Solving Work's Biggest Problem
Like sands in the hourglass…
Work—any work—has one fatal flaw, and it kills all hope of actually getting things done. Well, I have the solution. Pretty bold statement, right? It’s true. I’ll tell you right here. And, I’ll also teach you some Italian on the way.
But first…why am I writing about work in this blog?
It’s alllll Closer to Good
Thus far, I’ve been writing about health, media choices, life mistakes and life purpose. Why talk about work productivity? Because I write this blog to help me—and hopefully you, dear reader—get closer to a Good life. For me? That certainly includes making better use of my time. A good day of work is one third of your day, five days a week. So, writing about how we can work better counts as part of a Good life, right? Et voila. (There’s some free French for ya.)
So here’s the work problem:
It’s known as Parkinson’s Law. And it goes like this:
Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.
I think it’s one of the most brilliant and truest statements ever—in history. Put another way: “work” doesn’t take a fixed amount of time. Work will take whatever amount of time we give it. Within reason, of course. But I think you get the point.
And I’ve been finding that especially true these days.
Wastin’ time again in Corona-ville…
I have work to do, but not much of a schedule. A lot of my work is done at home anyway. But, these days, ALL of my work is done from home. I don’t have any deadlines or paying projects right now; and I don’t have a boss to nag me (Being self-employed, I’m my own boss. And boy, what a jerk my boss is!) It’s really easy to waste time right now. How about you?
Here are my three biggest blocks to being productive:
1. Procrastination. One of my most obvious and annoying flaws as an Enneagram One is perfectionism. I do excellent work…but that standard is pretty intimidating. This can make things hard to get started on. It feels like a mountain. So “work” can go like this inside my head:
“Wow, that’s a great idea, Mike!
Okay, let’s do it!
….
Wait. Man, where do you even start?!
Ooo! Let’s check when the NFL schedule comes out!”
2. Distractions. I get sidetracked easily. I spend almost my entire day in front of my 13” Mac screen. What a powerful tool for creating. But, that screen is also a window into a whole world wide web of distractions, all at the flick of my trackpad. It’s just too dang easy to "do a quick check" on well, anything. Check on the weather; check on the news; check on the weight of an unladen African swallow. Then I‘m off topic and hopeless.
As a result, when I do get started on something, things take far, far longer than they need to. I can waste so much time this way.
3. Deadlines. Deadlines cause at least as many problems as solutions. Face it; if you know you have a week to get the project done…you’ll take a week to get the project done. And there it is: Parkinson’s Law.
Work expands to fill the time.
So how do we fight that? Well, the answer, it seems, is simple: don’t let work expand. But how can you do that—especially when you may procrastinate, and get distracted, and, you know, live in quarantine?
Ciao! Here’s how
There’s a philosophy of work known as the Pomodoro Method. I’d encourage you to not just trust me to describe it. Google it. But, the gist is this:
Pick one thing to work on for a specific amount of time. Then take a break. then, pick a new thing (or continue), and repeat.
That’s it! It helps to actually use a timer to keep you on track. Any timer will do. It’s called “Pomodoro" because the originator for this brilliance is Italian, and the timer he used was shaped like a tomato (pomodoro in Italiano). And there’s your free Italian lesson. Magnifico!
Benefits?
It simply works. There is nothing complicated to learn here. Just focus on one thing, work hard, then stop. Take a real break. Repeat.
Oh Yeah, Mike? What about…
You may be asking, what if I get an idea or a random thought? What if I need to text someone right now or I get a call? What if I’m stuck in a meeting?
Quickly write the thought or task down, so your head is clear, then get back to work. Tell the person you’ll get back to them in a few minutes, the get back to work. Heck, you can take care of it as soon as the timer goes off, right?
What if you really can’t focus for long? I get it. That’s me. Start with five minutes. Just five minutes. Then work your way up to longer amounts. I’m finally at 25 minute blocks, and I think it’s a great amount.
If you’re stuck in a meeting…I got nothing for you. I hate meetings. Just act all annoyed, or throw up or something. Maybe it’ll move things along.
Time blocking
I’m using it right now as I write.
The Pomodoro Method works great with something called time blocking. You simply list your “must do’s” for the day, and block out time to do each one. Then, set your timer and just do it. Ben Franklin was a time blocking guy. Many successful people are. I have a to-do list for each day, and I assign a block (or two or three) to each task.
Because I’m a bit of a geek, I found a great, free app that makes ticking sounds to remind me and keep me on task. Give it try. There are a lot of other free options too.
How is it going so far?
So far, so good.
Here’s how it’s helping me and my problems:
Procrastination: I tell myself, "Look Mike, it’s only 25 minutes, so why not just do it?” It works. I mean, it really works.
Distraction: I simply make a note and get back to work (“Hey Siri, remind me to…”). That way I know I won’t forget to do it, and it gives me something to look forward to after the 25 minutes, during the break.
Deadlines. Fact is, my work doesn’t expand like it used to. It just doesn’t. I can never get too lost doing one thing, because I stop in 25 minutes and refocus.
Conclusion
Work expands to fill the time we give it. What a terrible truth! And these days, we seem to have a lot of time on our hands. Stop work from taking your precious time! I’m using the extra time to do blocks of reading, cleaning out old boxes, and learning. Stuff I really like to do.
Next steps
So, here are few other...Oops! Time’s up! Time for a break.
Let’s see if the NFL schedule out yet!
Getting Closer
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How does Parkinson’s Law affect your work?
Willing to give The Pomodoro Method a try for one day?
But wait! there’s more.
