Today's poster made me laugh. I think there are two groups of people. Those who plan way ahead and get things done early and those who wait until the last minute. If a poll was taken, I wonder which group would be the largest.
There are things that are best done at the last minute, well, maybe not the very last but close. When company is coming, you don't want to dust and clean floors a week ahead. You'd only need to do it all over again the day before your company is due. If you're going to serve a cake on Sunday, don't make it the preceding Sunday. Not gonna taste very fresh.
My son was a last-minute kind of student. He always got it done but seldom ahead of time. There are people who work best under pressure. They might have to stay up late the night before an assignment is due, but that's their choice.
What about writers? Yes, there are two groups of these people, as well. One group notes a deadline to submit a piece of writing and has it ready way ahead of that date. Others wait until the last minute and get their submission written and sent. Pros and cons to both.
The writers who work well ahead of deadlines have one real benefit. There is more time for editing and revision, so they are going to be sending a polished piece of writing. They also don't have the Worry Pixie riding on their shoulder. Some contests take only X number of entries, so the early bird can rest assured that theirs will be among that number. Those who work ahead have peace of mind.
What about those last-minute writers? They run just the opposite of the other group. That Worry Pixie has a permanent spot on their shoulder. They probably get the piece ready by the deadline, but there is little time left for editing and revision, so they are probably not sending their best work. They could be the 1012th entry for a contest that accepts only 1000 entries. There are writers who find they do their best writing when under pressure.
Each writer probably learns which way works best for them. If working ahead is best, he/she should stay with that method. If doing a slam-bang job at the last-minute produces results, then go for it. We're all different. Some of us like the peace of mind that working ahead allows, while others thrive on doing a bang-up job at the last minute.
It's your choice as to which way you choose to work, which way produces the best results for you, which way brings satisfaction and good results.