iver. If you are given one hour to mow a lawn, then do it in 30 minutes. If you have to deliver 10 pizzas in two hours, then deliver 15 or 20 in that same time. Overachieve your goals and shoot for the maximum, not the minimum. This will ensure that you will not fall victim to the Parkinson’s Law.

•Apply these rules when you delegate to others. When you delegate tasks to other people, then be wary of the Parkinson’s Law. If you allow them to do something on their own time, then chances are that they will take as long as they are given. If you give them a concrete deadline that’s backed up by reward or punishment, then that will enact them to plan accordi

The Parkinson’s Law was articulated by C. Northcote Parkinson in his book Parkinson’s Law: The Pursuit of Progress (1958) and states that “The demand upon a resource always expands to match the supply of that resource.” Initially, Parkinson was referring to the growing number of employees in Britain’s colonial office bureaucracy, but was later given a personal productivity spin by internationally known success coach, Brian Tracy, who stated that according to this law, expenses also rise to meet income.

For our personal productivity purposes, the Parkinson’s Law can be converted to state that our work will expand to fill the amount of time we have to complete it. That means that if we have two hours to complete a given task, we will take two hours to complete it. If we are given four hours to complete that task, then that task will take four hours to complete. Now obviously efficient people can achieve the same amount in less time, but most of us fall within the powers of the Parkinson’s Law.

So it is clear that the Parkinson’s Law is a hidden obstacle for personal productivity and ultimately for our personal success in life. So how do we overcome this law? Here are a few tips for overcoming the Parkinson’s Law:

•Assign concrete deadlines. Don’t tell yourself or others that you will get around to something eventually. Don’t give yourself vague deadlines. Give yourself a concrete deadline when you will finish a project.

•Give yourself less time. Don’t give yourself more time to complete a project. Instead, give yourself less time than you need to complete it. By doing this, you will move towards action much sooner than if you delay a project.

•Put your deadline in writing. Hold yourself accountable for the deadlines you set by putting them in writing in a conspicuous place where you will always see that writing. This will remind you of the promise that you made to yourself.

•Plan out your project to meet your deadline. Start every project by planning out the daily steps that are necessary to ensure that the project is completed within the due date. This will save you stress and procrastination later on.

•Be realistic about your goals. I’m sure all of us would like to have a seven figure income within a week, but realistically for most of us, that is just impossible. Give yourself a realistic timeframe to complete your goals, otherwise you will just increase your level of stress and you’ll disempower your dreams by making them too demanding on your resources.

•Be an overachiever. If someone gives you a project, then don’t shoot for the minimum—go for the maximum you can deliver. If you are given one hour to mow a lawn, then do it in 30 minutes. If you have to deliver 10 pizzas in two hours, then deliver 15 or 20 in that same time. Overachieve your goals and shoot for the maximum, not the minimum. This will ensure that you will not fall victim to the Parkinson’s Law.

•Apply these rules when you delegate to others. When you delegate tasks to other people, then be wary of the Parkinson’s Law. If you allow them to do something on their own time, then chances are that they will take as long as they are given. If you give them a concrete deadline that’s backed up by reward or punishment, then that will enact them to plan accordin

t means that if we have two hours to complete a given task, we will take two hours to complete it. If we are given four hours to complete that task, then that task will take four hours to complete. Now obviously efficient people can achieve the same amount in less time, but most of us fall within the powers of the Parkinson’s Law.

So it is clear that the Parkinson’s Law is a hidden obstacle for personal productivity and ultimately for our personal success in life. So how do we overcome this law? Here are a few tips for overcoming the Parkinson’s Law:

•Assign concrete deadlines. Don’t tell yourself or others that you will get around to something eventually. Don’t give yourself vague deadlines. Give yourself a concrete deadline when you will finish a project.

•Give yourself less time. Don’t give yourself more time to complete a project. Instead, give yourself less time than you need to complete it. By doing this, you will move towards action much sooner than if you delay a project.

•Put your deadline in writing. Hold yourself accountable for the deadlines you set by putting them in writing in a conspicuous place where you will always see that writing. This will remind you of the promise that you made to yourself.

•Plan out your project to meet your deadline. Start every project by planning out the daily steps that are necessary to ensure that the project is completed within the due date. This will save you stress and procrastination later on.

•Be realistic about your goals. I’m sure all of us would like to have a seven figure income within a week, but realistically for most of us, that is just impossible. Give yourself a realistic timeframe to complete your goals, otherwise you will just increase your level of stress and you’ll disempower your dreams by making them too demanding on your resources.

•Be an overachiever. If someone gives you a project, then don’t shoot for the minimum—go for the maximum you can deliver. If you are given one hour to mow a lawn, then do it in 30 minutes. If you have to deliver 10 pizzas in two hours, then deliver 15 or 20 in that same time. Overachieve your goals and shoot for the maximum, not the minimum. This will ensure that you will not fall victim to the Parkinson’s Law.

•Apply these rules when you delegate to others. When you delegate tasks to other people, then be wary of the Parkinson’s Law. If you allow them to do something on their own time, then chances are that they will take as long as they are given. If you give them a concrete deadline that’s backed up by reward or punishment, then that will enact them to plan accordi

ntually. Don’t give yourself vague deadlines. Give yourself a concrete deadline when you will finish a project.

•Give yourself less time. Don’t give yourself more time to complete a project. Instead, give yourself less time than you need to complete it. By doing this, you will move towards action much sooner than if you delay a project.

•Put your deadline in writing. Hold yourself accountable for the deadlines you set by putting them in writing in a conspicuous place where you will always see that writing. This will remind you of the promise that you made to yourself.

•Plan out your project to meet your deadline. Start every project by planning out the daily steps that are necessary to ensure that the project is completed within the due date. This will save you stress and procrastination later on.

•Be realistic about your goals. I’m sure all of us would like to have a seven figure income within a week, but realistically for most of us, that is just impossible. Give yourself a realistic timeframe to complete your goals, otherwise you will just increase your level of stress and you’ll disempower your dreams by making them too demanding on your resources.

•Be an overachiever. If someone gives you a project, then don’t shoot for the minimum—go for the maximum you can deliver. If you are given one hour to mow a lawn, then do it in 30 minutes. If you have to deliver 10 pizzas in two hours, then deliver 15 or 20 in that same time. Overachieve your goals and shoot for the maximum, not the minimum. This will ensure that you will not fall victim to the Parkinson’s Law.

•Apply these rules when you delegate to others. When you delegate tasks to other people, then be wary of the Parkinson’s Law. If you allow them to do something on their own time, then chances are that they will take as long as they are given. If you give them a concrete deadline that’s backed up by reward or punishment, then that will enact them to plan accordi

oject by planning out the daily steps that are necessary to ensure that the project is completed within the due date. This will save you stress and procrastination later on.

•Be realistic about your goals. I’m sure all of us would like to have a seven figure income within a week, but realistically for most of us, that is just impossible. Give yourself a realistic timeframe to complete your goals, otherwise you will just increase your level of stress and you’ll disempower your dreams by making them too demanding on your resources.

•Be an overachiever. If someone gives you a project, then don’t shoot for the minimum—go for the maximum you can deliver. If you are given one hour to mow a lawn, then do it in 30 minutes. If you have to deliver 10 pizzas in two hours, then deliver 15 or 20 in that same time. Overachieve your goals and shoot for the maximum, not the minimum. This will ensure that you will not fall victim to the Parkinson’s Law.

•Apply these rules when you delegate to others. When you delegate tasks to other people, then be wary of the Parkinson’s Law. If you allow them to do something on their own time, then chances are that they will take as long as they are given. If you give them a concrete deadline that’s backed up by reward or punishment, then that will enact them to plan accordi

iver. If you are given one hour to mow a lawn, then do it in 30 minutes. If you have to deliver 10 pizzas in two hours, then deliver 15 or 20 in that same time. Overachieve your goals and shoot for the maximum, not the minimum. This will ensure that you will not fall victim to the Parkinson’s Law.

•Apply these rules when you delegate to others. When you delegate tasks to other people, then be wary of the Parkinson’s Law. If you allow them to do something on their own time, then chances are that they will take as long as they are given. If you give them a concrete deadline that’s backed up by reward or punishment, then that will enact them to plan accordingly to get that task done in the time allotted.