If there is one thing I’ve learned in business, it’s time does what you want it to do, if you give it something to do.

Have you ever heard of Parkinson’s Law? It essentially states: “…Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” For example, if you can do something in 10 minutes, but give yourself an hour to complete it, you may find yourself taking the full hour to complete it. Even if it shouldn’t have taken that long. Now, to clarify, some things do take a specific amount of time, and trying to do them in less time may not always net you the best results. You’re not going to bake a cake in less time than it takes, but many of our work tasks have arbitrary time limits and deadlines that you can work with to become much more productive.

So, if you’ve ever found yourself procrastinating, it might be due to the Parkinson’s law theory, along with creating too long deadlines. Another problem is not understanding in advance what done means.

To set up your processes right, you always need to know what happens first,

what happens next, and what happens last – plus, what constitutes “done” for any one project. 

Likewise, you must know how to set clear time boundaries for yourself and for anyone you outsource tasks to. In terms of positive reinforcement, you can challenge yourself and your team by creating incentives built into the calendar to finish projects early. 

Below are a few helpful tips to keep time in check.

Break Down Your Tasks into Chunks

When you have a deliverable due on a specific date, make sure you break down that project into smaller chunks that you schedule to work on from today until the due date. By making smaller chunks with their own deadlines, you’ll avoid waiting until the last moment, which can cause bottlenecks and a feeling of always working.

Don’t Multitask 

The worst thing society has ever tried to make a thing, is multitasking. No one can do it, but many people claim to be able to since it’s often seen as a positive. The truth is, studies show it’s impossible, and even when we think we’re multitasking, we’re spending about 30 percent more time than we need on tasks due to the divided attention. 

Describe What Done Means for Each Project

One issue with not getting done with things is that many times, you don’t know what done is. Define and describe for each task that you chunk down what constitutes done. Describe and define what the finished product should look like, too. That way, you have a real stopping point. 

Set Clear Boundaries Around Your Time 

Often, when people work from home on the internet, they tend to forget the time boundaries they’d have if they went to a job. At a job, you’re not surfing online, scrolling on social media, and playing solitaire. This is not work. Set up your calendar to support the things you like to do. Just remember to fully engage in the elements rather than dividing your time or trying to convince yourself you’re working when you’re playing. It’s okay to play and enjoy non-work related activities. They are a must! Just schedule them in. 

Create Incentives for Finishing Early 

If you’ve blocked four hours today to write 10 blog posts, a new lesson plan, or promotional copy for your services, give yourself some incentive to finish early. If you finish before the four hours are up, instead of moving on to the rest of the work you planned for the day, take that extra time and do something for yourself. 

Know What’s First, Next, and Last 

The biggest key to remember here is to know what is first, next, and last when you are doing any project. This means that you must write down what everything is supposed to look like as a finished product. For example, if you are writing blog posts today, what does a completed blog post look like and include? Make a checklist to keep you on track for anything you’re working on, so you know when it’s done and what’s next. 

The main thing is to understand who you are and how you work best. Once you know how to set better deadlines for yourself, you’ll get more done in less time. Not only that, once you manage a team, you’ll be able to plan a project so that it gets done promptly - no matter how many people are working together to make it happen.