KickIdle.com Blog

Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.

A simple observation published by Cyril Parkinson in 1955. The implications are as simple as they are far reaching. Psychologically, we need deadlines and commitments to keep us sharp. So don’t be afraid of setting goals, the more aggressive the better. You may not hit your goals, but the pressure from the deadline will keep you focused and guarantee that you will achieve far more than you would have otherwise.

I’ve observed and experienced this first-hand on numerous occasions. Most recently, my stalled attempts to update my certifications is largely due to the fact that it’s too easy to put off the studying an extra day or two when I don’t have a deadline. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I’m setting aggressive goals and deadlines for a wireless project. And now I have a meeting with the Director of Economic Development next Monday to talk about how to make that project happen.

So the personal lesson here, is that I need to set a goal for my certifications. But the broader lesson is that we all need goals and deadlines to focus us on what needs done. Life is too short to procrastinate on things that are important. If it’s important enough to do, set a deadline for it. If it’s not important enough for a deadline, why are you even spending time on it?