Parkinson's Law
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Parkinson’s law states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” However, what I’ve noticed is that this law applies to higher level timelines as well, not just general work tasks.
Simply put: the longer you give yourself to accomplish something, even larger, loftier life goals, the longer it will take you to achieve them. A more positive interpretation of Parkinson’s law is that, within reason, you can dictate how quickly you’re able to accomplish ambitious tasks. This is one of the best reasons to be ambition with your goals and timelines.
What’s nice about this interpretation is it can help you to accurately forecast when you’ll reach certain goals that you have in life. While it’s not a perfect estimation tool, I’ve found it helpful already in areas like: landing specific jobs, amassing a particularly sized following online, and achieving certain financial milestones. The point being that while you might be measuring in feet instead of inches, this metaphorical yardstick can help you accomplish more, faster.
Time is the most valuable resource we all have and this concept can help you save a lot of it. Whenever you set a particular goal with a deadline, challenge yourself on why that deadline can’t be moved sooner. Parkinson’s law suggests it likely can be.
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