Try a "Power Hour"

Speed through nagging tasks so you feel less busy while getting more done

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
This week we've been discussing strategies from Gretchen Ruben's new
book Outer Order in her Calm. Today's tip is to
observe what Gretchen calls a power hour. She explains, most

(00:27):
of us have a long list of unpleasant chores that
aren't urgent, so we just keep postponing them. Over time,
this procrastination drains us. So to tackle this problem, Gretchen
suggests scheduling a power hour. Make a list of all
the tasks you'd like to accomplish, and once a week,
for just one hour, steadily work on these chores, she says.

(00:50):
Gretchen reports that recent items on my power our list
included getting pants tailored, choosing a guide to hikes in
the Hudson Valley, and looking for a book that I'd
maddeningly misplaced somewhere in my apartment. Here's why I, Laura,
love the idea of a nagging tasks power our. First,
to intentionally allocate these tasks to a particular hour, you

(01:13):
have to know what the tasks are, and that means
you keep a list. Writing down a list of nagging
tasks gets them out of your head and somewhere you
can actually do something about them. Otherwise, you'll be trying
to concentrate on a client's problem and all of a sudden,
the thought that wow, I'm pretty sure I never sent
in those reimbursement forms will pop into your brain. Second.

(01:35):
Assigning these tasks a specific hour keeps them from cluttering
your entire schedule. Theoretically, you could take a few minutes
to fill out and send in those forms at any point,
but if it's always a possibility, you'll always feel somewhat
guilty that you're not doing it. Now. You might think
you shouldn't carve out twenty minutes over your lunch break

(01:55):
to read a novel because you have so much to do,
and that would be a shame. So think about what
tasks can go on your nagging task list, then think
about what hour might work to tackle them. I like
the idea of Friday right after lunch. Friday's tend to
be a low opportunity cost time. After lunch, your energy

(02:16):
might be flagging, so it's hard to do more important tasks,
but it's still business hours. So if you need to
call your banks customer service line or visit the post office,
you can still do it. An hour isn't much, but
a few tasks a week can make life feel doable, or,
as Gretchen says, little by little, hour by hour, we

(02:36):
can get a lot accomplished in the meantime. This is Laura.
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.
You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.
Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at

(02:59):
beef for Breakfast pod that's B the number four, then
Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an
email at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeart media dot com.
That before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.
Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.

(03:23):
Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio. For
more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i Heart
Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows.