當(dāng)待辦清單往往變成“未完成”清單,總讓人備感壓力和消沉。不如列一個成就清單來鼓勵自己吧!
測試中可能遇到的詞匯和知識:
demotivate 使變得消極[di:'m?utiveit]
journal 日記;分類賬['d???n(?)l]
rational 理性的['r??(?)n(?)l]
jot down 草草記下;匆匆記下
meditation 冥想;沉思[med?'te??(?)n]
treadmill 跑步機['tredm?l]
embroiled 卷入的;糾纏不清的[im'br?ild]
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By Emma De Vita
* * *
Writing a “done” list instead of a to-do list, and leaving your problem-solving to when you are tired are two of the productivity tips in a new book, Brainhack .
Neil Pavitt, the author, says a to-do list often turns into a “what you haven’t done” list, leaving you feeling stressed and demotivated. He suggests keeping a “done list” — a journal of your biggest achievements, which will remind you of your successes and motivate you.
“Get a nice paper diary and only put down things that are really of value to you, whether inside or outside of work,” Mr Pavitt says. He makes three entries a week and reappraises it every couple of months to give himself a boost.
A hack that may work for some is to save creative thinking for when you are tired. “If you have to be focused and analytical you need to be fresh, but if you want to come up with creative ideas, late at night or when you have just woken up are useful times.”
Mr Pavitt says that because your brain is in a different state, it operates in a less rational way. “Your mind will wander more and therefore you’ll be far more likely to create new connections and come up with unexpected ideas.”
Just keep a pad to hand to jot down ideas before you forget them, he adds.
Morning, McKinsey-style
A compulsive checking of emails as soon as he woke was a productivity-destroying habit for Manish Chopra, a partner at McKinsey, the management consultancy. He dropped the habit as part of an overhaul of his morning routine.
Where previously he felt stressed, he says he now feels energetic and enjoys a greater sense of purpose.
The first thing Mr Chopra aims to do after waking at between 5am and 6am, is up to an hour’s meditation.
Ideally, he then exercises for 20 to 30 minutes on a treadmill before eating breakfast and spending time with his family. During his first two waking hours, he finds 10 minutes to plan his day. He does this before opening his laptop and becoming embroiled in emails. He also writes down on an index card the five things he would like to get done, keeping it in his pocket for reference. At 7am he will start on work emails and phone calls.
Under his old routine, he would not have woken up before 7am and would not have meditated or exercised. By shifting his day so he gets up and winds down earlier, he has made time to fit these in.
Checking emails in bed or rushing to get dressed will not set you up for the day in the best way, says Benjamin Spall, co-founder of My Morning Routine, an online collection of interviews with successful people about their morning habits.
Mr Spall recommends spending quality time with family, or working on a personal project that you enjoy, to make the morning a time that you will look forward to.
Blockages in the stream
Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, on how past success can block future innovation: “Spotify could never have started life in the US, the record labels are too big,” he told students at HEC Paris business school last week.
請根據(jù)你所讀到的文章內(nèi)容,完成以下自測題目:
1. What should be recorded on a “done list” as Neil Pavitt said?
a. biggest failure
b. unfulfilled desires
c. biggest achievements
d. forgotten little things
2. How many entries does Mr. Pavitt make within a week?
a. 3
b. 2
c. 10
d. 1
3. What made Manish Chopra, a partner at McKinsey, feel stressed in the past?
a. made ‘to do’ list
b. checked emails compulsively
c. woke up too early
d. an hour’s meditation
4. What can block future innovation from the example of Spotify?
a. capital controls
b. past induction
c. bad habits
d. past success
[1] 答案c. biggest achievements
解釋:他認為,列出一個“已完成”清單,記錄你取得的最重要成就,將讓你想起自己的成功并產(chǎn)生動力。
[2] 答案a. 3
解釋:帕維特表示:“準備一個漂亮的日記本,只記下對你來說真正有價值的事情,不管是工作外還是工作內(nèi)?!彼恐芰腥龡l,每隔兩個月進行重新評估來激勵自己。
[3] 答案b. checked emails compulsively
解釋:對于管理咨詢機構(gòu)麥肯錫Manish Chopra而言,以前早晨一醒來就強迫性地查看電郵是一種破壞生產(chǎn)率的習(xí)慣,這個時候他會感覺壓力極大。
[4] 答案d. past success
解釋:PayPal聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人Peter表示過去的成功可能阻礙未來創(chuàng)新:“Spotify永遠不可能在美國誕生,美國的唱片公司太大了?!?