This past Sunday morning, I cozied up with a cold cup of coffee in my hand, ambitiously plotting to tackle a week’s worth of client work in a single day. The idea? To create space during my work week so I had time to focus on my own business.
With old-school paper and pen at the ready, I scribbled down every task that popped into my mind – all those pressing, vital, can’t-forget-to-do-this things. Soon, I was staring at a sheet practically groaning under the weight of my scribbles.
Fuelled with enthusiasm, I grabbed my laptop, and for a solid 90 minutes, I was on a roll! Ticking off tasks, slashing through my list, feeling invincible. But then… I paused, took stock, and started a new list, shuffling over the remaining tasks and adding even more.
Would you believe I did this dance not once, not twice, but THREE FREAKING TIMES! Six hours later, my initial list had morphed, multiplied, and practically mutated. An epiphany hit me like a ton of bricks – Was I in a loop of endless task creation? Was I… going mad?
That’s when a principle I’d heard of whispered in my ear: Parkinson’s Law. It suggests, “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” And boy, was it proving itself right. The more time I allocated, the more my brain conjured up tasks, seemingly steering me away from my business.
Even if I had worked from that Sunday to the following Friday, I’d probably still be left with an endless list. It was time for an intervention!
So, I laid down some ground rules, asking myself about each task:
- Urgency: Is there a looming deadline? What happens if this isn’t done pronto? Does another task hinge on this one?
- Importance: Is this task truly pivotal, or just a vanity project? Will it genuinely benefit the end game, or could skipping it potentially spell disaster?
- Effort and Resources: If it’s a quickie, perhaps I could knock it out. But is it worth the time and energy relative to its importance?
This fresh perspective was a game-changer. Many tasks, it turned out, were mere fillers – they added no real value to the client or their business.
My newfound wisdom in hand, I challenge you: Dive deep into your to-do list. Is there some fluff you can shed? A tweak in perspective might just save you hours, if not days, of unnecessary work. Happy trimming!
