Pareto, Parkinson, Fraisse, Carlson, Illich, Laborit, Swoboda-Fliess-Teltscher,…
Yep, there are even laws regarding time and planning!
Phew! 😅
We didn’t invent anything and instead of reinventing the wheel, it’s rather interesting to look at what has already been said, tested, proven before us…
Of course, we are not obliged but it can be useful to us!
I share here 7 laws on time management. These are the ones I prefer and which seem to me the most useful for organizing your schedule.
1. Parkinson’s Law: “Time is like a gas: it expands to fill all available space!”
I think this is my favorite law!
Basically, this means that the more time you have to do something, the more time you take!
It also means that the more time you have to do nothing, the more time you take!
An invitation therefore to frame time using a “time boxing” method such as the Pomodoro technique for example.
2. Fraisse’s law: “1 hour is not always equal to 1 hour!”
It is certain that children quickly understand that time is relative and psychological!! One hour of video game does not equal one hour of homework! When you are in your “flow”, time flies! 😅
Well it’s the same thing for us and we must therefore take this into account in our planning.
3. Pareto’s Law: “80% of the effects (results) come from 20% of the causes (actions).”
A law that invites you to choose your actions wisely!
No need to run around and stir the air… Take a moment to think about how to use your time and energy is much more efficient!
4. Carlson’s Law: “Any interrupted work will be less efficient and take longer than if it were done continuously.”
Awesome! There’s even a law that says multitasking is counterproductive!
Like what, it’s not just me who says it!
So hide your cell phone and focus on one thing at a time!
5. Illich’s Law: “Beyond a certain threshold, human efficiency declines, even becoming negative.”
Wow, I love these laws!
And yes, there is no point in stubbornly working long days when things are not progressing!
Again this is counterproductive; you lose your energy, your time, your mental health,… A big sleep and you get back to it tomorrow.
6. Laborit’s Law or the Principle of Least Effort: “Humans prefer to perform simple tasks that give immediate gratification to avoid stress and inconvenience.”
Hahaha, no kidding! Immediate gratification!
In short, let’s try to start our days with the least funny things, so we avoid never doing them!
7. The Swoboda-Fliess-Teltscher Law: “Our productivity is directly guided by our biological rhythms.”
Yes, the name of this law is less easy to remember…
Let’s just remember that there are indeed times when our brain is more active! In general, in the morning and at the end of the day.
And other times where it is less so! We therefore avoid times when the brain is softened to think about very important things… for example, just after lunch because at that time it is digestion that has priority and not reflection…
So what do you say? These laws are nice, aren’t they?
Which one speaks to you the most? Use it in the next few days to plan your activities!
Find all these laws as well as other tips and tricks for organising your schedule and managing your daily energy in the document: “Plan 2023 with intention!”.
Happy planning!
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