parkinson Archives - Lazy Man and Money

Eighteen Months ago I made a decision to blog “full-time.” I was never comfortable with that title because I didn’t sit at a desk and churn out blog post after blog post. I didn’t even revise a post 100 times like some other full-time bloggers. I would read a lot more, network more, explore other outside interests, and all the other things that happen behind scenes of blogging. Recently, a new opportunity came into play – the money is good and the job is interesting. In this economic environment, I couldn’t rationally turn down an opportunity that I’m sure many would love to have.

Of all the bloggers that I’ve known to go “full-time”, I’m probably the first to go back to a regular job. While that seems like a surprising ratio, I think few personal finance bloggers switch to “full-time” on a whim – they make sure they have their emergency plans in place. Being the first to go back, I thought I’d warn others of a couple of things in case they were thinking of taking the same route.

Spending More Money

When I was blogging, I spent next to nothing. I cooked every meal… often far in advance. I spent little on gas because I didn’t have to drive anywhere. Now it seems like I’m rushed and more apt to head into Subway for a $5 foot-long sub. I have to fill up my tank once a week now instead of once a month. Beyond that, I’ve gotten a new itch. I feel that I’m justified in spending more money because I’m making more money. It’s good old Parkinson’s Law looking to bite me. I thought I was above such psychological things as I have pushed that into my conscious, yet I can feel that draw.

Becoming More Efficient

I feel like I’m so far off from where I was before I moved to full-time blogger. It’s like Rocky in Rocky III when he learns he’s been carried by Mickey. I don’t have the eye of the tiger and sadly real life is not a four minute training montage. Necessity is the mother of invention, and I need to be more efficient to balance work, blog, new puppy, etc. I’m becoming a little more efficient at everything, but I’m not there yet.

Who knows, the job could take another twist and I’ll be back blogging full-time before you know it. I have to admit that’s not a bad situation to fall back to.

Every time I’ve heard about Parkinson’s it’s been in the context of the debilitating medical condition that my grandmother died of. Recently I’ve read about a different kind of Parkinson’s – Parkinson’s Law. Even if you don’t recognize the name, I’m betting that you’ve come across the phenomenon. Wikipedia’s definition is very brief, Parkinson’s Law is the adage that “work expands to fill the time available.”

Three Ways I’ve Been Impacted by Parkinson’s Law

If you read a little more into the Wikipedia definition, you’ll see that a more general definition is “the demand upon a resource tends to expand to match the supply of the resource.” I’ve found this to be true of nearly every project I’ve tried to accomplish in life. Specifically it applies to at least three areas, work, space, and money.

Parkinson’s Law of Work/Time

This was the base case mentioned from the outset. Have you ever had that book report that you put off until the last minute? I always choked it up to procrastination, but maybe it was Parkinson’s Law. In my years as a software engineer, I’ve rarely seen a project finish under the projected time allotted for the work. This is theme that’s prevalent in Frederick Brook’s Mythical Man-Month.

Sadly, I find that this continues with my writing today. In fact, it’s several times worse, because I have some long term projects that have no definitive due date on them. When there is no due date, the work expands infinitely. I need to work on this. One idea I’m thinking of is enlisting my wife as a project manager. I’d explain to her each week what I’m looking to accomplish. At the end of the week, we’d go through and make sure that I have it – instant accountability!

Parkinson’s Law of Space

Do you have a problem with clutter? Ever think that if you just had more space, you’d be magically organized? Maybe it works for you. It doesn’t work well for me. If I have a really big desk, I will use up every inch of that space with stuff. I think I rationalize it as, “I still have more space before I have start to clean.”

Maybe it’s not your desk, but your clothes closet. Or maybe it’s a McMansion that you need to fill with furniture. Or maybe it’s crowded kitchen counters.

Parkinson’s Law of Money

Have you ever gotten a tax refund or raise? Was your first thought in your mind that you can now buy that pair of Jimmy Choo shoes or a plasma television? Yeah, I’ve never had those thoughts either ;-). That’s probably because you are reading this site and likely have read other personal finance sites.

The average person does think like this and some call it lifestyle inflation. If you make more money, the demand for your money rises.

Possible Solutions for Parkinson’s Law

While there are many solutions here are a couple that I’ve found help me.

Time – I stay on track when I work at home with a kitchen timer. I divide my tasks into smaller, manageable pieces. I then give myself 10-15 minutes to finish the task and move on to the next one.
Space – My wife and I live in a 1100 sq. ft. apartment. We could probably squeeze into an 800 sq. ft. place with a little spring cleaning. I like to focus a little more on thinking small and doing more with less space. Maybe that means having a Wii instead of a pool table.
Money – I pay myself first. If I don’t see the money in my checking account I can’t spend it. If I can get it in a tax-advantaged retirement account, I’m sure I’m not going to spend it frivolously.

Do you have a problem with Parkinson’s Law? How do you solve the problems that can arise from it? Let me know in the comments…

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