Parkinson's law is a principle that was first coined by Cyril Northcote Parkinson in his essay "Parkinson's Law," published in The Economist in 1955.

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

In other words, the amount of time that we spend on a task will tend to expand to fill the amount of time that is available to complete the task. This can lead to inefficiency and a tendency to procrastinate, as we may take longer to complete tasks because we have more time to do so.

This principle can be observed in many different contexts, including work, personal projects, and even household chores. For example, if you have a week to complete a project, you may find that you take the entire week to complete it, even if it could have been finished in a shorter amount of time.

On the other hand, if you have a tight deadline for a task, you may find that you are able to complete it more efficiently because you are motivated to work quickly in order to meet the deadline.

So, how can we combat Parkinson's Law?

1. Set specific, achievable deadlines - by setting a specific deadline for a task, you can help to motivate yourself to complete the task more efficiently, even if that deadline is fictitious.
2. Get organised - having a clear understanding of what needs to be done and how to do it can help you to work more efficiently.
3. Break tasks down into smaller chunks - large tasks can be overwhelming and can make it harder to stay motivated. Breaking tasks down into smaller chunks can help you to stay focused and motivated.
4. Prioritise your tasks - identify the most important tasks and tackle them first (also know as "eating the frog"). This can help you to stay focused and avoid getting sidetracked by less important tasks.
5. Eliminate distractions - eliminating distractions such as emails, unnecessary browser tabs and social media can help you to stay focused on the task at hand.
6. Take breaks - taking regular breaks can help to keep you energised and focused, using the Pomorodo Technique can help.
7. Delegate tasks - if you have too much on your plate, consider delegating tasks to other members of staff or, if not possible, to software tools. This can help you to free up time and focus on the tasks that are most important.

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