Comments on: Parkinson’s law and productivity http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/ A survival guide for the 21st century researcher Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:37:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jeanette http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/comment-page-1/#comment-139230 Jeanette Wed, 25 May 2011 00:06:16 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/#comment-139230 I've see more than my fare share of Parkinson's law over the years. Sometimes he hangs out with Hofstadter's Law and gives me a double whammy. But yea, staying productive is difficult. The best technique I've found has been the pomodoro technique. It actually acknowledges both of these laws in how it work. Basically you estimate how many pomodoros (block of time that is 25 minutes) a task will take and then you focus on the task without distractions and interruptions for the entire pomodoro. The end result is that you are forced to limit your time invested (Parkinson) and also give a rough guess of how long the task will take (Hofstadter). Some tasks will take longer and some will be shorter but overall it's pretty easy to keep up with and not lose too much time. I’ve see more than my fare share of Parkinson’s law over the years. Sometimes he hangs out with Hofstadter’s Law and gives me a double whammy.

But yea, staying productive is difficult. The best technique I’ve found has been the pomodoro technique. It actually acknowledges both of these laws in how it work. Basically you estimate how many pomodoros (block of time that is 25 minutes) a task will take and then you focus on the task without distractions and interruptions for the entire pomodoro. The end result is that you are forced to limit your time invested (Parkinson) and also give a rough guess of how long the task will take (Hofstadter). Some tasks will take longer and some will be shorter but overall it’s pretty easy to keep up with and not lose too much time.

]]> By: Interesting Links: Parkinson’s Law - Practical advice on personal development, productivity and GTD http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/comment-page-1/#comment-53450 Interesting Links: Parkinson’s Law - Practical advice on personal development, productivity and GTD Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:23:11 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/#comment-53450 [...] Parkinson’s Law And Productivity [...] [...] Parkinson’s Law And Productivity [...]

]]> By: InjuryAttorneys http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/comment-page-1/#comment-36152 InjuryAttorneys Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:41:51 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/#comment-36152 Great law...! Parkinson’s law states “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion” Really it mean in my life. That's the right stuff that I have got....! For a mean time I am just trying to put my hand in right path of blogging and I mean that I enjoy it. Great law…! Parkinson’s law states “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion” Really it mean in my life. That’s the right stuff that I have got….! For a mean time I am just trying to put my hand in right path of blogging and I mean that I enjoy it.

]]> By: Florida Brain Injury Lawyer http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/comment-page-1/#comment-34771 Florida Brain Injury Lawyer Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:27:25 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/#comment-34771 Parkinson's law reminds me a little of parkinson's disease, even though the two things are totally unrelated. I think the problem about prioritizing is that it is sometimes difficult to know what is more important than other stuff. This is especially true if you are self employed as it can be tough to gauge what are the most important things you need to accomplish over the course of the day. I think with experience, though, you get better at reducing the amount of extraneous waste stuff and do more things that are really important. Parkinson’s law reminds me a little of parkinson’s disease, even though the two things are totally unrelated. I think the problem about prioritizing is that it is sometimes difficult to know what is more important than other stuff. This is especially true if you are self employed as it can be tough to gauge what are the most important things you need to accomplish over the course of the day. I think with experience, though, you get better at reducing the amount of extraneous waste stuff and do more things that are really important.

]]> By: Productivity: Understanding Parkinson’s Law « Medliorate http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/comment-page-1/#comment-31539 Productivity: Understanding Parkinson’s Law « Medliorate Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:34:08 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/#comment-31539 [...] Parkinson’s law and productivity [Academic Productivity] [...] [...] Parkinson’s law and productivity [Academic Productivity] [...]

]]> By: Sunrise Personal Injury Lawyer http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/comment-page-1/#comment-27220 Sunrise Personal Injury Lawyer Fri, 23 May 2008 12:08:23 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/#comment-27220 You'll be suprised what you can accomplish when you set your goals just above what you believe you have time for. I get more done now than I ever did after thinking about my productivity and how I spend my time. You’ll be suprised what you can accomplish when you set your goals just above what you believe you have time for. I get more done now than I ever did after thinking about my productivity and how I spend my time.

]]> By: Academic Productivity » How to complete your PhD (or any large project): Hard and soft deadlines, and the Martini Method http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/comment-page-1/#comment-15945 Academic Productivity » How to complete your PhD (or any large project): Hard and soft deadlines, and the Martini Method Mon, 07 Jan 2008 10:44:23 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/#comment-15945 [...] rent. As any normal human being knows, deadlines are important for many reasons. One of which is Parkinson’s law: which stipulates that the time you take to complete a task is strongly determined by the time you [...] [...] rent. As any normal human being knows, deadlines are important for many reasons. One of which is Parkinson’s law: which stipulates that the time you take to complete a task is strongly determined by the time you [...]

]]> By: Study Hacks » Blog Archive » From the Web: Introducing Academic Productivity http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/comment-page-1/#comment-2208 Study Hacks » Blog Archive » From the Web: Introducing Academic Productivity Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:09:39 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/#comment-2208 [...] Parkinson’s law and productivity An interesting review of some of the central ideas behind Tim Ferris’s inexplicably popular The Four Hour Work Week. Introduces a useful addition to the framework: Hofstadter’s Law. [...] [...] Parkinson’s law and productivity An interesting review of some of the central ideas behind Tim Ferris’s inexplicably popular The Four Hour Work Week. Introduces a useful addition to the framework: Hofstadter’s Law. [...]

]]> By: jose http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/comment-page-1/#comment-753 jose Wed, 02 May 2007 08:24:46 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/#comment-753 Thanks Matt, great comment! Thanks Matt, great comment!

]]> By: Matthew Cornell http://www.academicproductivity.com/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/comment-page-1/#comment-700 Matthew Cornell Thu, 26 Apr 2007 02:17:27 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/blog/2007/parkinsons-law-and-productivity/#comment-700 Great post - thanks. I'm a fan of "laws" like these. A few fun ones: Clarke's three laws http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke%27s_three_laws Law of accumulation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_accumulation Hanlon's razor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor Great post – thanks. I’m a fan of “laws” like these. A few fun ones:

Clarke’s three laws
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke%27s_three_laws

Law of accumulation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_accumulation

Hanlon’s razor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor

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