Deadlines. What comes to mind when you hear of this word? Some might say that it is just a date to them by which they have to hand up an assignment. As for me, I feel that deadlines are something of a much larger scale of importance as they help us to keep track of all the details of events around us. Be it important events of our life or just a small matter of little importance, they all require a deadline. So, why are deadlines needed, some might ask? Well, deadlines are basically required so that we can finish a piece of assignment given to us before a certain date and time. If not, we will not learn to be urgent or serious about anything that is happening around us, and treat all tasks with a light-hearted and relaxed manner, which may ultimately lead to our downfall when we face matters of even greater importance.

Some are petrified of deadlines as they are always trying to finish the given task at the eleventh hour, and it would always seem to these people as though there just is not enough time to finish the given task. This is when deadlines can be put to good use. They can learn not to procrastinate and to instead finish the assignment as soon as they receive it, so that they will not have to trouble themselves with it later. Also, deadlines should not be regarded as something alien in our lives. This is because they are part and parcel of our lives. Instead of trying to escape deadlines, we should just learn to embrace them instead. This way, not only will we accept deadlines, we will also love the challenges that come along with them and finish it on time. We will also be able to savour the sense of achievement that comes along with it as well. Deadlines can also enlighten and enrich our lives, helping us understand the true meaning of life values like self-control and independence. They can also help us to be more organized, which will definitely aid us to an extent when we grow up and have to meet even tighter deadlines. This is especially so considering the quick pace of the modern society, and even more so for the people of Singapore. Everyone around us has deadlines, be it a student handing up homework to the teacher or a businessman handing in a proposal to the client. In short, these deadlines also allow us to be successful in life as they give people a better impression of us and more opportunities will come our way as well.

With every mistake comes a consequence. There is no exception in the case of deadlines. We may be plagued with setbacks when we do not meet a certain deadline, as it may lead to something even more serious altogether. It may be a major consequence, or just a minor one. For instance, a student may lose the rights to take part in a competition if he forgets to hand up his entry by the deadline. A businessman may lose the rights to a million-dollar deal if he does not hand up the proposal within the deadline. However, all these consequences can be easily evaded by simply just learning to complete our tasks on time and not to wait till the last minute before we attempt our tasks, just to be confronted with various difficulties and impediments, and resulting in us not being able to meet the deadline finally.

In conclusion, we should always learn to meet our deadlines. A way to do so is by finishing the task ahead of time. That way, not only are you assured of being able to hand up the assignment on time, you are also rewarded with the sense of pride which comes along with the completion with the task. To escape consequences of not meeting a certain deadline, we should learn to complete the task as soon as we receive it and not to postpone it until the stage when matters get out of hand and serious consequences have to be faced.

Liew Fu Teck (15)

2I3 '10