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

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.