八方修炼：时间管理的职场学问

To-do lists are ineffective because they lack context: Research shows people leave the most difficult tasks undone at the end of the day. Instead, Markovitz advises laying out blocks of time for each task. "I tell people to have a healthy relationship with their calendars," he says. "How can you prioritize if you don't know how much time you have? You need to make mindful decisions about the finite amount of time you have to work." Blocking out time provides structure and gives you micro-deadlines to complete tasks. Leave a few empty spaces for inevitable crises and interruptions, and to make room for tasks that may take longer.
待办清单缺乏内容，因为不是很有效：研究表明一天结束的时候，人们最难的任务往往还没做。与此相对，马科维茨建议给每项任务分配时间版块。“我告诉人们要和自己的日程表建立健康的关系，”他讲道，“如果你都不知道自己有多少时间可用，怎么去安排优先级？你要在自己有限的工作时间里，有意识地做决定。“标出时间版块能让你更有条理，同时帮你给各项任务设置了微观的截止时间。记得留出空白时间给无可避免的危机和干扰，以及可能需要延长工作时间的任务。

6. Pull, don't push
6. 提取信息，而非推送

Most of us are bombarded with emails, calls, and requests that don't necessarily need our attention that moment -- or even that day.
我们中的大多数人，每天都被邮件、电话和要求轰炸，而这些大都是不需要我们当下——或者甚至当天就去注意。

"People push information on us when it's ready, not when we need it," says Markovitz. Instead, Markovitz suggests pulling information when needed rather than passively receiving it anytime.
“人们在准备就绪时讲信息推向我们，而不是在我们需要的时候，” 马科维茨讲道。与此相对，马科维茨建议在需要的时候去提取信息，而不是任何时候都被动地接收信息。

How to pull, not push? If a project is complicated and involves multiple people, talk about it instead of emailing. Don't constantly check and respond to emails – process messages in batches, like once every three hours. Create an email signature that says you don't have time to respond to everything, and if it's urgent, to call. The same goes for meetings: Do you really need to be there? "You need to set expectations," says Markovitz. "You need to slow down the avalanche of information coming at you.
"怎样去提取，而不是推送呢？当项目本身复杂同时有多方人员参与时，与其发邮件，不如口头交流。不要频繁地查看和回复邮件——批量处理信息，比如每三小时一次。创建一个电子签名，说明你没有时间回复所有邮件，有紧急事件请打电话。开会也一样：你一定要在场么？“你需要设定期望值，” 马科维茨讲道。“你需要放慢奔涌而来的信息。”

7. Limit your choices
7. 限制你的日常选择

While you can't change the number of decisions you make for your job, you can limit daily choices at home. For instance, President Obama wears only blue or gray suits to curb unnecessary decisions. He also uses "decision" memos with three check boxes: agree, disagree and discuss.
你无法改变出于工作需求所做的决定数量，却可以限制自己在家的选择。比如，奥巴马总统只穿蓝色和灰色西装以避免不必要的选择。他也使用只有三个选项的“决定”便笺：同意，不同意和再议。

"Too much choice is paralyzing," says Sheena Iyengar, a Columbia University business professor. "You walk into your office and a bazillion people will come at you from every side -- emails, calls, meetings. Ask yourself: Are you being proactive or just reacting? If you're reacting, then half the day goes by before you say, 'Wait a minute, what am I supposed to be working on?'" Establish routines that let you focus on what you need to do first.
“选择太多让人不知所措，”哥伦比亚大学商业学教授席娜·艾扬格讲道。“你走进办公室，一大拨人从四面八方向你袭来——通过邮件，电话和会议。问问你自己：现在的你，是主动的，还是只在被动接收？如果你实在被动反应，那么在你讲“等等，我该干什么来着？”之前，大半天已经过去了。建立例行程序，让自己首先集中在需要做的事情上。

8. Prep the night before
8. 前一天做好准备

While it's important to get a good night's sleep, the time just before bed is ideal for getting your thoughts together for the next day -- and not just because it lessens what you have to do tomorrow.
好的睡眠固然重要，然而睡前时间是为第二天整理思绪的理想时段——不仅仅因为这样做可以减轻明天的工作任务。

Scans of sleeping people show our brains work on solving problems when we're not awake, so reviewing a little work before bed helps imprint on your brain exactly what needs to be solved. "We've all had that aha moment in the shower the next morning," says Creswell. "That's because you've let the unconscious mind operate organically on the imprinted information." But avoid overly stressful projects before bed, which may cause you to toss and turn with worry. And don't work on anything with a screen within an hour of bed: Studies show the blue light in screens can lead to fitful sleep.
对入睡后人们的大脑扫描显示：在我们没醒着的时候，大脑在自行解决问题，因此睡前小小地回顾下工作可以帮助大脑留下印象，知道在睡眠阶段应该解决什么问题。“第二天清晨洗澡时，我们都有过灵光乍现的瞬间，” 克雷斯韦尔讲道。“那是因为你让大脑在留下信息印象之后无意识地运转了。”但是避免在睡前去想压力很大的项目，这样做可能会让你辗转忧虑。而且，睡前一小时不要对着屏幕做事：研究显示屏幕辐射出的蓝光会让睡眠断断续续。