work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion - Cyril Northcote Parkinson
✍️ Attribution
Formulated by C. Northcote Parkinson (Cyril Northcote Parkinson), British naval historian and author. First published as a humorous essay in The Economist on 19 November 1955, then expanded in his 1958 book Parkinson’s Law: The Pursuit of Progress.
📒 Meaning
If you allocate two hours for a task that could take thirty minutes, it will expand to fill all two hours — through procrastination, over-elaboration, or perfectionism. The practical takeaway: set tight, realistic deadlines to prevent work from bloating unnecessarily.