WOW #004: Pack Light, Go Far

Quote of the Week:
“Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion."
- Northcote Parkinson "Parkinson's Law"

Think of the last time you went on a weekend trip. Did you pack a backpack or a roller bag? Maybe even a suitcase. My guess is, regardless of the size, the bag you packed was full. And most of the items you never needed.

Why is that?

It's emblematic of Parkinson's Law, that work (or clothes) expand so as to fill the time available (or bag you choose). Whether you're dusting off your passport or a frequent globetrotter, the same often holds true.

But let's talk about work, and work for one-person businesses. It's important that you know that the more time you give a task, the more things seemingly need to be done. Anyone remember in college when you had a paper due in 4 weeks. You likely waited three weeks to start - procrastination - or you tried to boil the ocean - scope creep. The same is true for marketing campaigns, strategy sessions, and meetings

What can you do to use Parkinson's Law to your advantage? Give tasks less time and structure them to maximize success.

3 Takeaways:

1. Pack a small bag for a weekend trip. When it comes to work, less is more. Less quantity, more quality. Timeboxing your tasks, with a clear start and end time, helps keep you present and focused on the outcome. When it comes to projects or longer tasks, cut the expected time in half. You'll likely be at 80% of the final product and this deadline-forcing action helps you stave off procrastination. It also minimizes scope creep.
   
   
2. Focus creates flow. Flow creates results.  For tasks that require intense thinking, you need to focus. There is a higher state of focus called "flow" where everything is clicking for you. The concept of flow was developed by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. He sees it as a time where you are completely immersed in what you are doing. Have you ever written a presentation, solved an excel spreadsheet, or done something so intently that you lost track of time? That's flow. But achieving flow requires you to eliminate distractions - email, meetings, and social media. It can take up to 23 minutes to regain flow once distracted.
   
   
3. Sprint, then rest. Interval training is a type of exercise training that substitutes long workouts for a series of high-intensity workouts broken up with rest or breaks. High performance athletes derive more training effect by maxing out their intensity over shorter periods of time. And then resting. The same technique yields productivity and mental benefits when it comes to work. Small, intense bursts of work followed by breaks helps you maintain focus when working and recharge after sessions of deep focus.

1 Action:

Set aside 45 minutes today for deep focus. Choose an activity and an outcome. Remove distractions and set a timer for 45 minutes. After the timer goes off, evaluate your progress and then take a 15 minute break. While you may need to acclimate to intense work for short bursts, you will see improvement -- both in how much you get done and how good you feel.

More time can actually be your enemy. Here's to doing more with less.

Have a great week everyone,
Hubert