Parkinson’s Law: Why Constraints Are The Best Thing You Can Work With

Cyril Parkinson was a British naval historian who had spent a large amount of his time with the British Civil Service. As a British staff officer in World War II, he observed the numerous inefficiencies caused by a large bureaucracy. if you are looking for car accident lawyer then visit our site. 

Indeed, he noted that the British Colonial Office increased year after year even though the British Empire was in decline.In a satirical article for the Economist in 1955, he discussed how organisations had uncontrolled growth due to their self-serving nature — each department creates work for another. After all, an official wants to multiply subordinates, not rivals. The punchline for his humorous essay was the following:

“Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.”

He would later go on to popularise his idea with his book, which we know today as Parkinson’s law. More than half a century later, his observation continues to ring true.

The Long Arm Of The Law

Parkinson’s law doesn’t apply to just bureaucracies. It applies to everything, although it is more apparent in time management.

• Doing work at the last minute makes you more productive; you get far more done in that hour than you usually do
• No matter how much space you have, your belongings will find a way to occupy it — you subconsciously acquire more belongings to fill up that unused space in
• You finish all the food on your plate; the amount of food somehow gives you roughly the same sense of satiety

Giving yourself a large allowance disincentivises you from making optimal decisions. After all, why fret over the small stuff when you don’t have to? Consequently, we spend a good portion of our lives with wasted time. We realise how this adds up only when it’s too late. car accident lawyer