Having limited time recalibrates our priorities.
In the extreme case, we may hear of a man finding out he doesn’t have long to live, and suddenly all of his priorities change. Here, the shortness of time helped crystalize what was most important.
The same thing can happen in projects or papers or relationships or work. If there is a limited amount of time, it makes it easier to discern the essentials from the non-essentials, and to make sure the essentials get done, while allowing the non-essentials to slide.
The question is, if we’re able to prioritize when there’s an impending deadline, what’s to keep us from doing the same without one? Because the truth is, we never really know how long we still have before something changes and we’re forced to move on.