Sunday, October 9, 2022

Personal: Parkinson's Law Strikes Again


Parkinson's Law 2022!

I have been writing about Parkinson's law for several years. Most of the posts have been about how Parkinson's Law creeps up on me.

It's happened again, and I hadn't realized it. 

(I dimly remember a story about a frog in a pot of cold water...)

My plate seems full - I have a really long to-do list. As I look over the list, I see lots and lots of things undone. I can keep busy for a month without adding anything to it.

Here are links to previous articles: Apparently, this particular topic is becoming an annual article. (The blogs each open in a window, so you can visit/read them and not lose your place here!) 
I find myself starting many projects, such as writing for Jaggers.pw and ABCInc.pw. I write a good beginning, with a great background. Finally, I write the ending - but I don't publish it because it doesn't seem either long enough or perfect

I simply suspend working on it. I don't publish it. I don't finish it. I don't delete it. I simply add it to my to-do list and feel guilty (or overwhelmed) about it.

Parkinson's Law

For your reading pleasure, I have found this article about Parkinson's law: Parkinson's Law of Meetings (That's their image at the top of this page.) They write, "Parkinson's Law is a law attributed to its creator, C. Northcote Parkinson, a naval historian and author of almost 60 books. Parkinson documented his law in his books Parkinson's Law, Mrs. Parkinson's Law, and other studies in domestic science. The law states that 'Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.'"

How does that apply to me?

When I start a project, I don't set a time when it should be completed. The obvious deadline should be either "next" or "now."

In my mind, "now" becomes "later" and later becomes never.

I am creating a new business ( Hybrid Meeting Specialists .com) I'm trying to pace myself, but I don't believe I am working hard enough. I haven't set very many deadlines, and I let most of those pass uncompleted. And, I can make a valid excuse to myself. No one else is paying attention.

When an event is scheduled and run by someone else, it does have a completion date/time. 

I still volunteer for the Pinellas Genealogy Society. As their Technology Director, I provide admin support for their hybrid events. I arrive on time and stay through the tear-down. That's a time schedule set by someone else.

Ditto for the VFW hybrid meetings. They're held once a month. I arrive 2 hours early, and I stay until it's packed up.

What's next for me?

I don't know how to answer that.

I maintain a Daily Diary. I am the only person who reads/follows it. There, I list my accomplishments. The section is getting less and less attention. Here is what it looks like:

Accomplishments (What went well?)
  • RGA: Revenue Generating Activity ~~Facebook Listed 4 |  Added 1  | Sold 1 | Sold $380 
  • Published Writer (Blogs & Books)
  • ABCInc (Webmaster|WordPress|Zoom)
  • Seeds (Home Depot) 
  • TakeLessons
  • Amazon Affiliate
  • Volunteer work
    • PGS Genealogy/Ancestry
    • VFW
    • SCORE
  • St. Pete College ~ Spring TERM 2023 Registration 12/9/2022
  • Purely Personal
Yes, I even have room for Personal accomplishments.

Some of the activities have simply become fallow (plowed, but unseeded).
  • ABCInc (Webmaster/WordPress/Zoom) - I've lost interest
  • TakeLessons - I haven't had any students in 6 months. My primary teachable expertise (WordPress) has undergone so many changes that what I've learned since 2017 has become obsolete.
  • Amazon Affiliate - Yes, I still have the account, and I still embed links in my web pages. However, my total commissions since I started is zero dollars.
  • Volunteer Work
    • SCORE: I have reached my 5-year mark, but I no longer mentor anyone. I have been waiting for SCORE to return to in-person meetings.(I'm not satisfied with their virtual workshops on many levels.)  There is a change in leadership later this month, and I will see whether I want to continue.
  • St. Pete College - I attended last spring and skipped this fall. Registration for next spring is this December. I want to return to the classroom, but my interests have shrunk.
When I publish this article, I can add it under the "Published Writer" bullet.

So... I have the framework in place to do a better job of focusing my efforts and recording what I've completed.

Have you heard this before?

I know what to do; I just have to do it.


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