如何集中注意力（二）

9. Plan the night before. 提前一天计划。

Planning the night before is a great way to really get focused on the next day. "Sleeping" on your tasks and goals for the following day can really help your mind expect what's going to happen the next day. Essentially¹, you're preparing your mind and focus for the following day.

提前一天计划是在第二天保持注意力的极好方法。带着第二天的任务和目标“入睡”，可以帮助你预计第二天要发生什么，为第二天做好心理准备，提前集中注意力。

10. Turn off extra inputs². 屏蔽扰乱你注意力的东西。

These are IMs and emails for me, but we all have our Achilles heel. Completely turn off any distracting piece of technology that you own. Every one of these inputs tries to steal bits of your focus. And they won't rest until they do.

每个人都有弱点，对我来说是即时通信工具和邮件。把任何导致分心的科技产品都关掉。每个工具都在企图扰乱你的注意力，不得逞不罢休。

11. Set time limits for tasks. 给任务设定时限。

There's no motivation like a deadline. Giving yourself real deadlines is a great way to stay motivated and focused on the task. Given the fact that we human are natural procrastinators, it's no surprise that we'll take as long as we're allowed to finish something. Setting real but attainable³ limits is a great way to keep the project humming, so to speak.

设定截止日期是最好的动力。设定严格的时限是保持动力和注意力的极好方法。人类天性拖沓，会在许可时间内尽量拖延，这一点也不奇怪。设定严格、实际的时限是让计划不断“轰轰”前行的极好方法。

12. Keep a journal of what you did throughout the day. 记录每天都做了什么。

I like to use a moleskine notebook for my lists just so I can go back and review it every now and then, to see what I've done. Knowing how far you've come can keep you sharp and motivated to finish.

我喜欢用一本记事本记录工作清单，这样我就能不时回顾，看看都完成了什么。知道自己的进展可以帮你保持头脑清晰，有动力完成工作。

13. Use programs to track where you spend your time. 用工具跟踪你把时间都花在了哪儿。

This is a real eye-opener. Knowing just how much time you spend every day/week/month on a certain site or with a certain program can quickly show you where your priorities lie. I recommend Rescue Time, and there are many others.

结果会让你相当惊讶。知道每天、每周、每月在某个网站或某件事上花了多少时间，能迅速告诉你什么最重要。我推荐Rescue Time这款工具，另外还有许多类似的工具。

14. Visualize⁴ the day in the morning, before it starts. 一天开始前想象下这一天。

A little pre-work meditation⁵ on the day's events is a great way to start the day off focused and productive. Don't worry about a full 30 minute session, a quick review before you start the day is fine.

思考一下当天的事务，能让你这一天集中注意力并富有成效。别以为得花30分钟来进行思考，其实在头脑中简单地过一遍就可以了。

15. Start the day right. 良好的开始。

Starting the day with a good breakfast, some quiet time and/or exercise is a great way to set your day up for success. Sounds like a cliche⁶, but it really works.

以一顿营养丰富的早餐、安静的时间、和/或锻炼开始新的一天，是开启成功一天好方法。听上去是陈词滥调，但是却很有效。

16. Clean yourself up. 打理好自己。

It's why my track coach in high school made us dress up for big races: you perform the way you feel. And if you feel polished, groomed⁷ and ready, you'll be more likely to be productive. For me this is just taking a shower, brushing my teeth and putting on casual clothing. I used to work all day without taking a shower in my PJ's, but I never got much stuff done. Let's be honest here… if you're dressed really casually⁸, odds⁹ are you'll be working really casually. Just taking the time to clean up a bit before you buckle¹⁰ down for the day is never a bad idea.

这是我的高中田径教练让我们在大赛时穿着正式的原因：表现取决于感受。如果你感到自己整洁光鲜、蓄势待发，那么就更可能取得成效。对我而言，只要洗个澡、刷牙、穿上休闲装就能精神焕发。过去我常常整天穿着睡衣工作，不洗澡，但是却从没完成多少事务。老实说……如果你穿得真的很随意，可能你的工作态度也会很随意。在准备苦干一天之前，花些时间打理一下自己绝对没错。