This year, I’ve seen RFPs for two website redesigns with somewhat unrealistic deadlines, and checked in with the potential client to see if there was any wiggle room on the launch date, or the proportion of work completed by the deadline. In both cases, the answer was no; the entire project absolutely had to be completed by that date.

I recently checked the two websites to see if they were up by their target dates. Both failed. One is now five weeks past deadline and the other is seven (and counting).

Imagine starting a huge home renovation project in October because you’re planning a Christmas party, ignoring three contractors who tell you it can’t all be done by then, and then choosing the one who says they can make it.

When Christmas rolls around, will you host your party but explain to the guests that they’ll have to use a portapotty since the toilet and vanity you ordered won’t arrived for another week? Or will you cut your losses and have a post-holiday party sometime in the new year? It’s your choice.

I’ve seen this scenario more than a few times over my career. An arbitrary and immovable deadline is tied in to some other event, like a conference or a holiday. It’s been chosen as the stake in the ground that will be a measure of the project’s success. But if your timeline doesn’t allow for shifts and changes, you’re going to have to sacrifice something along the way – quality, features, and creativity.

Those shifts and changes are almost inevitable. Sometimes the discovery phase of a project reveals different needs that you originally expected. Sometimes the CEO takes several days to get back to you with feedback. Sometimes a stakeholder gets sick and has to take a few weeks off. Life happens, business is in flux, and rigid structures that don’t account for this cause massive stress to everyone involved.

I’ve made sites happen on a tight schedule, of course. It works if the client has a clear vision of what they want, is able to make decisions quickly and independently, has their content and assets well organized, and is willing to let a few “nice-to-haves” wait until after the launch. They understand that if the timeline is fixed, there may need to be flexibility in other aspects of the project.

Now, I’ve also seen the opposite situation, where a project drags on indefinitely because no one has ever set any kind of stake in the ground and there are no consequences for delaying feedback. This is also not ideal, as ideas tend to stagnate when left alone too long, and websites in particular get stale over time just given the rapid pace of change online. A plan and a schedule is crucial to keep people accountable and ideas fresh.

The upshot of this is: before you set a deadline, make sure you’re clear on what you’re asking of yourself and your contractors – and that you’re prepared to live up to your own expectations. Do you know what you want, or do you need time to let ideas simmer and percolate? Are all your images and content ready to go, or will it take you a while to get old material digitized, or write about your services?

Check in with a few experts to see if what you want is achievable. If that’s not an option, then let the feedback to your RFP or quote request be your guide: are people asking for more time or to reduce the scope? Listen to your designers and developers. Ask yourself if that drop-dead deadline is dead necessary. With a little adjustment, your project can have a chance to breathe and blossom and reach its full potential.