Don't Be a Sucker: Work Smarter, Not Harder

Photo byAnnie SprattonUnsplash

Last week, when I looked at the locker room clock after a tough workout, I was flabbergasted.

2 hours!

How in the world did it just take me 2 hours to do a 45-minute workout?

My phone and untimed rest periods didn’t help. But, the biggest issue was one that most people have experienced: Parkinson’s Law.

Parkinson's Law

Parkinson’s Law states that:

Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.

Parkinson’s Law shows itself in my ways:

• Students who have five days to write an essay take five days to write it.
• That project at work with a two-week deadline gets done in exactly two weeks.
• When you give yourself a month to fix something at home, it takes a month.
• The list goes on and on.

Things with loose or no deadlines tend to take entirely too long.

That’s not great for efficiency.

Obviously, there are some things in life that benefit from spending a little extra time perfecting. If you’re dealing with something that is life or death, an important work project, or something else super important to you, take all the time you need.

For anything else, it’s better to get it done in a reasonable amount of time and move on to something else.

There’s a Better Way

Set firm deadlines instead of letting everyday tasks take longer than needed.

If you don’t, they are liable to take up far too much time that could be used for other things.

But don’t start too big too soon. Start with manageable deadlines. Once you make deadlines a habit, slowly increase the difficulty.

Consistently avoiding Parkinson’s Law just might be the productivity boost that helps you achieve something big.