Parkinson's Law is the idea that work expands to fill the time allocated to its completion.
- If we put a personal deadline for December 3, we'll probably be delivering around that date.
- If we decide to have a follow-up meeting regarding an issue next week, we probably won't be getting too much done until that next meeting.
- If we say that you'll get that document "today", the chance is very high that we'll deliver at 5.10 pm...
Learning about our personal energy management, and time-boxing tasks has been crucial for me to manage my own business (well, and myself).
Some of my favorite ways to timebox + manage energy for productivity:
- Schedule one hour of Focusmate.com in the morning. Dedicate first hour to productive and creative work - no negotiation on that.
- Combine with other timeboxed chores. For some reason, I feel like I'm cheating time when I'm doing laundry + getting work done, or listening to a podcast + doing the dishes. Working during specific times when others are off. I make sure to use that - I get twice as much done than trying to force things when not inspired.
- Respecting my rhythm. I'm an early bird, but sometimes that changes, and my routines shift quite a bit. Suddenly - late night, late mornings. This must be ok. I usually then gather tempo during the day and get more productive towards the end of it.
Time is our most important currency ✌️