It has to be done by the 13th of the month! That is the only thing occupying your mind. There are tons of material to sort, research to be done, and you think: how on earth will I be able to cope with this load of work!? You already feel like a mountain climber, at least in terms of your stress level. Not really in terms of the excitement involved, though. Even the vague advance anouncement of possible rewards doesn't alleviate the pain.

You quickly curse anybody who in lose succession comes to your mind: your boss, a colleague,your boss, your spouse, your boss . . because all of them somehow seem to have a part in putting you in this situation. It feels so bad that dark flashes of your childhood are poking up and let you contemplate a quick and painless suicide.

Then again there is no real time to spare . . . either you do it now or never: you decide to bite the bullett, to dig in, considering that there is no coming back from suicide. No vagueness here.

What actually is this very mundane drama about? A deadline is looming. The word itself seems to justify a certain amount of drama. What happens if you cross the line?

Well, the origin of the word doesn't leave much space for interpretation: you're done. Exit. Finish.

Here is the wiki:

„The term deadline originated from prison camps during war, and referred to a physical line or boundary. Guards would shoot any prisoner who crossed the deadline. The "deadline" in . . .prison camps . . . . was "Inside (the wall), … which prisoners were forbidden to cross. The "deadline" was intended to prevent prisoners from climbing over the stockade or from tunneling under it. The term was later adapted in its use to time lines, perhaps to show the seriousness of an end date in a timeline by referring to it as a "deadline."

The following warning appears to be justified in any contemporary workspace:
Beware of the deadline!
Deadlines may kill you!

Deadliners are complying because they are on the low end of the survival chain.They are too scared to break out. Any solace to be found here?

This cruel description begs the question: are there any alternatives? Could there be something like a lifeline? Could your work provide feelings of being alive, inspired, even enthusiastic? Sure. But what feels like an obvious choice might involve some honest questions & answers with yourself. Even a change for the better is still a change.

Lifelines are chosen, experienced voluntarily. Lifeliners are aware of themselves and their environment. They enjoy an intrinsic motivation that actually keeps them going without feeling a whip from behind.

Instead of competing against each other and themselves, lifeliners complement each other. In so doing they find the right balance of individual talents/skills and cooperation. They actually enjoy both, especially the casual celebrations when succeeding together which – in part – may even consist in outlining new projects!

Procrastination? What is their to escape from? Temporary resistance is welcomed because of its inherent energy and potential, even if not perceived in the moment. It is energy to be freed. Let's get to it! In fact, energy levels increase in this way.

Responsibility as in providing a response to something chosen by yourself is no burden. Finding one's own rhythm may take a bit but is increasingly rewarding. Grace under pressure is achieved by becoming aware of one's body, relaxing it while acting. No hurting ambition needed, no fear involved. It's your life!

Isn't it?