Having seven hours to write a proposal? Guess what—you’ll take seven hours. Block out just two hours, and you’ll knock it out in two. That’s Parkinson’s Law in action: “Work expands to fill the time you allow it.” Give it a day, it takes a day. Give it two hours, and that’s all it needs.
How I First Learned It
When I trained to become a Certified OBM®, Parkinson’s Law was front and centre in every planning module. Simply put: if you don’t set a tight deadline, tasks will stretch and bleed until they fill every available moment.
I’m lucky—I’m one of those people who hates lateness. My tax return? Due 31 Jan 2026… filed May 2025. But I know that without a firm deadline or accountability, I distract myself with “urgent” but meaningless tasks—emails, team chats, admin. Sound familiar?
Time Lost = Money Lost 💸
This one’s blunt: if tasks drag, profit dips. You lose hours—then days—that could’ve been used to grow your business.
5 Ways to Tame the Time Beast
🧠 Plan Time, Not Just Tasks
List the task. Choose the time. Don’t rely on “this week”—get specific.
⏱️ Sprint Through It
Short, focused bursts of work. Pair this with video learning? Gamechanger.
✅ Stay Accountable
Tell someone. Have check-ins. Know what you’re doing, when, and why.
🧩 Leave Breathing Room
If you block an hour, expect it might run over. Build in buffer so you’re not immediately behind.
📴 Silence the Noise
I use a focus mode that blocks all but calls, texts, and alarms. When tackling email, I often work offline so I don’t get derailed by new messages.
The Fractional Advantage 💼✨
Most of the clients I work with haven’t planned their time properly. They’ve only scheduled the visible stuff — calls, meetings, maybe a team briefing — but not the deep work that keeps the business moving forward.
When we work together on an ongoing basis, there’s structure and accountability from day one. For starters:
- A 90-day planning session aligned with your growth goals and your Ops Review
- Monthly check-ins to track progress and adjust as needed
- Weekly planning & reflection touchpoints
- Space to review what’s working and where to optimise
And here’s the difference:
🗓️ Instead of just meetings in your diary, we schedule everything.
Client work is time-boxed to when your focus is highest. Admin is allocated to realistic slots. We build in buffer time, so when something unexpected crops up — you’re not instantly off track.
No more wondering where the week went.
Try This Now…
Choose one nagging task:
- Decide exactly when it will happen (call it 20 min, 90 min, whatever fits best).
- Block that time—with buffer—and treat it as non-negotiable.
- Remove distractions entirely for that window—no screen chatter, no pings.
- See how much gets done in that slot.
Notice the difference? That’s you outsmarting time.
Parkinson’s Law isn’t just a time thief—it’s a momentum killer. But the fix isn’t complicated. Get clear on your priorities, estimate the real time needed, and set smart boundaries around your day.
As a leader, your time has a ripple effect. When you work with intention, your team does too. The goal isn’t to cram more in—it’s to get the right things done in the time they actually need.
✨ TL;DR
Big deadlines = slow progress. Parkinson’s Law means work stretches to fit time. Instead: time-block, sprint, add buffers, and use accountability. Better rhythm = better results.