Time Unlocked: Mastering the Pomodoro Technique Against Parkinson's Law
Last updated: November 30, 2025 Read in fullscreen view
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What is Parkinson’s law?
You might have come across this quote when learning about productivity. Maybe you haven’t. That statement defines Parkinson’s Law.
In a 1955 article for The Economist, Cyril Northcote Parkinson introduced Parkinson's Law for the first time. Later, the article was featured in the 1958 book "Parkinson's Law: The Pursuit of Progress." One of the main works directly pertaining to Parkinson's Law is this book.
Cyril Northcote Parkinson made the remark in 1955 in an article for the Economist. The statement can easily apply to most of your regular duties. Its principle is that the more time allocated to a task, the longer it takes to finish.
Say you have a paper that is due in one week, but you wait until the last two days to finish it. Technically, that task took one week because that is the time frame that you gave it. Seeing as you completed the paper in two days, it means that you should have timed the task for that duration. Most people are familiar with this law; they just don’t know it.
If employees analyse their past activities, they can pinpoint instances when Parkinson’s Principle was at work.
How Parkinson's Law Affects Productivity?
Parkinson's Principle or the perception that you have more time than you actually need to perform a certain task will lead you to procrastinate. It occurs when people think they have sufficient time to complete a task than required and it increases complexity as well as stress on them. This definitely hampers productivity in business as a result of which every employee needs to fulfill his obligations with due efficiency. Hence, the necessary time required for checklists only may be allotted.
Impact on Productivity:
- Work Efficiency: Parkinson's Law implies that when given too much time, people and teams tend to utilize more time than necessary to complete activities since it states that "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion." As a result of the job being stretched to fit the allotted time, inefficiencies may result.
- Procrastination: Parkinson's Law explains why individuals often put things off, especially when there are extended deadlines. If they think they have lots of time, they could put off starting a task until the last minute, only to find themselves hurrying to finish it.
- Prioritization and Focus: People who are aware of Parkinson's Law may begin to prioritize their duties more wisely and focus their energies on the most crucial ones. This can increase productivity by guaranteeing that important tasks are finished quickly and effectively.
- Resource Management: Parkinson's Law also applies to the utilization of resources like cash or workforce that are not time-related. When a department receives a huge budget, for instance, it may find methods to spend the entire amount even when it isn't necessary, which might result in unnecessary spending.
- Task Complexity: The law may cause the complexity of a task to artificially increase. Simple jobs may become unduly complex as the time to fill grows, which will reduce production.
How to Improve Time Management?
So, you know what Parkinson's Law is. How do you use that lesson to change how you do things?
Avoiding waste requires efficient time management. Start by removing deadlines. When making a to-do list or organizing a project, be sure you only allot the time that is required. Take advantage of the chance not to do it. Tight deadlines compel employees to concentrate on the essentials. To make sure the task is finished, you will make the most of the time that is available. But don't forget to set appropriate deadlines. Make sure you give the assignment enough time by giving it a comprehensive evaluation.
How can you perform more tasks in less time?
A simple way to combat Parkinson’s Law is to change the mindset by not assuming to finish a task we must use up all the allotted time.
Productivity and time-management methodologies and techniques can really help when trying to optimise your time.
Parkinson's Law Checklist
Time-Blocking
Time-blocking technique is about assigning specific blocks of time to each task.
GTD Getting Things Done : 2 Minute Rule
GTD Getting things done two-minute rule is a simple principle that any task that can be performed in less than two minutes must be completed immediately, rather than be scheduled or added to a to-do list.
Pareto principle
Pareto principle is also known as the 80/20 rule states 80% of results come from just 20% of the effort in a task. Meaning the majority of work has less impact on the final result.
Pomodoro Technique
Pomodoro techniques are 25-minute focused work sprints followed by a short break of 5 minutes to help sustain concentration and reduce mental fatigue.
People with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) often feel overwhelmed when confronted with large tasks, leading to procrastination. By breaking tasks down into manageable chunks, the Pomodoro Technique makes daunting tasks seem more approachable, reducing feelings of overwhelm and facilitating task initiation.
Pomodoro Timer is available on Amazon to help you manage your time more effectively.
Eliminating time wastage and enhancing productivity
Efficient resource planning goes a long way in eliminating time wastage and enhancing productivity. For one, get the right people for particular roles. Workers with the right skills for the assigned tasks know where to start so task management is key. They won’t waste time trying to find out how to approach a task. Plan the other resources required for the job. If a project requires new equipment, get it beforehand. Team members won’t have to spend time trying to find what they need.
If you are to meet tight deadlines, know that accountability is key. Whether a worker is alone or part of a team, a degree of accountability helps a great deal. If a project encounters an issue, there should be a practical and effective way to deal with it. Know who to hold responsible when the deliverables are not met.
Parkinson's Law states that the more time you allow for a task, the longer it takes. Individuals and businesses must know how to manage time efficiently. Tools like the Pomodoro technique, GTD Getting things done, 80-20 rule, and checklists can help with time management on all levels.
Project Management Laws
Teams will build systems that are carbon copies of their communication structure and that smaller teams have better communication channels and can understand the environment better. Thus creating better products and much quicker than larger teams.
Brooks’s law also identifies that larger teams don’t always make things happen quicker “adding additional manpower to a late project makes it later.”
Work expands to fill the time available for its completion (Cyril Northcote Parkinson)
Expenditure rises to meet income (Cyril Northcote Parkinson)
Parkinson’s Law dictates that a task will swell in (perceived) importance and complexity in relation to the time allotted for its completion (Tim Ferriss in “The 4 Hour workweek”)
If you want to get more done, shorten your deadlines (Robert C. Pozen)
The time spent on any item of the agenda will be in inverse proportion to the sum [of money] involved (Parkinson’s Law of Triviality by Cyril Northcote Parkinson)
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