Parkinson’s Law: Why Work Takes Longer Than It Should (And How to Beat It)

Have you ever noticed that a simple task—like writing an email, cleaning your desk, or preparing a report—somehow stretches to take up your entire afternoon? You sit down with every intention of finishing it quickly, but before you know it, you’ve spent hours tweaking tiny details, overthinking, or getting distracted.        

Welcome to Parkinson’s Law, the sneaky force behind why work expands to fill the time available for its completion.

What Is Parkinson’s Law?

Coined by British historian C. Northcote Parkinson in 1955, Parkinson’s Law states:

Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.

In other words, if you give yourself a week to complete a task that could be done in a day, it will inevitably take the entire week. Not because the task is genuinely complex, but because we unconsciously adjust our efforts to match the time we have.

This law doesn’t just apply to individual productivity—it’s visible everywhere, from bloated bureaucracies to unnecessarily long meetings and over-complicated projects.

Why Does Parkinson’s Law Happen?

Several psychological and practical factors contribute to this phenomenon:

1. Procrastination & Perceived Urgency – When we have more time, we tend to delay getting started, often wasting time on non-essential tasks. The real work begins only when the deadline starts looming.

2. Perfectionism & Overthinking – Instead of finishing quickly, we stretch tasks by refining, tweaking, and second-guessing, even when no one else would notice the extra effort.

3. Lack of Clear Deadlines – Without a firm deadline, tasks drift indefinitely. A simple project can turn into a never-ending work-in-progress.

4. Workplace Bureaucracy – Organizations often create unnecessary procedures, meetings, and approvals, making simple tasks take longer than they need to.

How to Beat Parkinson’s Law and Get More Done

The good news? You can hack Parkinson’s Law to your advantage. By setting constraints, prioritizing effectively, and working with intention, you can reclaim your time. Here’s how:

1. Set Artificial Deadlines

If a task should take two hours, give yourself only two hours—not an entire day. Self-imposed time limits force efficiency and reduce overthinking.

2. Break Work Into Short Sprints

The Pomodoro Technique (working in 25-minute bursts with short breaks) leverages Parkinson’s Law in reverse, encouraging high-intensity focus in short, controlled sessions.

3. Prioritize the Essential

Instead of stretching work to fill time, ask: What’s the simplest, fastest way to get this done well? Avoid unnecessary perfectionism.

4. Limit Meetings and Bureaucracy

Ever sat in a meeting that could have been an email? Reduce time-wasting activities by keeping meetings short and only involving necessary participants.

5. Parkinson’s Law for Good

If work expands to fill available time, why not apply it in a way that benefits you? Allocate less time to work and more to personal growth, hobbies, or relaxation.

Parkinson’s Law is at play whether we realize it or not. But by recognizing it and setting smarter constraints, we can work faster, smarter, and reclaim our time.        

So next time you’re facing a task, ask yourself: How fast could I really get this done if I had to? Chances are, the answer is much faster than you think.