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It seems that everything these days is on a deadline. Work has always had deadlines, but now everything does. Maybe it is the instant gratification mentality that we as a nation have these days. We want something, and we want it now. We want “buy it now” on EBay, we want overnight shipping. When we want something we want it now.

Personally I work better on a deadline, in school (too many years ago) I would procrastinate until the day before something was due then rush to finish it. At work I put things on the back burner until it is time to turn it in then it is a right now situation to finish. This column used to be due on the 7th each month, I would wait until the 6th or mornings of the 7th then clear everything and write it. My question then, is how does that equate to our builds?

Now I understand that there are those involved in the second annual customfighters.com build off, and that has a hard deadline. Some will make it, some will drop out unable to complete in the specified time. But what about the rest of us home builders? Do you put a “Deadline” for completion of your projects? I know when I was building Lucinda I set, passed, and extended the completion date several times. Things would happen out of my control that would push the completion back. Now, as I am in my Eleanor build my completion schedule has been pushed back again and again. Factors such as my welder’s new straight graveyard work schedule or money issues have pushed the completion back. The latest delay involves a promise that I made a few years ago. When my daughter was born in March of ’03 I made the statement that I would build her first motorcycle before her fifth birthday. Well, that birthday is this March the 21st and I guess it is time to get on that project so my Unicorn build is once again on the back burner. We have the neck built, and the frame tubes bent. Now we just have to weld everything together and since my wheels and sprockets showed up in yesterday’s mail we can now mock up everything.

SO, do you set realistic deadline goals on your builds?

If so why?

Is it to ensure you make progress?

Is it to keep your interest from wavering?

Is it to keep that build from becoming another unfinished pile of parts in the back of the garage?

Or do you just go with the flow, working when you work, finishing when you finally get around to it?

Do you have to extend those deadlines?

I know how easy it is to get mired down in a build, to fall behind or change everything midstream and start over. But, after all isn’t life itself on a deadline?