Have you ever been so overwhelmed with things to do that you wished you could simply stop the clock and make time stand still while you got everything done?
你有沒有被各種事情纏得焦頭爛額過,巴不得時(shí)間停下來,好讓你把一切搞定?
It would be wonderful if we could all do that, wouldn’t it? Sadly, those of us not living in some fantastic science-fiction show aren’t blessed with the ability to halt the hands of time, leaving us looking for more practical ways to get things done in any given day.
要是能把事情全部完成,應(yīng)該挺爽的吧?可惜,我們并非生活在奇妙的科幻節(jié)目中,也沒有能力讓時(shí)間靜止不動(dòng)。所以,我們只能另外想出更實(shí)際的方法來把事情做完了。
1. Wake up earlier
早起
It may sound obvious, but if we’re really going to start getting more things done in a day, then where better to start than right at the beginning of that day.
聽上去或許老生常談,但如果我們真想在一天時(shí)間內(nèi)完成更多事情的話,還有什么辦法能比早起更好呢?
Getting out of bed earlier gives us more time to do more stuff, and hopefully still have time left over for the things that matter, like family and friends.
早點(diǎn)起床能讓我們有更多時(shí)間做事,而且說不定還會(huì)多出時(shí)間讓我們和親友相處呢。
2. Stay healthy
保持健康
Dragging ourselves out of bed a little earlier doesn’t mean we have to spend the rest of our day fighting off fatigue. By eating healthily, enjoying exercise and generally taking care of ourselves, we’ll find ourselves with more energy to tackle the things we need to do.
早點(diǎn)起床并不表示接下來這一天我們只得與困倦作戰(zhàn)。只要吃得健康、享受運(yùn)動(dòng)并照顧好自己,我們會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己可以更加精力充沛地處理好該做的事情。
Instead of dropping off into a post-lunch slump in which productivity is at an all-time low, or being too exhausted after a day at the office to spend time on our passion projects, we’ll be alert and awake and ready to get things done.
這樣我們就不會(huì)出現(xiàn)飯后犯困、效率持續(xù)低下現(xiàn)象,也不會(huì)因?yàn)樯习鄷r(shí)緊張忙活了一天的項(xiàng)目而感到精疲力竭;相反,我們會(huì)感到靈敏清醒,會(huì)勁頭十足地完成任務(wù)。
3. Organize and prioritize
有條不紊
Getting things done isn’t about doing a bunch of stuff for the sake of keeping busy, it’s about doing what matters to help us achieve our goals.
把事情做完并不表示為了忙碌而忙碌,而是要求我們完成有利于實(shí)現(xiàn)目標(biāo)的重要任務(wù)。
In order to have a successful day, it pays to
prioritize. Take care of the biggest, most crucial things first, and then work your way up.
若想充實(shí)過好一天,就得學(xué)會(huì)優(yōu)化任務(wù)。先處理最重要的事情,然后以此類推。
Think of it like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: when we’ve dealt with the most mission-critical things, we’re better equipped to move on to the next set of tasks, and upwards we go, building on our own productivity and finding it even easier to get things done.
這就好比馬斯洛需求層次理論:當(dāng)我們搞定最重要的事情之后,才會(huì)更好地接手后面的任務(wù),進(jìn)而漸漸提高自身效率,最后發(fā)現(xiàn)可以更輕松地處理好所有事情。
4. Stay out of the past (and don’t go too far into the future)
告別過去(且避免過分想象未來)
How many times do we find ourselves dwelling on the past and reliving memories, both fond and painful? Physically, we’re in one place at one time, yet mentally and emotionally we’re somewhere else entirely. If we’re not lost in once-upon-a-times, chances are we’re projecting ourselves into the future, either worrying about things that haven’t happened yet or daydreaming about what might be.
有多少次,我們發(fā)現(xiàn)自己既迷戀又痛苦地沉浸在過去及回憶之中?生理上而言,我們一次只能在一個(gè)地方;但心理和情緒上來講,我們卻可以完全身處異地。如果不是沉浸在過去之中,那我們很可能就是在想象未來——要么為還沒發(fā)生的事情擔(dān)憂,要么做著不著邊際的白日夢。
Though it certainly pays to take the occasional look ahead in order to know where we’re going, when it comes to getting things done, we benefit much more from being present in the moment and focusing on the now.
當(dāng)然,偶爾預(yù)想未來能讓我們清楚目前的狀況;但若需把事情做完,我們還是應(yīng)當(dāng)多活在當(dāng)下、珍惜現(xiàn)在。
By being alert and focused on the task at hand, we’re more capable of doing what needs to be done.
只要保持敏銳并專心做好手中任務(wù),我們肯定會(huì)越來越能處理好該做的事情。
5. Delegate
委派分配
One of the most common mistakes people make when it comes to getting things done is falling for the belief that they have to get it all done by themselves.
說起把事情做完,很多人最常犯的一個(gè)錯(cuò)誤就是,以為所有事情都得靠自己單獨(dú)完成。
Yet being able to ask for help often means that you can not only get more done, but get it done better than if you tried to do it all by yourself.
其實(shí),如果懂得請人幫忙,你不僅能完成得更多,還能比你單槍匹馬時(shí)完成得更好。
6. Eliminate distractions
屏蔽干擾
Whether it’s by listening to music to block out background noise, or using website blockers like Google’s Stayfocussed app to keep you away from Facebook or other time-sucking sites, one of the best ways to get things done is to keep everything else out so that we can focus on the task at hand.
就好比用聽音樂來屏蔽掉外界噪音,或用谷歌的保持專注應(yīng)用軟件等網(wǎng)頁攔截器來阻攔Facebook等浪費(fèi)時(shí)間的網(wǎng)站,完成任務(wù)的一個(gè)好辦法就是屏蔽掉其他干擾,這樣我們才能專心投入手中的事情。
For this writer, turning the computer off altogether and heading back to the pen and paper works best, but for you it might simply be a case of switching your cell phone off for a few hours or finding a quiet place to work.
對本文作者而言,關(guān)掉電腦并重新拿起紙筆的方法最為有效。但對你而言,或許只要關(guān)機(jī)幾個(gè)小時(shí)或找個(gè)安靜的地方就行了。
7. Take a break
休息一下
For much the same reasons that keeping yourself healthy is the key to getting more things done, being able to take time out once in a while can make all the difference to your
productivity.
同理,保持健康是做好事情的關(guān)鍵。偶爾放松一下能大大提高你的做事效率。
Whether we step back to take a moment of
stillness and quiet, or head outside to enjoy a walk in the fresh air, it’s important to relax from time to time if we want to avoid burnout.
不論你是蝸居享受靜謐時(shí)光,還是出門散步呼吸新鮮空氣,都可以。若不想變得精疲力竭,我們就應(yīng)時(shí)不時(shí)地放松一下。
By avoiding burnout, we give ourselves more energy and, again, more energy leads to increased productivity.
不再精疲力竭的話,我們便能獲得更多能量,進(jìn)而擁有更強(qiáng)的辦事效率!