Why does a project take two weeks when you have two weeks, but only two hours when the deadline is tomorrow?
You aren’t just procrastinating. You are a victim of Parkinson’s Law.
The law states: “Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.”
If you give yourself eight hours to write an email, it will take eight hours. You will overthink it, edit it, and worry about it. However, if you give yourself 10 minutes, you will just write it.
To be truly lazy (and efficient), you must stop giving yourself so much time.
How to Use False Deadlines to Be Lazy
The goal isn’t to work harder; the goal is to go home earlier.
When you have too much time, your brain creates busy work. It focuses on fonts, formatting, and “research.” These are procrastination traps disguised as work.
Therefore, you need to hack the system with Micro-Deadlines.
3 Ways to Apply Parkinson’s Law
1. Cut Your Time in Half
Look at your To-Do list. How long do you think that report will take? One hour?
Give yourself 30 minutes. Set a timer. When the timer hits zero, you must stop.
The pressure forces your brain to ignore the fluff and focus only on what matters. You will be shocked at how good the work is.
2. The “Laptop Charger” Rule
This is a fun game for the brave.
Go to a coffee shop without your laptop charger. If you have 20% battery left, you have about 45 minutes of work time.
You won’t check Twitter. You won’t browse Amazon. You will work furiously because you have no choice. That is Parkinson’s Law in action.
3. Schedule Your “Stop” Time First
Most people start working and stop when they are finished.
Instead, decide when you are leaving. “I am closing my laptop at 4:00 PM.”
Now, you have to fit your work into that box. Your brain will automatically find shortcuts to make it happen.
Conclusion
Long hours do not mean better work. They just mean you are bad at managing your energy.
So, set a timer. Squeeze the work into a smaller box. Then enjoy the rest of your day.
Tell me in the comments: Do you work better under pressure or with lots of time? I definitely need a deadline.
