So I’m absolutely lost in a maze of IT cubicles. Wait! There’s a window. Maybe I can get my bearings. But on the desk beside the window I notice a flip-book of quotes opened to “I love deadlines. I especially like the sound they make as they go whooshing by.” I actually backtrack to capture a photo.

Now, I’m a pressure-driven performer, so I do need deadlines. Can’t say I love ‘em, but I recognize the need. Still, I enjoy that whooshing sound, too. So I ask you this: is it possible to find gratitude in a missed deadline?

I think it is. High on my list are these positives:

• Camaraderie and shared purpose that strengthen relationships. And really, when that big ol’ human deadline nears, wasn’t it all about relationships anyway?
• Creativity, brainstorming, collaboration, and focused problem-solving, none of which occurs unless there’s a break in the action, which is exactly what happens when a deadline slips. Daniel Goleman, author and emotional intelligence expert, recently wrote that “a constant dose of pressure-cooker meetings can stifle creative, thoughtful employees from contributing valuable insights.” I, too, believe that, at some point, there must be a regrouping … allowing a breather … giving birth to good thinking.

So today, I am grateful for being able to entertain the positives of broken deadlines … including that refreshing breeze ruffling my hair as it whooshes past.

Here’s a link to Daniel Goleman’s article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141110203607-117825785-do-you-perform-better-in-high-pressure-meetings