The Parkinson's Law Vacation Hack
Contributed by SBOC Member:
Pat Miller
Founder of the Small Business Owners Community
This content was first released in the new Small Business Summary Newsletter. Subscribe below to get insights like this straight to your inbox!
“I’m too busy to take a vacation.”
I hear this constantly from small business owners. And I get it – you’ve got deadlines, goals, responsibilities. Taking time off feels impossible.
Here’s the truth: You’re not too busy. You just haven’t scheduled it yet.
Understanding The Parkinson's Law Vacation Hack
Parkinson’s Law states: Work expands to fill the time available to complete it.
If you have until July 1st to sell 75 memberships, it will take until July 1st.
But here’s the thing: If I told you that you MUST sell 75 memberships by May 15th, you’d find a way to do it.
When the incentive is strong enough, time and space bend. Einstein stuff, I swear.
The Hawaii Test
Try this thought experiment:
“Hey, I’ve got two tickets, all expenses paid, to Hawaii. You leave tonight at 5pm. But you can’t get on that plane unless everything critical is done so you can be gone for 10 days.”
What would happen?
All the low priorities would vanish instantly. Your high priorities would surface immediately. You’d have radical clarity on exactly what needs to be done.
And you’d be in that TSA line by 4pm.
That’s Parkinson’s Law in action. We’ve taken “you have 10 days to get everything done” and compressed it to 5 hours. With the incentive of a vacation, you’d figure it out.
The Actual Hack
So how do you take a vacation as an entrepreneur when you’re too busy?
Schedule it.
That’s it. That’s the whole hack.
Doesn’t that sound stupidly simple? “I need a vacation.” “How do I get one?” “Put it on the calendar.”
But here’s why it works: When it goes on the calendar, that’s when the time and space bending begins.
I’ve got a vacation coming up in about 16 days. Vegas with my dad and brother-in-law. I cannot wait.
I’ve got this big list of topics and tasks that need to get done before I leave.
Do you think they’ll get done?
Hell yes. Vegas baby.
Why This Works
The vacation creates what I call a “forcing function” – a deadline that matters to YOU, not just to your business.
Business deadlines are abstract. “I should probably finish this project” doesn’t create urgency.
But “I literally cannot get on the plane to Hawaii unless this is done”? That’s a different level of motivation entirely.
This is also why the Fridays Off theory works. If you decide to take Fridays off, magically everything gets done Monday through Thursday. You’ve set a deadline and an incentive that’s bigger than your willpower alone.
Your Turn
Stop waiting for the “right time” to take a break. There is no right time. There’s only the time you choose to schedule.
Book it. Watch everything bend around it.
When’s your next trip?
Listen to the full discussion on Businessing with Pat Miller.
Don’t Grow It Alone®
Subscribe to the Small Business Summary!
Contributed by
Pat Miller
Founder of the Small Business Owners Community
Pat spent two decades in broadcasting management and hosting. After leaving the radio industry, he spent time consulting small businesses and realized the support system for entrepreneurs was broken. Where could you find help for improving small businesses and building real connections with other like-minded people. In June of 2020, the Idea Collective Small Business Community was born.