{"id":13737,"date":"2026-09-19T00:38:31","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T04:38:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/how-to-tackle-a-nagging-task-power-hour\/"},"modified":"2026-09-19T00:38:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T04:38:31","slug":"how-to-tackle-a-nagging-task-power-hour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/how-to-tackle-a-nagging-task-power-hour\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Tackle a Nagging Task: Power Hour!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/hop.clickbank.net\/?affiliate=infohatch&amp;vendor=J1R2C\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10614 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png\" alt=\"Profit Gen\" width=\"400\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png 400w, http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"30990\" class=\"elementor elementor-30990\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-614b8e7e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"614b8e7e\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-75d0409c\" data-id=\"75d0409c\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0748493 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0748493\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n<p class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">An earlier version of this article appeared February 21, 2014<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6552505 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6552505\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n<h2 style=\"font-family: inherit;font-size: inherit;font-weight: bold;line-height: inherit;letter-spacing: normal;text-transform: none;color: inherit;margin: 1em 0 0.5em\"><strong>What is Power Hour?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">&#8220;Power Hour&#8221; is a way to tackle the tasks that tend to sit at the bottom of your to-do list for months (or even years) because they don&#8217;t have a real deadline. Here&#8217;s how it works:<\/p>\n<ul dir=\"ltr\">\n<li>Set aside one hour every week.<\/li>\n<li>Work\u00a0<em>only<\/em> on tasks that have no deadline or outside pressure.<\/li>\n<li>Don&#8217;t use the time for recurring chores like bills or email.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-738e657 elementor-drop-cap-yes elementor-drop-cap-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"738e657\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;drop_cap&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n<p>When I was writing <a href=\"http:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/book\/better-than-before\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><strong>Better Than Before<\/strong><\/em><\/a><strong>, a book about habit-formation<\/strong>, so I found myself asking, <strong>&#8220;What are the issues in my life that bug me, and how can I tackle them through habits?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One problem: nagging tasks. It\u2019s a <a href=\"\/gallery\/secrets-of-adulthood\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Secret of Adulthood<\/strong><\/a>: <strong>Nothing is more exhausting than the task that\u2019s never started<\/strong>. I knew this, but nevertheless I\u2019d accumulated a lengthy list of small, mildly unpleasant tasks that I kept putting off\u2014in many cases, for months. Maybe years.<\/p>\n<p>These tasks weren\u2019t urgent (which why they didn\u2019t get done), but they weighed on my mind and sapped my energy. As I walked through my apartment, or sat at my desk, the accumulation of these little chores made me feel overwhelmed.<\/p>\n<p>Psychologists sometimes call a nagging, unfinished tasks like this an &#8220;open loop&#8221;: not urgent enough to prioritize, and not resolved enough to forget about. When you have a long list of open loops, you can start to feel a constant decision fatigue.<\/p>\n<p>But how could I form a single habit to cover a bunch of non-recurring, highly diverse tasks?<\/p>\n<h2>How the Power Hour strategy works<\/h2>\n<p>I hit on an idea. <strong>Once a week, for <i>one hour<\/i>, I\u2019d steadily work on these chores.<\/strong> An hour didn\u2019t sound like much time, but it was manageable.<\/p>\n<p>With this hour, I\u2019d tackle only tasks where I had no deadline, no accountability, no pressure\u2014because these were the tasks that weren\u2019t getting addressed. That\u2019s another <strong>Secret of Adulthood<\/strong>: <strong>Something that can be done at <i>any<\/i> time is often done at <i>no<\/i> time.<\/strong> But although no one else cared when I replaced my office chair with the broken arm, or donated my daughters\u2019 outgrown clothes to a thrift store, it made a difference to me.<\/p>\n<h2>The fluency heuristic: Why the name matters<\/h2>\n<p>I considered calling this time my \u201cTo-Do List Time.\u201d Then I remembered a term from psychology, the \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.gretchenrubin.com\/happiness_project\/2013\/07\/dont-be-tricked-by-these-5-common-mental-rules-of-thumb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>fluency heuristic<\/strong><\/a>,\u201d which explains that <strong>an idea seems more valuable if it\u2019s easier to say or think<\/strong>. An idea expressed in rhyme seems more convincing, which is why \u201cHaste makes waste\u201d is more compelling than \u201cHurrying fosters error.\u201d I decided to name my new habit \u201cPower Hour.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The name and the idea have held up. Listeners of my podcast, <em>Happier with Gretchen Rubin<\/em>, <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/ep-600-600-episodes-of-happier-listeners-share-the\/id969519520?i=1000783026214\">often cite Power Hour as their favorite tip<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>The rules of Power Hour (and what to put on your list)<\/h2>\n<p>Power Hour is not for regular, recurring chores or tasks with a hard deadline. Only add a task to your list if:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It has no fixed deadline<\/li>\n<li>No one else is tracking it<\/li>\n<li>It won&#8217;t get taken care of as part of another habit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Making my first Power Hour list was easy and almost fun; I get a weird satisfaction from adding items to my to-do list. I didn\u2019t allow myself to add any task that had to get done by a certain time; I couldn\u2019t use Power Hour for planning my daughter\u2019s birthday party or buying airplane tickets (for some reason, I <i>loathe<\/i> buying airplane tickets), because I knew these tasks had to get done. And I couldn\u2019t use Power Hour for recurring tasks, like paying bills or answering emails, because <b>I have <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gretchenrubin.com\/happiness_project\/2010\/12\/10-tips-to-beat-clutterin-less-than-5-minutes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">different kinds of habits to cover repetitive chores<\/a>. <\/b><\/p>\n<p>Power Hour was time to accomplish those one-time tasks that weigh on my mind, but could be\u2014and probably already have been\u2014indefinitely postponed. For instance:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Make a photo album of our summer vacation<\/li>\n<li>Use up store credits<\/li>\n<li>Donate books to Housing Works<\/li>\n<li>Round up and recycle batteries and devices<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It feels <i>so good<\/i> to cross a nagging task off the list. A friend once told me, \u201cI finally cleared out my fridge, and now I feel like I can switch careers.\u201d I knew <i>exactly<\/i> what she meant.<\/p>\n<p>Power Hour is enormously satisfying, because I\u2019ve managed to chip away at tasks that were draining me.<\/p>\n<h2>Power Hour vs. the One-Minute Rule<\/h2>\n<p>The joy of Power Hour reminds of another great habit that helps me manage the chaos: <a href=\"\/2006\/12\/need_a_simple_a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>my one-minute rule<\/strong><\/a>. <strong>If I can do something in less than one minute, I don\u2019t let myself procrastinate.<\/strong> I hang up my coat, put newspapers in the recycling, scan and toss a letter. Ever since I wrote about this rule in<em> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gretchenrubin.com\/books\/the-happiness-project\/buy-the-book\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>The Happiness Project<\/strong><\/a><\/em>, I&#8217;ve been amazed by how many people have told me that it has made a huge difference in their lives.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>\u00a0<\/th>\n<th>Power Hour<\/th>\n<th>One-Minute Rule<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Time required<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>One hour, once a week<\/td>\n<td>Under a minute, on the spot<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>What qualifies<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>One-time tasks with no deadline, sitting untouched for months<\/td>\n<td>Tasks you can finish immediately<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Why it works<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Sets aside dedicated time for tasks that won&#8217;t get addressed otherwise<\/td>\n<td>Removes the chance to postpone in the first place<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><!-- [if gte mso 9]&gt;\n\n800x600\n\n&lt;![endif]--><\/p>\n<p><!-- [if gte mso 9]&gt;\n\nNormal<br \/>0\n\n\n\n<br \/>false<br \/>false<br \/>false\n\nEN-US<br \/>X-NONE<br \/>X-NONE\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMicrosoftInternetExplorer4\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n&lt;![endif]--><!-- [if gte mso 9]&gt;\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n&lt;![endif]--><!-- [if gte mso 10]&gt;--><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/articles\/how-to-tackle-a-nagging-task-power-hour\/\">How to Tackle a Nagging Task: Power Hour!<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\">Gretchen Rubin<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hop.clickbank.net\/?affiliate=infohatch&amp;vendor=J1R2C\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10614 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png\" alt=\"Profit Gen\" width=\"400\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png 400w, http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An earlier version of this article appeared February 21, 2014 What is Power Hour? &#8220;Power Hour&#8221; is a way to tackle the tasks that tend [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-habits"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13737"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13737\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}