#13 Parkinson's Principle

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 Procrastination is the worst enemy of any ambitious person. We clearly know what we want and what we need to do but in an environment surrounded by endless tools to distract us, it is so much harder to sit down and do the work. Over the years, I have experimented with numerous methods to beat my procrastination. Some did not work, some worked for some time, but I had not found the best way to deal with procrastination until I came to know about a principle called The Parkinson's Principle.

What if your boss calls you and tells you to submit that project report by the end of the next day? What will you do? Of course, there's no doubt that you will set everything aside and get into work and get it done in no time and submit it on time. Why? Because it's an existential problem with a hard deadline which is only one day ahead. Now, imagine the same scenario but this time your boss says that the report has to be submitted before next week. What will happen then? Will you hurry the task and get it done as fast as possible like you did before? Of course not. Why? Because you know that you've got a week of time and there's no need to get it done fast.

Now, here's what the Parkinson's Principle says: work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. Sounds familiar, huh? Yes, the more time we give a task to be completed, the more it will take time to be completed and vice versa. So how can we use this principle to beat procrastination, you may be wondering.

The answer is you should set hard deadlines for all of your goals, be it personal, professional or anything else. Force yourself to work in a hard deadline, and you'd see your productivity increasing manifolds. You will procrastinate less and get things done more efficiently.

What are some of the things in your life that you know are important but you have been procrastinating? Set hard deadline for them get into work. Remember, sometimes you will fail to meet the deadline and it's totally fine. We're human, not machines. Do not feel bad, get yourself up and work with more enthusiasm and more determination and you will make it happen.

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