How can I make better use of my time? I'm sick of wasting time

怎样更好的利用自己的时间呢？我厌倦了浪费时间。

Nela Canovic,Life is easier and much better with shortcuts. Updated Jun 22

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Try one or all of these 10 tips on making the best use of your time:

试试这十个小建议来更好的利用你的时间吧：

1.Create a perfect workspace.

布置一个完美的工作环境。

Don’t wait until the last minute to get everything ready for the work you'll need to complete. Gather all materials the night before so that you don't waste time in the morning looking for them. This applies to reference materials (bookmark them in your browser or write notes that you'll have handy on your desk), a plan for the day (checklist of tasks you need to complete), a bottle of water at your desk, an energy snack (a power bar or a fruit and nut mix). Some more tips to consider:

不要在开始自己工作前的最后一分钟才把所有需要的东西准备好。提前一个晚上准备好所有的材料吧，这样你就不必在早上浪费时间去找它们了。你可以试试这几个方法：准备好参考资料（把它放入你浏览器的收藏夹中，或者在你工作桌上写下笔记），每日计划（你需要完成的任务清单），在桌上放一瓶水，放点儿能量小点心（一根能量棒，或者水果坚果混合物。笔者表示没吃过这玩意儿TAT）你也可以试试如下几点：

Too much noise from family or roommates?Pack it all up and go to the library, then find a desk in the back so you don't get distracted by anyone walking by.

家人或者室友产生的噪音太大？收拾好所有东西奔向图书馆吧。选一个比较里面的桌子，这样你不会被路过的人给影响到。

Coworkers chatting non-stop? Invest in a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones, and if possible get away from your desk for an hour and find a table in the cafeteria or an empty conference room so that you can concentrate on an important deadline.

一起工作的人不停地说话？可以考虑买一副好一点的降噪耳机，如果可能的话，离开你的桌子，找一个咖啡厅或者一个空的会议室，呆一小时，这样你能够专注赶一个截止日。

2.Always have a goal to aspire to.

尽可能找一个你渴求的目标。

When you have specific goals you want to achieve, you are less likely to waste time on things that are not related to those goals. The bonus: everything you do starts feeling that it has purpose. To help you focus better on your goals, try this technique:

当你想追求一些具体的目标，你越难浪费时间在无关的事情上。这样的好处是：每件你做的事会让你更有目标感。想更专注在自己的目标上？试试这些方法：

Start each day with the question:What is the ONE THING I am committed to completing today?This question forces you to prioritize, helps your brain focus better, and streamlines the work you need to do on that particular day, so that you don't feel stressed and overwhelmed with having to make too many choices.

每天开始的时候问自己这些问题：今天我一定要完成的一件事儿是什么？这个问题迫使你去列优先级，使你的大脑更加专注，同时简化你这一天需要做的工作，从而你不会因面临太多选择而倍感压力或者精疲力竭。

3.Find out how your brain works.

明白你大脑工作的规律。

There is a way to work smarter (in less time) rather than harder (in more time): optimize your brain performance. For one week, keep a log of all mental activities you perform in the morning, midday, afternoon and evening. You will notice a pattern in how your brain works at a certain time of day. Then, adjust your schedule to accommodate the activities depending on what's right for your brain and when. For example:

有一个方法让你工作的更聪明（更少时间）而不是更辛苦（更多工时）：提高你大脑的表现。请花一周时间记录你的所有情绪活动-早上，中午，下午以及晚上的情绪状态。你会发现你的大脑在一天中不同时段的状态。然后，请根据它来调整你的日程，比如说：

Mornings can be great for doing deep work, i.e. work that requires a lot of your concentration. Some scientists call this the brain’s peak performance time, and it's roughly 2-4 hours after we wake up. So, for example, if you wake up at 6, your peak times are between 8 and 10 a.m. Block this time off for your analytical brain to perform the most complex tasks that require a lot of focus.

早上适合做深度工作，亦即需要你非常专注的工作。很多科学家称之为大脑巅峰表现时间-大概在我们醒来后的第2个小时和4个小时之间。基于此，举个例子，如果你6点醒来，那么你的巅峰时段在将在8-10点。在这个时段，将你善于分析的大脑留给那些需要集中精力去处理的繁杂任务吧。

Early afternoons are great for collaborating.This covers the 12-4 p.m. time range, when you take a lunch break and the few hours after, when you are more likely to socialize. It's a good time of day to schedule meetings, brainstorm ideas with others, and work together on projects where you can provide feedback and get recommendations on your work.

午后的时间适合团队协作。大概在12点到下午四点，在你结束午休后的几个小时。这个时段是你最可能去进行社交。安排会议，和他人头脑风暴，在一项协同工作上收取建议，给出反馈，在这段时间最合适。

Evenings, usually around 5-9 p.m., can be scheduled forstrategic thinking. This is when the brain eases into a different tempo when it can be more creative. If you're setting goals and strategizing where you want to be in 6 months' time or a year with your personal development or career, this is when you can outline your next steps. It's a great time for creating and contemplating the big picture.

晚上，一般来说，在5点至9点之间，适合去做战略思考。脑电波在这个时段减缓至一个不同的节奏，以致大脑会变得更具创造力。如果你正在制定或者规划未来6个月至一年的个人发展目标，在这个时间段，你可以列出接下来的计划。这是最适合创造并深思未来规划的时间。

4.Become a pro at time management.

成为时间管理的专家。

Why would you waste hours at your desk working but not really being as productive as you could be? Try a different approach to your work:

为什么你常常在工作桌前花了很多时间，却无法真正的达到你应有的效率？换个方法去干活儿吧：

When you're ready to start studying,use a timer to divide up your time into manageable increments that will allow your brain to focus in a more targeted and effective way. Set the timer to 30 or 60 minute increments to maximize concentration.

在你准备学习时，用一个计时器来把你的时间分割成有规划的时段，这可以使你大脑更专注，更有效率。把时间分成数个30到60分钟的时段，可以最大化你的专注力（可试试番茄工作法）

For even shorter periods of concentration, try the Pomodoro techniquewhich consists of 25 minute blocks of time, followed by 5 minute breaks. When you're done with one segment, step away from your desk and do something completely unrelated to work to give your brain a chance to rest: take a 5-minute walk to get some fresh air, stretch your body for a few minutes, grab a cup of coffee or tea.

想在更短时间保持专注，试试番茄工作法，每工作25分钟，休息5分钟。当你完成一个番茄时钟，离开你的桌子，做些完全不相关的事情去放松大脑：步行5分钟去呼吸下新鲜空气，做些伸展动作，喝杯咖啡或茶）

5.Ignore distractions successfully.

忽略烦心事。

Distractions can easily make you slip from the work you are focusing on, and can waste time without you even noticing. Reading email and constantly checking your Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter feed prevents you from focusing and can make you feel overwhelmed. Even worse: studies have shown that this multitasking can lower your IQ by 10 points!

烦心事会让你从专注工作分神，在你没意识到时浪费时间。阅读邮件，持续的刷新你的intagram，脸熟，或者推特订阅，会让你注意力分散，并使你觉得很挫败。更早的是，有研究表示，多线程共工作会让你的IQ降低10点。

Make a conscious effort to avoid distractions as much as possible. Here’s how:

请尽可能清醒的去避免被分散注意力。试试这些：

Set your phone to Airplane mode when you need to focus without any disturbances.

当你需要专注且不被打扰时，将你的手机设置成飞行模式

Set expectations with others by letting them know you won't be available in the next few hours, so they don’t interrupt you with their requests, questions or comments.

提前让其他人知道，你接下来几个小时没空，这样他们就不会找你帮忙，问问题，或者给你建议，从而打断你。

Check your email and social media apps only 2–3 times a day (around lunchtime, later in the afternoon, and evening).

一天检查你的邮箱和社交媒体软件两到三次（最好在午饭时间，下午的晚些时候或者晚上）

Avoid browsing the Internet or reading the daily news; leave these activities for later after you've completed all the items you’ve listed in your daily plan.

避免浏览网页或是看当日新闻；留待你完成今天所有待办事项后，再做这些事。

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To Be Continued……

未完待续……

Nela Canovic Productivity hacker, writer, entrepreneur in Silicon Valley

https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-make-better-use-of-my-time/answer/Nela-Canovic?srid=tkTX

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