I wish I didn't need them. I wish I was more motivated without them. I wish I could be committed in spite of them. But the reality is, I can't.

I need deadlines.

Deadlines hold me accountable. Deadlines increase my sense of urgency. Deadlines set the boundaries for how I will invest my time. Deadlines keep me focused. Deadlines force me to prioritize.

Deadlines induce discipline.

The discipline to start. The discipline to persevere. The discipline to finish. Deadlines bring out my most disciplined self.

With that in mind, being that it is December 1, there is a deadline that is hanging over all of our heads: the end of the year.

How will you leverage this deadline to finish the year strong? What disciplines will the deadline of "by the end of 2016" induce? What will you complete by the time the year is up?

I encourage you to write a couple of things down and see if the deadline of the end of the year doesn't add extra motivation to complete something you've started.