只剩30天：年底前必須完成的3件事

There are only 30 days left in 2013. And while I love the fresh beginning of a new year, as you head into the next couple months, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the resolutions you want to make for next year, rather than focusing on finishing this year strong.
距離2013年結束，只剩下30天了。和你們一樣，我也很喜歡未來的幾個月裏，迎接全新一年的勁頭。我們很容易一下子就跳到新年許願的頻道，而忽略了今年年底該專注完成的事兒。

You see, I don’t want you to wake up on January 1 thinking you should have—and could have—done something better last year. You’ve still got time! Whether it’s a big project you want to attack or a small habit you want to change, you can go into the new year feeling triumphant.
喏，我可不想你在明年1月1號早上醒來，思考那些你本該在今年做得更好的事兒。嘿，我說，你現在還有時間呀。不管是要完成一個大工程，還是想改掉一個小習慣，你都可以做點兒什麼。然後新年時就會有滿滿的成就感啦。

And so, since I’m all for making progress by achieving small wins, here are three common challenges you can master before the end of the year: one thing for today, one for next week, and one before year end. Then, when the new year rolls around, you’ll be way ahead of the game—and ready to tackle a new set of resolutions.
我這裏講到的都是在一些小事兒中邁出一步。年底之前，你需要攻克的三大挑戰是：一個是要在今天完成的，一個是要在下週完成的，還有一個是在年底完成的。這樣，當新年的鐘聲響起，你就可以優哉遊哉地準備開始接手新的任務啦。Today: Stop Living Out of Your Inbox
今天起：別再繞着你的收件箱打轉了！

There’s a reason that you probably struggle with this one: Responding to the constant “ding” fills your brain with dopamine, a little squirt of happy juice that gives you satisfaction.
看到這條，你也許會有點糾結。怎麼說呢，回覆郵件的時候，大腦中會分泌一些多巴胺，帶來些許的滿足感。

DesPite that good feeling, centering your work around your inbox isn’t exactly effective—constantly stopping to check and respond to messages is a distraction that keeps you from staying focused on your bigger tasks and priorities.
除此之外呢，如果你的工作都圍繞着收件箱打轉的話，那麼你的工作效率一定不那麼高吧。因爲你得時不時停下手中的工作來查收和回覆郵件，這就讓你無法專注於手頭更重要的工作了。

The good news is, there are some quick steps you can take to break this habit today.
好在呢，我們這兒有個步驟，你可以試着做做，看你能不能再今天就打破這個壞習慣。

1. Check Your Email Only at Certain Times of Day
1. 每天定時查收郵件

At the beginning of the day, determine a few designated email checkpoints—maybe once in the morning, once at midday, and once before you leave for the night.
早上就確認好今天查收郵件的時間點。也許是早上一次、中午一次、晚上下班前再一次。

2. Turn Off Your Email Feed
2. 關上你的郵件提醒

Instead of letting new email alerts interrupt your work, try using an app like Freedom to turn off the internet and allow you to focus on the task at hand.
別再讓新郵件提醒打擾你的工作啦。你可以用一個像是Freedom的app來切斷網絡，讓你專注於手頭的工作。

3. Change Your Outlook
3. 改變你對Outlook的看法

Essentially, your inbox is a place where other people get to send their priorities, issues, and demands for your time. And so, when you base your workday around your email, you’re letting others control your time. Once you realize that, it’ll be a lot easier to prioritize the things that are important to you, rather than simply what comes into your inbox.
說到底呢，你收件箱裏的那些重要事件啦、課題啦、需求啦，都是其他人按他們的需求發來佔用你的時間。當你圍着你的郵件轉的時候，你其實是讓其他人控制了你的時間。而一旦明白了這一點，優先處理那些對你來說重要的事兒，而不是郵箱裏的那些，就比較容易啦。
By Next Week: Stop Hating Monday
下週起：別再討厭星期一啦！

Ask anyone, and you’ll get a pretty universal consensus: Monday is the worst day of the week. The weekend’s gone, and it’ll be another long five days before another comes around. And so, most working hours are spent complaining about how awful the day is. (Sound familiar?)
無論問誰，你都會得到一個全世界都認可的答案：星期一是一週中最可惡的那天，週末遠去了，只剩下遙遙無期的5個工作日。於是呢，星期一的大把時間就花在抱怨這一天有多麼可惡中了。（聽起來有沒有很耳熟？）

The thing is, hating Monday doesn’t actually do anything to make it better. The way I see it, Monday offers huge opportunities—if you approach it the right way. Regain control over your Monday with these three steps over the next week.
事實上呢，再怎麼討厭星期一，也沒法兒讓事情變得更好。在我看來，星期一提供了很多機會，你可以好好把握。下面三個步驟，讓你重新掌控星期一：

1. Create a Clear Plan for the Week
1. 創建一個明確的周計劃

This fresh start to the week is the perfect opportunity to create a road map for what you want to accomplish over the next five days. So, take some time Monday morning to identify your key priorities and block off the time you’ll spend on each one on your calendar. (This step is essential to help you leave work on time and feel good about the work you’ve accomplished!)
一週剛開始的時候，很適合做計劃。你可以安排好你想在未來5天裏完成的事兒。星期一的早上，花點兒時間，看哪些是對你來說最重要最緊急的事兒，然後在你的日曆上鎖定好你需要花在這些事兒上的時間。（這一步至關重要，它讓你準時下班，而且成就感爆棚。）

2. Visualize Friday
2. 想象一下星期五下班

Once you have your plan for the week, think about how you’ll feel when you leave work on Friday with these key priorities completed. (Hint: It should get you excited to get going on the uber-productive week you’re about to have!)
一旦你計劃好一個禮拜的工作，想象一下當你週五下班的時候，那些最重要的事兒全都做好了，這時你該有多爽啊！（這樣的想象會讓你這多產的一週都幹勁十足。）

3. Put Something You Look Forward to on Your Monday Calendar
3. 在星期一的日程上放點你想做的事兒

Maybe you bring (or buy) a splurge of a lunch. Or maybe you set aside a new outfit to wear. Perhaps you bring fresh flowers to your desk to make the day a little more cheerful. One thing’s for sure: You’ll dread Monday less if you put something on the calendar that you’ll look forward to!
你可以買一頓豐盛的午餐，也可以挑一套新衣服，還可以擺上一束鮮花到你的桌上，讓禮拜一變得歡樂。可以確信的是：只要你在禮拜一安排了自己想做的事兒，那你就不會那麼厭惡它了。
By the End of This Year: Crush Procrastination
年底前：讓拖延症去死吧！

Putting off a few small tasks until tomorrow seems OK—until tomorrow turns into next week, and next week turns into next month. And suddenly, you have a lot more stress, tighter deadlines, and longer days at the office.
把一點兒小事兒拖到明天，似乎無傷大雅。但明天變成了下禮拜，下禮拜又變成了下個月。突然之間，你發現你有好多事兒沒做，各種東西要交，於是壓力山大地在辦公室裏加班加點。

When you’ve waited until the last minute to do something, there’s no time to go the extra mile; usually, you just have to settle for whatever you can churn out at the last minute. Procrastination keeps your work ordinary, at best.
當你等到最後一分鐘再去做事的時候，你就沒時間去做得更好了。通常情況下呢，你也就只能將就着自己在最後一分鐘前趕出來的活了。最好的情況下，拖延症也會讓你的工作趨於平庸。

Now, tackling a challenge like this won’t take just a day or a week. But with these three steps to get you started, you can certainly help turn your procrastination around by the end of the year.
拖延症不是一兩天或是一兩個禮拜就能搞定的。從以下三步開始，你就可以在今年年底前改善自己的拖延症。

1. Schedule Your Priorities
1. 安排好你要做的事兒

When you tell yourself, “I’ll do this tomorrow,” actually block off some time in your calendar the next day to work on it. Scheduling helps give you both the structure and the dedicated time you need to actually make significant progress.
當你跟自己說“這個我明天再做”的時候，你可以在你的日程表上標註好。日程安排幫你在框架概念和專用的時間上都做出了規定，這樣就更容易有實質的進展。

2. Practice Focusing
2. 專注力練習

Try this: Pick a task you’ve been putting off, and work on it for 20 minutes without looking up. Take a short, five-minute break, then do it again. This will help you form new habits that will, over time, allow you to be (and feel) more productive.
試試這樣做：找一件被你拖延了的工作，花20分鐘不間斷地做。然後，休息個5分鐘，再接着做。這樣能讓你形成全新的高效產出的習慣。

3. Phone a Friend
3. 打電話讓朋友來督促

Tempted to procrastinate? Ask a friend or colleague to hold you accountable. Give this person the details on what you want to accomplish, and the deadline that goes along with it. Then, ask him or her to check in with you for daily updates on your progress. You’ll be much more motivated when you know someone’s keeping tabs on your work.
又打算拖延？找一個朋友或同事來幫你吧。把你這項工作需要完成什麼、什麼時候交等細節告訴你這位朋友。然後讓他每天來檢查你的進展。當自己的工作有了別人的監督，你會更有動力來完成的。

Sure, you’ll have plenty of resolutions in just a couple months. But why wait? Start practicing now—while there’s less pressure and no one’s looking. Think about how great you’ll feel waking up in 2014 knowing you’ve mastered these three simple ideals. And everyone else? They’ll be amazed at how much progress you’ve made so quickly in the new year!
這樣，你在未來的幾個月裏，會做完各種事兒。還等什麼，趁現在還沒多少壓力，也沒人在催，就開始練習吧！想想，如果自己在2014年醒來時，已經精通上述三個概念了，那會有多爽。至於其他人嘛，讓他們驚訝於你這麼快就在新年有如此多的進步吧！