Parkinson's Law

Who is Parkinson's?

Cyril Northcote Parkinson (30 July 1909 – 9 March 1993) was a British naval historian and author of some 50+ books, the most famous of which was his best-seller Parkinson's Law (1957).

What Is 'Parkinson's Law(s) '? 

Parkinson's Law is generally expressed as “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” If something must be done in a year, it'll be done in a year. If it must be done in six months, then it will. Parkinson's Law should however NOT be used to set unreasonable  DEADLINES. 

What this is pointing out to is that IF we are told it takes a learner a year to learn how to drive a car... The leaner will only master the practise after the year and if we are told it can be done in a month it will be done in a month. 

In some way the law "speaks" about the relationship between our time and our activity... The amount of work we get done is allocated a certain amount of time ;So if we are told that activity X takes Y amount of time it means that time Y will be spent on activity X. Time is wasted by doing things in the "stipulated" amount of time and not seeking ways to do it faster, in this way we become "prisoners" of time . Not to suggest that we must rush through things but we must not be complacent....We need to step up to be a step above the rest. 

There are many systems designed to make us "snails", we move at the slowest pace hence we end up just doing enough to survive... Take for instance the idea of primary and high school having always been 12 years...In essence 12 years of your life down the drain because we were all told that is how long it is gonna take.. But do you think we all need 12 years?  Learning just like anything else can be self paced and personalized to fit the needs of the student, for we are all individuals and should be treated as such. But this is not even the point, the point is if you are told it will take 20 years you will only get it done in the two decades not sooner or later. 

This law has shaped all our lives and we just do as we are told ;If we are given an assignment that is due in a month, I bet most of us start doing it on the night before submission. When we could have done it on the first day, we just "relax" and think "I still have so much time".... This is all the law is exposing. I hope this is someones Revelation just as it is mine.. 

The Parkison's law also goes on to suggests that expenditures rise to meet income. In other words no matter how much we earn we end up spending it all.

In this context the law suggests that many of us will continue to spend money as long as we have access to it... In other words some of us will be poor forever no matter how much we earn because we Will spend it all... I may sound like a prophet of doom but that is not what I am.. Spending money is an addiction that anyone rarely speaks about, many of us struggle to live below our means because there is always something we must pay for, a new car, a new shoe that we just feel the NEED to have... This is why our Needs and Wants drain our pockets dry.

This is why many people have gotten hold of millions and ended up making an appearance on a show called "I Blew It", because expenditure rises to meet "income" and at times ecxeeds the income... Everybody seems to be a "victim" of this law, our expenditure rises up to meet our income and this is a recipe for disaster... Furthermore this means money is not only Scarce but it is hard to keep and easier to let go, we are "wired" to spend not to save or invest.. The wealthiest individuals live below their means, they save and invest which is why they multiply their wealth whilst we spend every cent we get...

Our burn rate usually matches(or exceeds), our earning rate, so this means we spend all we earn.. Hence the average person barely has their head above the water...Life then becomes a constant financial struggle especially as the income decreases and the prices of products and services increases.. We then end up drowning in the deep waters of river "Debt". 

As soon as money lands on your hands, what is the first THOUGHT, is it how can I multiply this money or how can I spend this money? Spending money feels good hence we all do it with ease....I am not suggesting we should not spend money, I am simply detailing how the law works and affects us... 

How many people do you know who once had a lot of money but today have nothing to show for it? Personally I know too many to not be in full agreement with Parkinson's  law.