Scary Hour: The Productivity Hack You’re Getting Wrong, According to Your Enneagram Type

If you feel like the day is never long enough to achieve your tasks, you might be tempted to try Scary Hour, the latest productivity hack. The premise is simple: you choose a time of day, set a timer for one hour, and use that time to power through the tasks you’ve been putting off or find overwhelming. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re booking a dental appointment, filing your taxes or calling a difficult customer, as long as it’s a piece of unfinished business you’ve been avoiding.

Scary Hour works because it stops small tasks from building up into one enormous pile of anxiety. But, as with all productivity hacks, you might need to adjust it to fit your specific needs—and even your Enneagram type. Today, we’re looking at the mistakes you might be making with Scary Hour, and how to “hack the hack” according to your personality so you can finally get stuff done.

Type One: You Never Get Started 

Ones are driven by their inner critic, which can be both a blessing and a curse when it comes to productivity. On the one hand, you’re great at setting goals and achieving them. On the other, you tend to overthink things and wait for the perfect moment to get started. You get stuck in planning mode when what Scary Hour needs is action. 

The solution: Use your black belt in planning 

Use your strong planning prowess to jump into a task instead of avoiding it, Type One.  Make a to-do list before Scary Hour, including the practical mini steps involved in completing each task that don't feel overwhelming. This will give you structure and clarity, making it easier to overcome your perfectionist tendencies and get started.

Twos: You Put Other People’s Tasks On Your Scary Hour List 

Being motivated to help others is a kind and admirable trait of Twos, but it can also be a major productivity roadblock. When it comes to Scary Hour, your to-do list might look like a yard sale—you’re surrounded by other people’s stuff, and none of it is what you actually need to focus on! Helping a frazzled friend plan their birthday party is something you do outside of Scary Hour, type Two. This time is exclusively for your tasks. 

The solution: Check your motivation

Think about why you’re choosing those particular tasks. Are you trying to avoid something uncomfortable? Are you trying to prove your worth? Will completing this task help you reach your own goals? Make sure the tasks on your Scary Hour list are truly essential to your productivity and not just a way to avoid or please others. 

Threes: You Set Unrealistic Goals

Whatever you do, you want to do it and brilliantly, Type Three. When approaching Scary Hour, your mantra is “go big or go home.” But the clue is in the name: no human being can realistically achieve a mammoth goal in just one hour. If you bite off more than you can chew, you’ll end up feeling disappointed and demotivated. 

The solution: Strip back to the essentials

All that pressure to achieve great things can zap your confidence. Try to reduce your list of tasks by asking yourself if they’re genuinely essential to achieve right now and ditch those that you choose simply to appear successful to others (or to yourself). It’s useful to connect your Scary Hour tasks to your broader ambitions, but remember that the goal is to get things done, not create more stress. Keep it simple and achievable.

Fours: If It's Boring, You Won't Do It

As a Four, you dislike it when your to-do list is dry as a bone in the desert sun. Dullness zaps your energy! You’d rather focus on your passions and creativity, not force yourself to do something that doesn’t inspire you. Problem is, the whole point of Scary Hour is to tackle the crappy admin tasks that you’ve been avoiding. If you're not sorting out your finances or decluttering your inbox, it's not Scary Hour, Four. 

The solution: Find a way to make it interesting

There’s always a way to bring some creativity into mundane tasks. Put on some music, create a fun challenge for yourself, or imagine how you would approach the task if it was part of an art project. You might find the promise of a delicious treat when your timer goes off is enough to motivate you. Or do Scary Hour with friends so you can support each other.  

Fives: You Underestimate How Much You Can Do

You thought we were going to say "overestimate" didn't you? Fives love opportunities to jump into unique or insightful projects, so you'd assume their list would be full to the brim of tasks that appeal to their curiosity. But the reality is, you know what Scary Hour is for and you don't see any fun in doing tedious tasks that aren't your forte. You’re also highly protective of your energy reserves. You keep your Scary Hour list lean because you don’t want to use up all your energy dollars for the day—you’d rather save them for your favorite niche interest.

The solution: Expand your definition of productivity

Understand that completing mundane tasks is just as important for your overall productivity and mental well-being. You can still use your creativity and knowledge to approach these tasks in a unique way, but also remember the importance of maintaining balance and taking care of all aspects of your life, not just the ones that excite you.

Sixes: You Let Fear Take Over

Sixes instinctively avoid anything that makes them feel anxious, which can hold you back from jumping into stressful tasks during Scary Hour. If you’re in an anxious state, then the thought of having that difficult conversation is enough to send you into panic mode. You might even avoid Scary Hour altogether because the thought of it stresses you out.

The solution: Start with baby steps

Instead of committing to Scary Hour, commit to just 15 minutes. Set a timer and focus on one task for that time frame. You’ll most likely find that once you get started, the anxiety will fade away and you can continue on with Scary Hour without feeling overwhelmed.

Sevens: You Can't Stay Focused

Sevens love variety, excitement and having fun, so committing to one entire hour of tedious tasks is not appealing. This is especially the case when a task on the to-do list triggers negative feelings: that's when you give up and open your group chat instead. But those tasks help you grow the most, so it’s worth working on them! 

The solution: Motivate yourself with rewards

Set up a reward system to help you get through your boring-but-necessary tasks. Maybe when you’re done, you can treat yourself to a delicious coffee or 10 minutes of scrolling through your favorite online shopping website. Focusing on having future fun will help you to get through the challenging tasks on your plate. 

Eights: You Take On Way Too Much

The Scary Hour hack is right up an Eight’s alley! You like to confront challenges right away, you like to take action, and you like to see results, so a daily "power hour" of productivity seems like the perfect solution. The issue for Eights is that you tend to take on too much and get mad at yourself when you don’t complete everything. For an Eight, this feels like a failure.

The solution: Be realistic about your limits (and delegate)

Don’t push yourself to do more than you can handle. Set achievable goals for your Scary Hour list and prioritize the tasks that have the most impact. If you genuinely have more on your plate than you can cope with, delegate. Maybe you could ask a friend to send out your wedding invitations or arrange transport for an upcoming event. You’ll get more done without burning yourself out! 

Nines: You Add the Wrong Tasks to Your List

Scary Hour? More like "easy hour" for a Nine. You design your day for peace and harmony, so you absolutely will avoid the challenging tasks that take you out of your comfort zone. It might look like you're doing Scary Hour, but really you’ve just picked the non-essential tasks that feel easy and give you the illusion of productivity, even though you’re just piling on more work for another time. 

The solution: Think about your bigger purpose  

It’s helpful for Nines to think about why they're doing Scary Hour in the first place. Will the task on your list make your life more zen in the long run? Is it something that needs to be done to support your bigger goals and values? If you frame your tasks around this mindset, you’ll feel more motivated to do them instead of sweeping them under the rug.