I know that you’ve probably had the experience of setting aside time to do things and found that somehow, it always takes the exact amount of time that you set aside to complete a task. This is known as Parkinson’s Law. The amount of time that one has to perform a task is the amount of time it will take to complete it. In other words, if you schedule an hour to make phone calls, then it will take an hour. If you scheduled half an hour to make those same calls, it would take half an hour.
The task expands to fill the space that you have created for it. When you’re planning remember that the time you schedule becomes the space for what you’re doing. Be in the habit of setting the right amount of time necessary for each task to keep from wasting time. Initially it may be difficult to gauge the perfect amount of time, so keep a log so that you have a record of the amount of time it takes to do particular things. Use that in the future to estimate the amount of time you need. Realistically speaking, in most cases you don’t need as much time as you may think, so give yourself smaller spaces of time and allow the task to expand to fill that space.
When you do you will discover that you get more done in less time. Your work becomes more focused because you know that you don’t have a larger space to work with, you have a smaller frame of time to complete what’s before you and then it’s time to move on to something else. It also causes a change in your perspective and attitude about time and getting things done. It can also make your days more productive and raise your overall productivity level. You may not find it easy at first, but like any new habit, it takes time to build the muscle to develop. Continue to build it and it will become a key factor in getting things done in less time.