We’ve all been there. The project that was supposed to be simple turns into something bigger, harder, and more time consuming than you expected. You don’t just get things done. You do them to a higher standard. That extra effort can pay off, but it almost always takes more time and energy than you planned.
It’s the Law
One reason is Parkinson’s Law: “Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” You give yourself a week to write a presentation, and somehow it takes a week, even if you could have done it in two days. Or you procrastinate until the last day, then scramble to finish. That’s where it gets tricky. How can you tell the difference between Parkinson’s Law slowing you down versus the simple reality that excellence takes longer? Continuing our example of preparing a pitch deck for a big client, if you only give yourself one afternoon, you’ll rush through it and probably copy a standard template. But if you want excellence, customizing the deck, tailoring the message, and practicing the delivery, it may take three full days. You may think you’re being slow, but you’re actually doing deep work. On the other hand, if you keep tweaking fonts and adding new slides all week long because you’re avoiding sending it, that’s Parkinson’s Law at work.
Rule of Thumb
Excellence feels hard, but it moves forward. Parkinson’s Law feels busy, but stuck. If you’re learning, improving, clarifying, or producing higher-quality work, then you’re likely on the excellence path. If you’re constantly polishing, stalling, or starting over without real progress, then you may be letting Parkinson’s Law slow you down.
Keep Moving Forward
Set shorter deadlines: Give yourself less time than you think you need. Not to rush, but to push for focus. If it really does need more time, you’ll find out quickly and can plan for it.
Break work into chunks – Instead of: finish the project, aim to: finish the outline by Tuesday, gather feedback by Friday, etc. This stops you from drifting.
Build in review time – If you plan a day or two to step back and review your work before final delivery, you get the benefits of excellence and the discipline of a deadline.
Watch for procrastination triggers – Be honest. Are you avoiding getting started because you’re afraid it won’t be perfect? Progress matters more than perfection. Starting gives you momentum.
Check in with others – Talk to colleagues or mentors about how long similar work usually takes. It’s a reality check to see if you’re being thorough or just spinning your wheels.
Embrace learning curves – Excellence means growing skills. It takes longer to do something well the first time. If you’re pushing beyond what you know, that’s a good thing. The next time you feel discouraged that excellence is taking so long, ask yourself: Am I making progress? Am I learning or improving? If yes, stay the course. If not, shorten the deadline, break the task down, and commit to shipping what’s good enough. Then improve on it next time.
How do you tell the difference between striving for excellence and spinning your wheels? Please share in the comments.