Getting more done in less time
A stopwatch leaning against a black box.
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Problem: Parkinson’s Law says work will fill the time available to complete it.
Solution: Create a plan, shorten the time you’ve allocated, and see what you can get done.
1. The semester is half over; what have you accomplished?
It’s that time of year when you suddenly realize the semester is half over and you haven't even started what you set out to accomplish 😬. Of course, this is completely explainable: multiple important-to-someone meetings have filled your calendar, new and exciting project ideas have popped up, and in the midst of it all, people keep sending emails that require your attention, your classes still need to be taught, and time marches on.
Sound familiar? Yeah, me too.
Cue the dopamine hit from a little mindless scrolling.
While scrolling last week, I came across this short video from Diary of a CEO about Parkinson’s Law.
2. Parkinson’s Law
Have you heard of Parkinson’s Law before? Maybe, maybe not. But since I know you’re at least somewhat into getting a little better at things every day, you’ve heard some variation on the following quote:
“Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”
Or put another way, if you have two weeks to write a paper that should take a couple of days, it will take you two weeks. If you have to submit a paper tomorrow morning, you’ll somehow make it happen (hello, all-nighters as an undergrad)
This idea was originally posed in a satirical essay by Cyril Northcote Parkinson (what a great name). Since then, several studies have tried to determine whether it works, and they found that most of the time people think about how much time they have versus how much time a task will take. That’s where this observation really matters. How can we shift our brains from how much time we have to how much time we need?
After watching that video clip, I started setting small deadlines to get tasks done. 30 minutes to clean out my inbox, 1 hour to draft a presentation, 30 minutes to book my eye exam, arrange for someone to clean out the septic tank, and organize builder’s insurance. None of these tasks are particularly glamorous, so I had been putting some off for weeks. I am happy to report that I got all those things done in less time than I’d allocated. This freed up a lot of mental space, so I could focus on other tasks that needed deeper thought.
3. Practical Takeaways for Communities & Researchers
If this idea appeals to you and you like “total systems” to direct your time, check out this piece from Asana. But I know I can get lost in planning and not actually start working if I’m not careful. So, I’ve learned that most things don’t need to be that complicated; you just have to get started. So, if you just need a little jump start, try the following challenge:
1. Pick three tasks that have been languishing on your “to-do” list for more than a week.
2. Write these three tasks on a new page and assign each one a time limit. For this exercise, no limit should be more than 1 hour.
3. Choose one task now, set the timer on your phone, and start working.
Let me know how you do.
(P.S. I even researched, wrote, edited, and posted this piece in 2 1-hour sessions; it used to take me more than 5 hours).
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