How Accountants Can Successfully Use Parkinson's Law

Do you ever find yourself drowning in a sea of tasks, wondering how to conquer your to-do list? If so, you're not alone.?

The fast-paced world of accounting often leaves many of us struggling with time management and procrastination.?

So what’s the solution? Parkinson's Law (I’ll explain more in a minute).

Why We Procrastinate

Before diving into Parkinson's Law, let's understand why accountants procrastinate:

Our Work is Complicated and Takes Effort: Accounting involves complicated financial puzzles and demands mental effort that can make even the most dedicated accountant procrastinate, especially when deadlines are looming.

Stress and Overwhelm: The pressure we feel as accountants often leaves us stressed and overwhelmed. And do you know what doesn’t make it possible to get accounting work done efficiently?? Stress and overwhelm!? They’re like putting the parking brake on and trying to drive 100 mph.

Unawareness of Parkinson's Law: Many accountants are unaware of this game-changing principle that affects how we manage our time. Applying Parkinson’s Law to your accounting work will make you more productive and efficient.

What is Parkinson's Law?

So, what is Parkinson's Law? In simple terms, it states that work expands to the time you give yourself.? In other words, the time you give yourself to complete a task is how long it will take.

Whether you set a month or a week, that's how long it will take to complete.???

Seems straightforward, right? Yet, the impact of Parkinson's Law on our productivity and success is nothing short of profound.

It truly is a game-changer for accountants and productivity.

Why Does It Matter?

Understanding what motivates you (your brain is wired to seek pleasure, avoid pain, and conserve energy) and learning how to manage your brain is crucial for effective time management.

The truth is that procrastination is not a personal flaw but a natural response.? To what?? To accounting work.

Unfortunately, our brains are typically not on board with the mental energy of accounting work.? In fact, our brain sees accounting work as not pleasurable, often painful, and mentally exhausting.

When that happens, your brain would rather you check email than review a complicated financial statement; it would rather you do something easy and less mentally draining.

Thankfully, by having the awareness of your brain’s role in your time management and productivity, you can navigate it more effectively.

The Benefits of Parkinson's Law

Although most of us work in a deadline-driven world as accountants, self-imposed deadlines are your secret weapon.?

They help you make decisions quickly, prioritize effectively, and reduce decision fatigue.?

Self-imposed deadlines turn Parkinson’s Law to your advantage, keeping you focused and effectively tackling your to-do list or your workload.

Why? Because without giving your brain smaller, more frequent deadlines, tasks tend to hide in the shadows, and we end up procrastinating. But with a self-imposed deadline – a goal to aim for – we become much more productive and efficient.??

Applying Parkinson’s Law

To start applying Parkinson’s Law, begin turning tasks into mini-challenges by setting specific self-imposed deadlines. Break down large projects into smaller, manageable pieces, each with its own deadline.?

Not only is each piece more manageable since it’s broken down, but you’re giving your brain a boundary of time to keep you focused on the task at hand.??

Embrace tools like timers to stay focused. The goal is to make time your ally, not your enemy and to get your brain onboard as much as possible.

The truth is that Parkinson's Law isn't just a concept; it's a practical tool that can empower you to work smarter, make efficient decisions, and achieve your goals.?

By incorporating Parkinson’s Law into your time management, you’ll not only become a Smarter Accountant, you’ll become a more productive and effective one as well.

If you’re interested in becoming a Smarter Accountant, you can take The Smarter Accountant Quiz at www.thesmarteraccountant.com

If you want to learn more about how to successfully use Parkison’s Law, check out this episode of The Smarter Accountant Podcast ?? https://thesmarteraccountant.com/podcast/how-accountants-can-successfully-use-parkinsons-law/