When is it due?
Here's the schedule. Follow it.
There's your in box. Empty it.
When something is imminent, speed up. When you're off the deadline machine, take a breath and poke around a bit, explore, relax.
Nonsense.
The goal isn't to do work and hand it in just before it's due. The goal is to do the work as beautifully as you can, faster than anyone else, so you can do more work.
If it takes a deadline to get you off your butt and to push past the resistance, then move the deadlines forward.
You don't work on an assembly line any more. You work in project world, and more projects mean more chances to screw up, to learn, to make a reputation and to have more impact.
When it's you against the boss, the goal is to do less work.
When it's you against the project, the goal is to do more work.