Parkinson’s Law and Procrastination Problems

This is how the tendency to "procrastinate" relates to Parkinson's Law.

How we manage our time at work is one of the most important aspects not only of our job performance, but also of our job satisfaction.

Unfortunately, there are certain "traps" into which it is very common for workers in virtually any position on the organizational chart to fall, and procrastination is one of them. Here we will see what this tendency to procrastinate consists of and how it relates to Parkinson's law, a very interesting idea about the use of procrastination.A very interesting idea about the use we tend to make of our available hours.

What does procrastination consist of?

Procrastination is, simply put, the tendency to put off for "another time" our responsibilities or what we had proposed to do. It is a way of sacrificing medium and long term objectives in favor of a much more immediate well-being and that has to do with avoidance: the fact of not facing something that will require a certain physical and/or psychological effort.

The action of prioritizing the well-being of the present over the well-being of the future is a very frequent phenomenon and can take various forms; however, However, in the case of procrastination, a kind of mirage is maintained, which makes us believe that we do not give up that makes us believe that we are not giving up what we had proposed to do, we are simply postponing it. However, this is a self-deception, which makes us lose sight of the fact that we do lose something: time and the ability to perform that task in the best conditions we had when we decided to procrastinate.

Moreover, procrastination can also have a qualitative cost, not just a quantitative one. Think of the times when we realize, too late, that we need more time to do that task than we had originally estimated. And the fact is that not procrastinating also serves to prevent this kind of accidents, giving us more room for maneuver to correct unforeseen events..

What does Parkinson's law say?

The so-called Parkinson's law, proposed by historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson in the 1950s, is the idea that, in his own words, "work expands to cover all the time we have available". That is, by default, the performance of a particular activity tends to "stretch" until it reaches the last moments of the period we had intended to devote to it, practically without us noticing it.practically without us realizing it.

The reality expressed through this formulation by Cyril Northcote Parkinson has clear implications in the world of business and professionals in general: if we do not do something to avoid it, we tend not to make optimal use of time and waste the minutes, hours and days assigned to a task. Where we improvise and decide to let circumstances dictate our pace of work, we arrive at the time or deadline having barely achieved our goals, and often finding ourselves in need of a final acceleration.

Thus, Parkinson's law is closely related to procrastination, since it expresses the way in which we do not even try to finish a task in less than the maximum time allotted for it. Since in most of the process we see that we have time to spare, we decide to waste it by procrastinating, pushing the situation to the limit. Moreover, since we don't get rid of that obligation or responsibility until the end, we are not even able to fully enjoy it, we are not even able to fully enjoy that wasted time by distracting ourselves or taking some time off. by getting distracted or taking breaks that are too long.

Some tips to improve time management at work

To combat procrastination and the tendency to waste available time, it is advisable to apply these strategies to work.

1. Subdivide tasks into sub-objectives

Breaking down general objectives into smaller objectives that can be achieved almost immediately (in a matter of minutes) is very effective. (in a matter of minutes) is a very good way to improve our work performance.

It will make it harder for us to waste time, as we will be exposed to the temptation to complete a task in the sequence in a matter of a very short time, without the need to take breaks in between. Which brings us to the next tip.

Incorporate short breaks into the work sessions.

These sessions will ensure that we are always in a good condition to tackle the next task, and at the same time act as time references that will help us to be constantly aware of the next task. help us to be constantly aware of our progress and the time we have left. and how much time we have left.

3. Put isolated tasks one after the other.

If we make the "loose" tasks form a block, in a very short time we will have the feeling that we have done a lot and that will motivate us to continue with that rhythm of work.

4. Establish action triggers

In order not to waste time, it is good to create triggers for action. It consists of mentalizing ourselves with the idea that, at a certain very specific moment, the next task to be performed without excuse is to start another block of work.. For example: "when I finish lunch, I will go back to my office and open the file of the document I have to complete". It is about connecting one action with another, so that we need a very good excuse to dissolve the link between one situation and the next.

Are you interested in having psychological assistance in your professional environment?

If you are thinking of applying the principles of human behavioral science to your work or your company, contact me. I am an expert psychologist in cognitive-behavioral psychology and I have been working with individuals and organizations for many years, either in Madrid or online via video call.