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(jié)束，只剩下30天了。和你們一樣，我也很喜歡未來(lái)的幾個(gè)月里，迎接全新一年的勁頭。我們很容易一下子就跳到新年許愿的頻道，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(hào)早上醒來(lái)，思考那些你本該在今年做得更好的事兒。嘿，我說(shuō)，你現(xiàn)在還有時(shí)間呀。不管是要完成一個(gè)大工程，還是想改掉一個(gè)小習(xí)慣，你都可以做點(diǎn)兒什么。然后新年時(shí)就會(huì)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.

我這里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(zhàn)是：一個(gè)是要在今天完成的，一個(gè)是要在下周完成的，還有一個(gè)是在年底完成的。這樣，當(dāng)新年的鐘聲響起，你就可以優(yōu)哉游哉地準(zhǔn)備開始接手新的任務(wù)啦。

Today: Stop Living Out of Your Inbox

今天起：別再繞著你的收件箱打轉(zhuǎn)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(huì)有點(diǎn)糾結(jié)。怎么說(shuō)呢，回復(fù)郵件的時(shí)候，大腦中會(huì)分泌一些多巴胺，帶來(lái)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著收件箱打轉(zhuǎn)的話，那么你的工作效率一定不那么高吧。因?yàn)槟愕脮r(shí)不時(shí)停下手中的工作來(lái)查收和回復(fù)郵件，這就讓你無(wú)法專注于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(gè)步驟，你可以試著做做，看你能不能再今天就打破這個(gè)壞習(xí)慣。

1. Check Your Email Only at Certain Times of Day

1. 每天定時(shí)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(rèn)好今天查收郵件的時(shí)間點(diǎn)。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(guān)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(gè)像是Freedom的app來(lái)切斷網(wǎng)絡(luò)，讓你專注于手頭的工作。

3. Change Your Outlook

3. 改變你對(duì)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(shuō)到底呢，你收件箱里的那些重要事件啦、課題啦、需求啦，都是其他人按他們的需求發(fā)來(lái)占用你的時(shí)間。當(dāng)你圍著你的郵件轉(zhuǎn)的時(shí)候，你其實(shí)是讓其他人控制了你的時(shí)間。而一旦明白了這一點(diǎn)，優(yōu)先處理那些對(duì)你來(lái)說(shuō)重要的事兒，而不是郵箱里的那些，就比較容易啦。

By Next Week: Stop Hating Monday

下周起：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(wú)論問(wèn)誰(shuí)，你都會(huì)得到一個(gè)全世界都認(rèn)可的答案：星期一是一周中最可惡的那天，周末遠(yuǎn)去了，只剩下遙遙無(wú)期的5個(gè)工作日。于是呢，星期一的大把時(shí)間就花在抱怨這一天有多么可惡中了。（聽起來(lái)有沒(méi)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(shí)上呢，再怎么討厭星期一，也沒(méi)法兒讓事情變得更好。在我看來(lái)，星期一提供了很多機(jī)會(huì)，你可以好好把握。下面三個(gè)步驟，讓你重新掌控星期一：

1. Create a Clear Plan for the Week

1. 創(chuàng)建一個(gè)明確的周計(jì)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!)

一周剛開始的時(shí)候，很適合做計(jì)劃。你可以安排好你想在未來(lái)5天里完成的事兒。星期一的早上，花點(diǎn)兒時(shí)間，看哪些是對(duì)你來(lái)說(shuō)最重要最緊急的事兒，然后在你的日歷上鎖定好你需要花在這些事兒上的時(shí)間。（這一步至關(guān)重要，它讓你準(zhǔn)時(shí)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(jì)劃好一個(gè)禮拜的工作，想象一下當(dāng)你周五下班的時(shí)候，那些最重要的事兒全都做好了，這時(shí)你該有多爽啊�。ㄟ@樣的想象會(huì)讓你這多產(chǎn)的一周都干勁十足。）

3. Put Something You Look Forward to on Your Monday Calendar

3. 在星期一的日程上放點(diǎn)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(lè)。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(huì)那么厭惡它了。

By the End of This Year: Crush Procrastination

年底前：讓拖延癥去死吧！

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(diǎn)兒小事兒拖到明天，似乎無(wú)傷大雅。但明天變成了下禮拜，下禮拜又變成了下個(gè)月。突然之間，你發(fā)現(xiàn)你有好多事兒沒(méi)做，各種東西要交，于是壓力山大地在辦公室里加班加點(diǎn)。

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(dāng)你等到最后一分鐘再去做事的時(shí)候，你就沒(méi)時(shí)間去做得更好了。通常情況下呢，你也就只能將就著自己在最后一分鐘前趕出來(lái)的活了。最好的情況下，拖延癥也會(huì)讓你的工作趨于平庸。

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.

拖延癥不是一兩天或是一兩個(gè)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癥。

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(dāng)你跟自己說(shuō)“這個(gè)我明天再做”的時(shí)候，你可以在你的日程表上標(biāo)注好。日程安排幫你在框架概念和專用的時(shí)間上都做出了規(guī)定，這樣就更容易有實(shí)質(zhì)的進(jìn)展。

2. Practice Focusing

2. 專注力練習(xí)

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。然后，休息個(gè)5分鐘，再接著做。這樣能讓你形成全新的高效產(chǎn)出的習(xí)慣。

3. Phone a Friend

3. 打電話讓朋友來(lái)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(gè)朋友或同事來(lái)幫你吧。把你這項(xiàng)工作需要完成什么、什么時(shí)候交等細(xì)節(jié)告訴你這位朋友。然后讓他每天來(lái)檢查你的進(jìn)展。當(dāng)自己的工作有了別人的監(jiān)督，你會(huì)更有動(dòng)力來(lái)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(lái)的幾個(gè)月里，會(huì)做完各種事兒。還等什么，趁現(xiàn)在還沒(méi)多少壓力，也沒(méi)人在催，就開始練習(xí)吧！想想，如果自己在2014年醒來(lái)時(shí)，已經(jīng)精通上述三個(gè)概念了，那會(huì)有多爽。至于其他人嘛，讓他們驚訝于你這么快就在新年有如此多的進(jìn)步吧！