Yes, a law that expands your work does exist. You really should learn about this law. It’s called Parkinson’s Law and it states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion”. I’m sure you’ve seen it in action.
Think about the last time you organized your office. If you had all weekend to do it, it pretty much took all weekend. But when you get a call that an important client needs to come into the office that day, you suddenly get the same amount of work done in just a couple of hours. That’s Parkinson’s Law working for you.
By simply being aware that this law exists, you can keep yourself from spending all day on a task that should only take you an hour or two. But you can take it even further and make sure your days are filled with productivity – both at work and at home.
To take full advantage and get as much done as possible you need two things. You need to know what you should be doing and you need a timer of sorts. A kitchen timer will work, as will the countdown alarm on your smart phone. Any sort of alarm that will count down will do. Look around and see what you can find, or head to the dollar store to grab an inexpensive kitchen timer.
I use my timer on my smart phone to power through my 90-minute work sessions. I work 90 minutes on and 30 minutes off throughout the day. Some people find they work best with the old fashioned spring operated kitchen timer that makes a soft constant clicking noise, while others find it distracting. Use what works best for you.
One of the best keys to getting your “ISH” done is to combine that timer with your to do list. So, what this tells you is you must first have a to do list. I plan my entire week by using a schedule. This way I know exactly what I have to do to reach my goals.
I start by setting my timer to 90 minutes and then I take the first item on my list and get busy. Sometimes the task may not take a full 90 minutes. No worries, I pause the timer for a quick 5-minute break and start the next task on my list. Set the timer and go… work as fast and hard as you can until your timer goes off.
Once the 90 minutes are up, I then take a 30-minute break, regroup, reset the timer and start again. Keep going until all your tasks are done or it’s time to stop working for the day. Of course you can use the same principle at home as well.
Using a timer also works really well to keep your kids motivated to clean their room, or get through any other chores. They may not understand the principle behind Parkinson’s Law, but it works just as well for them – especially if you make a game out of racing against the clock.
Spending quality, focused time to Get Your “ISH” Done is a must if you want to reach your goals. If you need help getting your “ISH” done, connect with me in the Victorious Living community on Facebook and learn ways to stay motivated and accomplish your goals. Click here to join the community.
Here’s to getting it DONE!
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