Last post I showed how the Shower Coach follows the basic game principles that naturally motivate us: a challenging goal, rules of action, and fast feedback.
Before I leave the shower, one last thing. The Shower Coach illustrates a powerful antidote to Parkinson’s Law, which says that “work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” Parkinson’s Law says if we give ourselves an hour to write a letter, it will likely take at least an hour. But if we give ourselves fifteen minutes, it will likely take fifteen minutes.
Whenever we set a timeframe for completion of a task, either consciously or unconsciously, we strive naturally to put enough work into that timeframe for completion. When the timeline is challenging but reasonable, as is the case with the Shower Coach, we work harder naturally.
