As I mentioned in my post, 5-minute chores, I loathe putting away laundry. In fact, it ranks right up there with my dislike of ironing dress shirts (it’s those darn darts) and calling businesses to schedule appointments.
Of course, these tasks are by no means taxing. Frankly, they don’t even take that much time. Nevertheless, they remain nagging tasks that I never want to deal with. Even my always-reliable one minute rule can’t get me motivated.
Now, you may not have the same list as I do, but I’m willing to bet that you have a similar type of list. I’m convinced that most of us have a handful of nagging tasks that, for one reason or another, make us drag our feet and avoid them like the plague.😷
So what can we do? How can we get ourselves to declutter the closet, weed the garden, return the shirt that’s been in our car for weeks, or put in a roof replacement insurance claim? How can we complete the nagging tasks on our to-do list?
I have two words for you: Power Hour.
How to Complete the Nagging Tasks on Your Todo List
In her book, The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin introduces the idea of the power hour.
What is the power hour, you ask?
Essentially, you set aside one hour to complete the nagging tasks piling up on your to-do list. That’s it!
If this seems like a rather simple solution, it is! And that’s the beauty of it.
You don’t have to search for time to complete the nagging tasks throughout your day. And what’s more, you don’t waste your precious energy trying to motivate yourself to get the job done. Instead, you have one specific hour dedicated to complete the nagging tasks.
As I mentioned above, it usually doesn’t take that long to finish the different tasks. In fact, I think you’ll be surprised at everything you accomplish in one hour.
IMPORTANT TIP:
One critical step for the power hour is to write it in your schedule. Whether it’s once a day, twice a week, or every Sunday at 1:00, it’s critical that you have a specific time for this activity. Otherwise, it’s entirely too easy to push it aside until “later.”
And of course, as we all know, later is always later; schedule a time and get it done. 🙌🙌🙌
[bctt tweet=”Later is always later. Schedule a time and get it done. 🙌 #powerhour #todolist #getitdone” username=”BusyBeingPaula”]
Make it Fun
Admittedly, just because we give this process a catchy name doesn’t necessarily make it enjoyable.
So with that in mind, I recommend making the hour as fun as possible.
- Turn up your favorite music and dance along as you power through that hour. Yolanda over at Put the Kettle on has a great Happiness Playlist that I highly recommend checking out.
- You could download your favorite audiobook and get absorbed in a story.
- This is also a great time to catch up on your favorite podcasts.
- You might even enlist your partner and have a “dual power hour!” Just think of everything you two could accomplish. What’s more, you’re working together as a team, which strengthens your relationship. I’d call that a double win.
The Steps
Luckily, the steps involved in a power hour are very straightforward. Here’s what you do:
- Make your list of nagging tasks.
- Set aside a specific time that you will complete your power hour.
- Choose a way to make it fun (play music, listen to your favorite audiobook, catch up on your podcasts etc.)
- Set a timer, and get to work!
- Celebrate! Feel incredible about everything you accomplished. 🙌
That’s it! Super easy, right? So schedule your hour and complete the nagging tasks on your list today! You’ll feel fantastic when it’s done.
If you need a boost of motivation, download your free power hour planner here! Each day of the week you write down your tasks and the time of day you’re going to complete them. Whether you tackle them all over the weekend, or you spread them out throughout the week is great. Do what works best for you! Grab your free weekly planner here 🙂
Question:
Are you in? Will you try the power hour? What are the tasks that you avoid like the plague? Do you have any favorite strategies to complete the nagging tasks on your to-do list? Let me know below!
