By Jack Kelly
I saw this on Twitter this morning and remembered my dad said this to me all the time when I was goofing off. He’d notice me procrastinating on homework or studying for a test and say something like, “Just do your assignment now or you’ll spend all weekend on it!”
My father always had these sayings, but in this case I didn’t know he was actually citing the “Parkinson’s Law.” This is a concept originally coined by Cyril Northcote Parkinson in an essay published in The Economist in 1955. The law states, “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”
If you give yourself a certain amount of time to complete a task, you will likely take that entire amount of time to complete it, even if the task could have been completed more quickly. Let’s say you allocate a week to complete a two-hour task, then psychologically speaking the task will increase in complexity and become more daunting so as to fill that week. It may not even fill the extra time with more work, but just stress and tension about having to get it done.
Most people procrastinate. Knowing that we have a set amount of time to accomplish a goal allows us to do other more interesting things before getting the task done. We wait until the last minute. The job could have easily been done in a few hours, but due to a lack of focus, the workload keeps expanding.
Parkinson’s Law has become a popular concept in the fields of productivity and time management, and has been cited by many successful people as a key principle in their success.
Parkinson’s Law can be applied in time management by setting realistic deadlines, breaking tasks into smaller pieces, using a timer, prioritizing tasks, eliminating distractions, taking breaks and using the Pomodoro Technique. By following these strategies, individuals can increase their productivity and achieve their goals more efficiently.
Shorter deadlines can increase productivity by creating a sense of urgency and focus. Instead of leaving tasks open-ended, set a specific deadline for each task that is challenging yet realistic. Break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces and set deadlines for each piece.
Use a timer to track the amount of time you spend on each task and challenge yourself to complete the task in less time than you think you need. Prioritize tasks based on their importance and urgency and focus on completing the most important tasks first.
Eliminate distractions, such as social media, email and phone notifications, and focus on the task at hand. Take regular breaks to recharge and avoid burnout and use the time to engage in activities that help you relax and recharge.
