Struggling to WFH?

The way we work hasn’t caught up with our new world.

We need to retrain our brains.

A thread

1/ The Problem

Our work is still governed by office culture.

Do 8 hours. Get your job done.

At home, it doesn’t work. Days seem longer, we struggle to focus, and we feel guilty.

Luckily, there’s a solution.

2/ Separate Time and Output

In the office we muddle time with output. 8 hours work = success.

So we fill 8 hours because we have to, regardless of what we actually work on.

This isn’t new, in fact Cyril Northcote Parkinson wrote about it in 1955.

3/ Parkinson’s Law

In an essay for The Economist, he explained that:

“Work expands to fill the time allotted.”

Put 4 hours aside for a task, you’ll do it in 4 hours, even if it can be done quicker.

4/ Retrain Your Brain

Which tasks do you expand to fill your day?

Stop thinking “I’ll fill 8 hours [time] with X, Y & Z [output]”

Start thinking “Today will be a good day if I finish X, Y & Z”

5/ How To Do It

Write down important tasks
Set time limits for each
When your list is done, so are you

Aim to do your work early in the day and swap pre-task procrastination for post-task downtime.

6/ “OK, I get the principle, but I can’t do that in practice.”

You can!

Agree output with your boss
Use the Pomodoro technique
Check emails twice a day
Keep your work quality high

7/ When you’re done, enjoy the benefits.

WFH > Office



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