{"id":10069,"date":"2021-09-27T13:46:14","date_gmt":"2021-09-27T11:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/?p=10069"},"modified":"2026-04-07T07:55:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T05:55:42","slug":"parkinsons-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/managing-time\/parkinsons-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Parkinson’s Law: Why You Waste Time and How to Avoid It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever heard of the word spuddle<\/i>? It\u2019s the verb from the 17th century that means to work ineffectively, to be extremely busy whilst achieving absolutely nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve been spuddling these days, you may be a victim of Parkinson\u2019s law. Don\u2019t worry if that\u2019s the case, we have a solution for you.
In this article, we\u2019ll talk about what Parkinson\u2019s law is, why it makes you waste time, and how to avoid it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Parkinson\u2019s law?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Parkinson\u2019s law is an observation that states that \u201cWork expands to fill the period of time available for its completion<\/i><\/b>.\u201d In other words, people adjust their pace to the workload and the amount of time they have to finish it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This law is named after Cyril Northcote Parkinson, the famous British historian and author. He wrote the definition above as an opening line to his article for The Economist<\/a> in 1955. He later wrote a book about the concept, named Parkinson\u2019s Law: The Pursuit of Progress<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the article, Parkinson intended to take aim at the inefficiency of the bureaucratization of the British Civil Service, where he worked. He noticed that everyone was busy all day long, but very few things were actually accomplished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parkinson\u2019s law has since been proven with several studies<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s also Parkinson\u2019s Law of Triviality<\/b>, which states that people within organizations often give undue time and attention to trivial matters. As Parkinson said, \u201cThe time spent on any item of the agenda will be in inverse proportion to the sum [of money] involved<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Track time with Clockify<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parkinson\u2019s law in project management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Simply put, if you have 2 weeks to complete a task, it will take you 2 weeks to get it done; if you give yourself 5 days for the same task, you\u2019ll manage to finish it in 5 days. Inadequate deadlines often cause procrastination and spending too much time on trivial matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time estimated to complete a task can be exaggerated because of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Too big of a buffer, because, as Murphy\u2019s law states, \u201cIf something can go wrong, it will go wrong<\/i>\u201d,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. An inaccurate idea of how much time it takes to complete the task.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    We often wonder, \u201cHow much time do I <\/i>have<\/i><\/b> to complete the task?<\/i>\u201d, instead of \u201cHow much time do I <\/i>need<\/i><\/b> to complete the task?<\/i>\u201d That comes as no surprise: in the workplace, there are rarely incentives to finish early, since you are \u201crewarded\u201d only with even more work. As that additional work seldom results in higher pay, many employees don\u2019t find finishing a task early worth the effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, in instances when we care about doing something fast, but also, as efficient as possible, what we should be asking ourselves is: \u201cHow much time should I realistically take, without compromising the performance?<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What is an example of Parkinson\u2019s law?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    In his work, Parkinson gave an example of an old lady who spends the whole day writing a postcard to her niece. He wrote: \u201cAn hour will be spent in finding the postcard, another in hunting for spectacles, half-an-hour in a search for the address, an hour and a quarter in composition, and twenty minutes in deciding whether or not to take an umbrella when going to the pillar-box in the next street.\u201d <\/i>In short, it took her the whole day to do a simple activity that a busy person would finish in a couple of minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Another common example is a student who procrastinates and then crams everything in 2 days and 2 nights before the exam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There\u2019s even a phenomenon called the Student Syndrome<\/b>, where people delay doing the task until right before the deadline. It\u2019s believed that the term was introduced by Eliyahu M. Goldratt in his novel \u201cCritical Chain<\/a>\u201d; he drew a parallel between students who wait until the last minute to study and employees who do the same with their project tasks because they think they have enough time to do everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As the Stock-Stanford Corollary to Parkinson\u2019s law states, \u201cIf you wait until last minute, it only takes a minute to do<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What are some examples of Parkinson’s law in the workplace?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Apart from the above-mentioned Student Syndrome, there are a lot of examples of Parkinson\u2019s law in the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One of them is when a software company 37signals (now Basecamp) introduced Summer Hours: they work 4 days a week, 8 hours a day during the summer. They started experimenting with it in 2007 and they still do it 14 years later, so it must work. But how?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Their co-founder, Jason Fried, shared his opinion for the New York Times<\/a> \u2014 in short, taking more time off makes you more productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He also explained: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    \u201cVery few people work even 8 hours a week. You\u2019re lucky if you get a few good hours in between all the meetings, interruptions, web surfing, office politics, and personal business that permeate the typical workday.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fewer official working hours help squeeze the fat out of the typical workweek. (…) They [employees] don\u2019t waste it on things that just don\u2019t matter. When you have fewer hours you usually spend them more wisely<\/i>\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    Meetings can also be a good example of Parkinson\u2019s law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sometimes, people ramble, exceeding the time allotted, with no structure or agenda in sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the end, you leave without a clear idea of what\u2019s been said in the last 2 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, said in his interview with Harvard Business Review<\/a>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    \u201cFrightened, nervous managers use thick, convoluted planning books and busy slides filled with everything they\u2019ve known since childhood. Real leaders don\u2019t need clutter. People must have the self-confidence to be clear, precise, to be sure that every person in their organization \u2014 highest to lowest \u2014 understands what the business is trying to achieve.\u201d <\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    But, he concludes that simplicity is the hardest to achieve. People often think that using big and complicated words will make them appear smarter. Instead, it just wastes time \u2014 communication in the workplace should always be clear and concise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Track time with Clockify<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How do you overcome Parkinson’s law?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    There are a few ways to overcome Parkinson\u2019s law and boost your productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Determine project\u2019s value and importance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    If you want someone to be efficient (yourself included), they need to be aware of the project\u2019s value and importance. It\u2019s hard to be motivated to finish a project with no particular significance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So, always paint a bigger picture. Explain not only how the current task helps with reaching a bigger goal, but also what will come next. Sometimes, people procrastinate because they don\u2019t know what to do after they finish what they\u2019re working on at the moment. Because of that, there should be a schedule and a plan<\/a> for the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Set deadlines<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Apart from a project deadline, set a few additional deadlines for each milestone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For example, I have self-imposed deadlines for all the phases of writing my articles. That way, I can make sure I finish everything on time without any stress. I set due dates for completing the first draft, the second draft, and finally, editing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Work in time slots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    To stay focused throughout the day, work in time slots. They can be as short as 25 minutes (as in the Pomodoro technique<\/a>) or as long as 90 minutes. I wouldn\u2019t advise working longer than that, as studies<\/a> suggest that the brain can only focus for 90 minutes before needing a 15-minute break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Making breaks will help your mind stay fresh, focused<\/a>, and efficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Track your time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    To figure out how much time each project actually takes, track your time. There are plenty of easy-to-use time tracking apps<\/a> that will let you see how you spend your time \u2014 what percentage of it is spent working? And how much time goes to procrastinating or doing trivial things?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s a good idea to do a Weekly Review of your work: at the end of every week, check how you spent your time in the previous 5 days. Is there an area you should improve on? Is there something you should spend more or less time on? Weekly Reviews really made a difference in my productivity<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Try Clockify by CAKE.com FREE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Try timeboxing or time mapping<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Allocating fixed units of time for activities in advance is called timeboxing<\/a>. It\u2019s a time management technique that serves to allocate time periods and put a strict limit to activities that would otherwise take away too much of your time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A similar technique, called time mapping<\/a>, goes a step further: when you dedicate each unit of time to an activity, it gives you an overview of your time. It also includes deciding on your top priorities in all areas of your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Precisely define what means the task is done<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Set clear expectations of what it means to complete the task successfully. This is helpful both for perfectionists, who always have something to improve or add, and for beginners, who may feel insecure in their skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Furthermore, precisely determine everyone\u2019s roles and responsibilities in a project, to avoid wasted time due to misunderstandings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Have your goal somewhere visible<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    When we don\u2019t have our goals in mind (and in sight), we tend to get caught up in insignificant tasks. To avoid that, write important things you need to accomplish in a visible spot (such as a post-it note on your computer), so you can remind yourself of what you have to focus on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

    \n
    \n Track your goals with Clockify<\/span>\n

    Time tracking software used by millions. Clockify is a time tracker and timesheet app that lets you track work hours across projects.<\/p>\n\n

    \n Sign up<\/a>\n\n Learn more<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
    \n \n \n \"Illustration\"\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \n\n\n\n

    Make your goals transparent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Tell people around you about your goals. Other people will keep you accountable \u2014 when you tell everyone about the things you want to achieve, you will subconsciously feel obligated to accomplish them as soon as possible. As a consequence, you\u2019ll procrastinate less and waste less time on trivial matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Challenge yourself<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Try finishing a task 10% faster, without compromising the quality. If you do well, next time try completing it 15% faster, then 20%, and so on. For example, if it usually takes you an hour to finish a task, try finishing it 5 minutes earlier, then 10 minutes earlier. After that, try completing the task in 45 minutes and keep gradually shortening the time \u2014 until you find that ideal sweet spot where you don’t spend too much time on a task, but still finish it with flying colors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Use Clockify by CAKE.com to track work hours and create project estimates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Parkinson\u2019s law reveals a universal truth: If you aren’t careful, tasks can stretch to fill the time you allot to them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Luckily, there\u2019s a cure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Enter Clockify by CAKE.com<\/a>, a project estimation tool that gives you near-magical abilities to reign in on your work hours. In other words, Clockify lets you set project estimates to beat Parkinson\u2019s law more easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n