Here’s the thing about marketing your professional services:
It’s taking too long.
Not because it’s complicated.
Not because you’re doing it wrong.
But because of a simple law that’s quietly sabotaging your efforts.
The Law
Parkinson’s Law says work expands to fill the time available.
It’s why you spent three weeks perfecting that website copy.
It’s why your LinkedIn profile is never quite ready.
It’s why that email sequence is still “in progress.”
But here’s the real kicker:
The work didn’t need three weeks.
Or even three days.
It just took that long because you let it.
The Professional's Paradox
The less client work you have,
the more time you spend on marketing.
Sounds logical, right?
Wrong.
Because more time doesn’t equal better marketing.
It equals slower marketing.
More hesitation.
More perfectionism.
Less action.
The Perfect Trap
You think you’re being thorough.
You think you’re being professional.
You think you’re doing it right.
But what you’re really doing is hiding.
Hiding behind revisions.
Hiding behind research.
Hiding behind “getting it perfect.”
Perfect is the enemy of done.
And done is what gets you clients.
The Real Cost
Every hour you spend tweaking that proposal is an hour you’re not spending with clients.
Every day you spend “perfecting” your website is a day without new business.
Time isn’t just money.
Time is opportunity.
And opportunities don’t wait for perfect.
The Solution
Create artificial constraints.
Give yourself 90 minutes for that proposal.
30 minutes for that LinkedIn post.
One day for that presentation.
Not because it’s the “right” amount of time.
But because constraints force creativity.
Because deadlines drive decisions.
Because limits lead to action.
The Strange Truth
Your best work often happens under pressure.
Your clearest writing comes from tight deadlines.
Your most effective pitches come from constraints.
It’s not despite the limits.
It’s because of them.
The Choice
You can let your marketing expand to fill all available time.
Or you can decide:
- This proposal gets 90 minutes
- This website gets one week
- This campaign gets one month
No more.
No less.
Just done.
The Real Professional
The real professional doesn’t have unlimited time for marketing.
The real professional has clients to serve.
Work to deliver.
Value to create.
So they set limits.
They create boundaries.
They ship their work.
The Action Plan
- Look at your current marketing tasks
- Cut the time allowed in half
- Set hard deadlines
- Ship the work
Will it be perfect? No.
Will it be done? Yes.
Will it be effective?
More than the perfect version you never finish.
The Secret
Marketing isn’t about perfection.
It’s about connection.
And you can’t connect if you never ship.
You can’t help if you never launch.
You can’t succeed if you never start.
The Next Step
Pick one marketing task you’ve been “perfecting.”
Give yourself a ridiculous deadline.
Ship it before it’s ready.
Then watch what happens.
Because here’s the truth about Parkinson’s Law:
It works both ways.
Work expands to fill the time available.
But it also contracts to fit the time allowed.
The choice of time?
That’s up to you.
Choose wisely.
Choose quickly.
But most importantly… Choose.
