Work quote by C. Northcote Parkinson

Mobile Desktop
Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion
Like

"Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion"

- C. Northcote Parkinson

About this Quote

This quote by C. Northcote Parkinson is an amusing observation of how individuals tend to hesitate and take longer to finish tasks than necessary. It suggests that when given a particular quantity of time to finish a job, individuals will frequently take the total of time to finish it, even if it could have been done much quicker. This is due to the fact that individuals tend to overestimate the amount of time they need to complete a job, and underestimate the amount of work they can do in a given amount of time. This quote is a reminder to be mindful of how much time we spend on tasks, and to be aware of our tendency to hesitate. It motivates us to be more effective with our time and to be mindful of just how much work we can actually accomplish in an offered quantity of time.

About the Author

United Kingdom Flag This quote is written / told by C. Northcote Parkinson between June 30, 1909 and March 9, 1993. He/she was a famous Historian from United Kingdom, the quote is categorized under the topic Work. The author also have 16 other quotes.

Go to author profile

Similar Quotes

Small: A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: w
Lao Tzu
"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves"
Lao Tzu, Author
Small: Talent in cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of
Stephen King
"Talent in cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work"
Stephen King, Author
Small: One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man - Elber
Elbert Hubbard
"One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man"
Elbert Hubbard, Writer
Small: Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need - Voltaire
Voltaire
"Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need"
Voltaire, Writer
Small: The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today - Elbert Hubbard
Elbert Hubbard
"The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today"
Elbert Hubbard, Writer
Small: I was married to Margaret Joan Howe in 1940. Although not a scientist herself she has contributed more to my w
Frederick Sanger
"I was married to Margaret Joan Howe in 1940. Although not a scientist herself she has contributed more to my work than anyone else by providing a peaceful and happy home"
Frederick Sanger, Scientist
Small: It is the quality of our work which will please God and not the quantity - Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
"It is the quality of our work which will please God and not the quantity"
Mahatma Gandhi, Leader
Small: Simplicity and repose are the qualities that measure the true value of any work of art - Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
"Simplicity and repose are the qualities that measure the true value of any work of art"
Frank Lloyd Wright, Architect
Small: There is joy in work. There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something - He
Henry Ford
"There is joy in work. There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something"
Henry Ford, Businessman
Small: The moment you think you understand a great work of art, its dead for you - Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
"The moment you think you understand a great work of art, it's dead for you"
Oscar Wilde, Dramatist