I perform my best work under pressure. When everything is on fire, I'm at my most comfortable. Self imposed deadlines don't work at all for me because I know the person who made the deadlines is full of shit.

The person making the deadlines isn't full of shit if they have plans after the deadline. Not making the deadline means rescheduling or canceling plans, which probably will piss other people off. It's especially effective to have your life fully scheduled, as you know that even if you miss the deadline, you can't easily pull an all nighter later because you have other commitments. It's all interdependent.

But sure, if you have only one important task and you have an abundant supply of time (e.g., single, young, no children), then yes, it's much easier to fool yourself into thinking you'll have ample time around the deadline. And maybe you'll have it. But that's not an effective strategy for when life gets hard and people depend on you. It's easier to mold your brain to work consistently early on, instead of trying to change your habits abruptly when life gets hard.