1.早点起床
早起
提前十五分钟起床。如果你像大多数人一样,你的早晨可能会感觉很匆忙。你在最后一刻把自己从床上拖起来,匆匆洗个澡,如果幸运的话,也许吃点早餐,收拾好孩子/猫/伴侣,然后匆忙去上班。
提前15分钟起床。你要是像大部分人那样起床,早上可能会觉得有点赶:在最后一刻挣扎着起来,赶紧冲个澡,来得及的话就吃两口早餐,安顿好小孩/猫咪/爱人后冲出门上班。
稍微早一点起床可以给你一些喘息的空间。也许这会给你时间坐下来享受一次早餐。也许你可以用每天15分钟的时间来通读你一直想看的那本书或那堆日记。
稍微早点起床就不至于那么匆忙。或许至少可以真正坐下来吃顿早餐。你也可以利用每天早起的15分钟看看书或者整理一下记事本。
2.创建一个计划
制定计划
在你开始工作的时候,甚至在你检查邮件之前,制定一个计划。草草记下当天你想完成的三项最重要的任务。在最重要的旁边放一个大星星。现在,在你进入邮件、复印和整理办公桌的繁忙工作之前,开始这项重要的任务,并坚持到底。
在你刚开始工作时,趁着还没查看邮件,赶紧定个计划吧。写下当天必须完成的三个最重要的任务,最重要的那个打上标记。然后趁着还没开始检查邮件、影印资料或整理办公桌等工作内容前,赶紧着手那个最重要的任务并保证完成它。
令人惊讶的是,很少有人会花时间去计划他们的工作日,并最终在一些低优先级的任务上打转,而没有真正完成任何大事。
奇怪的是,很少有人能有计划地工作,一天下来后还是周旋在几个效率甚低的任务上,最后其实什么实事都没做成。
3.一起批处理任务
分批处理任务
当你在工作日的时候,试着把相似的任务放在一起。当你从一件事情切换到另一件事情时,你的大脑需要几分钟来跟上并适应:不停地在回复电子邮件、写报告和整理办公桌之间跳跃,这意味着你会忘记自己去了哪里。你可能会觉得自己工作效率超高(因为你的大脑嗡嗡作响),但实际上你会浪费很多时间。
工作时可以将相似的任务并在一起处理。当你从一个任务换到另一个任务时,大脑会花几分钟进行调整:同时既要回复邮件、撰写报
告,又要整理办公桌,到头来你可能会手足无措。虽然这样你可能觉得自己效率超级高(因为大脑一刻没停),但其实并没有优化利用时间。If you need to answer a number of emails, do them all at once. The same goes for phone calls, filing, photocopying and other similar tasks.
如果要回复的邮件很多,那就一起处理掉。电话、整理文案、影印等同样如此。
4. Block Out Chunks of Time
腾出大段时间
Do you have some big project that you'd love to get round to? Maybe it's writing a novel, starting a business, training for a marathon, decluttering your home ... whatever your particular venture or goal, you never get around to making progress.
你是否有个大计划总想花时间去做?比如写小说、创业、马拉松训练或整理家务,不管个人想法或目标是什么,你就是还没时间去落实吧?
The best way to tackle big projects like this is to force them into your schedule. Spare time doesn't just appear from nowhere – you need to make a conscious effort to create it. Block out a weekend afternoon, for instance: tell family and friends you have another engagement that day. Then storm on ahead with that project. Trust me, you'll feel great for having made a start.
对付这种大计划的办法就是强行作出安排。时间就像海绵里的水,你得用心去挤才行。比如,你可以腾出一个周末下午的时间,告诉亲友自己另有安排,然后开始拿出行动吧。相信我,一旦开始你就会感到妙不可言。
5. Don't Multitask
不要一心多用
Although multitasking feels efficient – because it feels busy – it actually loses you time. By sticking to doing one thing at a time, you'll be much more focused and able to produce your best work: there's nothing efficient about rushing a job which you then end up having to redo.
虽然同时处理多个任务会使你感到很有效率(因为一直在忙),但其实很耗时间。坚持一次只做一件事,你会更专注更有效率:与其匆忙“鬼画符”后又返工,还不如先专心做好一件事呢。
6. Stay Focused
保持专注
When you are working on a task, make a conscious effort to remain focused. Sure, you'll have intrusive thoughts like maybe I should check my email or this desk could really do with tidying. Just recognize that those thoughts are impulses which you don't need to give into. If you think of something while you're working on your task like I really must phone Joe, then just make a note on a bit of paper or in your diary so you don't forget – and get on with the task at hand.
工作时一定要努力保持专注。当然,你可能会时不时想到“该查看邮件了”或“办公桌真该整理一下了”,但请记住:这些都只是一时想法,不要陷进去。如果你工作时想到别的事情,比如“我真得打电话给乔了”,那就在纸上或记事本上写下来以免忘记,然后继续手头的工作。
You'll accomplish much more by working in a deliberately focused way than if you let yourself jump around from task to task as things come to mind.
刻意保持专注比思想散漫时的工作效率要高得多。
7. Finish Work On Time
按时完成工作
Finally, one of the best ways to make more time in your life is to finish your work on time! If you work for an employer, make an effort to leave the office on time – at least a couple of days each week. (I know this is difficult if your workplace has a long-hours culture).
最后,在生活中创造更多时间的办法就是——按时完成工作!如果你是上班族,就确保能按时下班——至少每周能有那么几天。(当然,如果你的公司有加班的习惯,这么做也不那么容易。)
If you work for yourself, you need to be even more self-disciplined, as your work is likely to be very easily accessible when you're at home! Some good ways to create a boundary at the end of the day are to keep your work separate from the rooms in your house where you relax. You could also schedule something social in the evening (perhaps meeting friends for a drink) so that you can't get caught up in "just one more email"...
如果你是为自己工作,那就得更加自律了,因为这样你在家也很方便办公!区分一天工作结束的办法就是,将办公的地方与休息的地方分开来。你也可以在晚上安排一些交际活动(比如跟朋友喝一杯),这样你就不会为“又来了一封邮件”犯难了。