-harder-than-meeting-internal-ones/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [To be honest with you, I'd rather not be working. When you work, there are all sorts of deadlines and pressures. I like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benicio-del-toro/to-be-honest-with-you-i-d-rather-not-be-working-when-you-work-there/) [Benicio Del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benicio-del-toro/) > [I no longer feel I'll be dead by thirty; now it's sixty. I suppose these deadlines we set for ourselves are really a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-no-longer-feel-i-ll-be-dead-by-thirty-now-it-s-sixty-i-suppose/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [The danger of having too close deadlines... It could lead you to just accept an avenue that's not quite good enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-weir/the-danger-of-having-too-close-deadlines-it-could-lead-you-to-just/) [Judith Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-weir/) > [I am one of those people who thrive on deadlines. Nothing brings on inspiration more readily than desperation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-am-one-of-those-people-who-thrive-on-deadlines-nothing-brings-on/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [You put deadlines on people you really don't want, because that's how you feel about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-leiter/you-put-deadlines-on-people-you-really-don-t-want-because-that-s-how/) [Al Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-leiter/) > [Deadlines concentrate the mind. But deadlines should not be dogmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/deadlines-concentrate-the-mind-but-deadlines-should-not-be-dogmas/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [A harsh reality of newspaper editing is that the deadlines don't allow for the polish that you expect in books or even magazines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walsh/a-harsh-reality-of-newspaper-editing-is-that-the-deadlines-don-t/) [Bill Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walsh/) > [There are no unrealistic goals, only unrealistic deadlines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/there-are-no-unrealistic-goals-only-unrealistic-deadlines/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [Publishing is, by its nature, about deadlines, and deadlines are toxic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/publishing-is-by-its-nature-about-deadlines-and-deadlines-are-toxic/) [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) > [Nothing focuses attention like a real deadline. If you are in a field where life and death, or having a job or not having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry/nothing-focuses-attention-like-a-real-deadline-if-you-are-in-a-field/) [John Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry/) > [To be perfectly honest the old habits, specifically deadlines, still very much inform what I do. I am brutally disciplined about getting manuscripts in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-winchester/to-be-perfectly-honest-the-old-habits-specifically-deadlines-still/) [Simon Winchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-winchester/) ## More by Robert Pozen > [The night before, go over your schedule and see what you're going to do and what the purpose of what you're doing is. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/the-night-before-go-over-your-schedule-and-see-what-you-re-going-to/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [I am a great believer in the OHIO principle: Only handle it once. When you read an e-mail, decide whether or not to reply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/i-am-a-great-believer-in-the-ohio-principle-only-handle-it-once-when/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [If you want an active schedule, you have to husband your time so you can act on the things that are important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/if-you-want-an-active-schedule-you-have-to-husband-your-time-so-you/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [You need to agree with your boss about what you need to get done that week, what are the metrics of success. Sometimes you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/you-need-to-agree-with-your-boss-about-what-you-need-to-get-done-that/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [Everyone knows that exercise can improve your health. Exercise is a key part of managing your weight and maintaining healthy hearts, lungs, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/everyone-knows-that-exercise-can-improve-your-health-exercise-is-a/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [Wall Street is at best ambivalent. The size of the accounts is nothing big. How many Wall Street firms do you know that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/wall-street-is-at-best-ambivalent-the-size-of-the-accounts-is-nothing/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [No matter what your career aspirations are, you should begin by thinking carefully about why you are engaging in any activity and what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/no-matter-what-your-career-aspirations-are-you-should-begin-by/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [The way you delegate is that first you have to hire people that you really have confidence in. You won't truly let those people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/the-way-you-delegate-is-that-first-you-have-to-hire-people-that-you/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [Most people get overwhelmed by the insignificant decisions of their lives. I'm urging people to minimize the time spent on these when they're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/most-people-get-overwhelmed-by-the-insignificant-decisions-of-their/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [Routinize the routine. The things that aren't important to you, whether it's breakfast or your commute, try to do them with the least energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/routinize-the-routine-the-things-that-aren-t-important-to-you-whether/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [From the law firm's perspective, billing by the hour has a certain appeal: it shifts risk from the firm to the client in case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/from-the-law-firm-s-perspective-billing-by-the-hour-has-a-certain/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [The classic problem as an entrepreneur is that they have a hard time delegating. But that's really crazy. Recruiting other executives is critical, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/the-classic-problem-as-an-entrepreneur-is-that-they-have-a-hard-time/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [I've seen people spend days, if not months, researching and gathering data, but only at the end did they finally figure out what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/i-ve-seen-people-spend-days-if-not-months-researching-and-gathering/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [The quality of American patents has been deteriorating for years; they are increasingly issued for products and processes that are not truly innovative -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/the-quality-of-american-patents-has-been-deteriorating-for-years-they/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [America is the only major country that tries to ascertain who was the first applicant to invent the product or procedure. This may seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/america-is-the-only-major-country-that-tries-to-ascertain-who-was-the/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) [Explore all 25 Robert Pozen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are people who literally cannot start a project until the deadline is four hours away, even if it's a big one. 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