Deadlines, and how bad I am at them

One of the perks and/or dangers of indy and/or self-publishing is that I get to set my own deadlines.  I'm on my own schedule, for the most part, and I can control when and how much I work on something.

A week or so ago, I set a deadline for today to get my draft of the novel to my developmental editor.  I've done a first pass, fixed comma errors, gotten rid of some of the over adverb-y places, tried to tighten the language myself, on 95% of the novel.  I thought it was more but I realized last week that I had about 30 more pages to finish up.  I got some of that done, but not all.  Last week was my kiddos' 9th birthday and that, plus an unexpected bout of minor illness for me just wore me out.

So long story short:  I'm not ready for my deadline of today.  I have just a little bit more to do, and I may be able, if I buckle down RIGHT NOW to get it done today.  And that's a plan, and I will do it as soon as I hit the "publish" button on this post.  But I just stink at deadlines.  I'm a procrastinator, as those people who have followed me from back in the days when my blog was literally called "Kim Procrastinates."

I just really want to take a nap right now and not buckle down to the work I truly need to do today.  Perhaps a compromise:  finish up the last few pages of the one scene I really need to finish, and then I earn a nap?  Maybe.

I also realize that I can't get everything done every single time.  I'm only human, and I wear a lot of hats (mom's taxi driver & head babysitter, head chef, are the biggest ones nowadays.)

So there.  Now, get to work, Kim.