"Deadlines are not finish lines."

When it comes to creating quality options and seizing upon your opportunities, nobody wins by just barely beating a deadline. 

Breaking News- life is a game of getting ahead early to improve the likelihood of winning in the end.

In my racquetball games, the first points of the game are just as important as the last points. I can't wait until the end to make the effort that I needed to in the beginning if I expect to win.

What happens when I get behind? Points become urgent and hard to come by then. Playing in a state of urgency is not a good platform for winning!

That all makes common sense, but it's not practiced often enough. Rather, too many important things are left until they become urgent leading to predictable outcomes. 

In the college process, now is the time of year when there are several important matters to take care of, such as writing application essays, planning college trips, building relations with admission counselors, preparing for SAT/ ACT's, and much more.

For those who work on these items now, quality options await you ahead. For those who will put it all off until deadlines get near, undesired outcomes are predictable. It's just the way it works. 

Let's be sure to get ahead early, stay ahead as the game goes on, and win in the end!