deadline

so deadline is a weird word. what is a deadline exactly? is it a line, by which if you pass, then you will die? nooot exactly!

instead of a visible, physical line, deadline usually is a time, by which if you pass, then severe consequences will happen. so as a time stamp, deadline usually serves as a mechanism for people, lazy people like me, to organize their work, and get them work done.

the argument states as follows: like the thesis grant proposal i submitted today, it was right before the deadline (4pm this afternoon). i was editing and printing, running around to get signatures, and so on and so forth, all sorts of things that i could have done a couple weeks ago. however, because i had other deadlines back then, so the priority for this deadline just dropped down. also, i wouldn't have done all these even if i don't have other deadlines because i would think that there is still time and i need some time for myself to relax and sleep. hence, deadlines organize my work.

how do deadlines help to get work done? because severe consequences would happen if i should miss a deadline. i'll be still using the proposal example to illustrate this point. if i don't get the proposal done by the deadline, i will have no money for my experiment, which is needed for my thesis. therefore, i won't have a thesis and i shall not be able to graduate this year, which would make my plan of getting out of ithaca and get a job this year vanished. therefore, i have to get the proposal in before the deadline. and that, is how the deadline helps me to get work done.

ok, enough crazy talk today, should rest... in peace