科技英语翻译 (77).pdf

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1、TIMEMANAGEMENT HowtoBeatProcrastination byCarolineWebb JULY29,2016 Procrastination comes in many disguises. We might resolve to tackle a task, but fi nd endless reasons to defer it. We might prioritize things we can readily tick off our to-do listanswering emails, saywhile leaving the big, complex s

2、tuff untouched for another day. We can look and feel busy, while artfully avoiding the tasks that really matter. And when we look at those rolling, long- untouched items at the bottom of our to-do list, we cant help but feel a little disappointed in ourselves. The problem is our brains are programme

3、d to procrastinate. In general, we all tend to struggle with tasks that promise future upside in return for eff orts we take now. Thats because its easier for our brains to process concrete rather than abstract things, and the immediate hassle is very tangible compared with those unknowable, uncerta

4、in future benefi ts. So the short-term eff ort easily dominates the long-term upside in our mindsan example of something that behavioral scientists call present bias. How can you become less myopic about your elusive tasks? Its all about rebalancing the cost- benefi t analysis: make the benefi ts of

5、 action feel bigger, and the costs of action feel smaller. The reward for doing a pestering task needs to feel larger than the immediate pain of tackling it. To make the benefi ts of action feel bigger and more real: Visualize how great it will be to get it done. Researchers have discovered that peo

6、ple are more likely to save for their future retirement if theyre shown digitally aged photographs of themselves. Why? Because it makes their future self feel more realmaking the future benefi ts of saving also feel more weighty. When we apply a lo-fi version of this technique to any task weve been

7、avoiding, by taking a moment to paint ourselves a vivid mental picture of the benefi ts of getting it done, it can sometimes be just enough to get us unstuck. So if theres a call youre avoiding or an email youre putting off , give your brain a helping hand by imagining the virtuous sense of satisfac

8、tion youll have once its doneand perhaps also the look of relief on someones face as they get from you what they needed. Pre-commit, publicly. Telling people that were going to get something done can powerfully amplify the appeal of actually taking action, because our brains reward system is so high

9、ly responsive to our social standing. Research has found that it matters greatly to us whether were respected by otherseven by strangers. Most of us dont want to look foolish or lazy to other people. So by daring to say “Ill send you the report by the end of the day” we add social benefi ts to follo

10、wing through on our promisewhich can be just enough to nudge us to bite the bullet. Confront the downside of inaction.Research has found that were strangely averse to properly evaluating the status quo. While we might weigh the pros and cons of doing something new, we far less often consider the pro

11、s and cons of not doing that thing. Known as omission bias, this often leads us to ignore some obvious benefi ts of getting stuff done. Suppose youre repeatedly putting off the preparation you need to do for an upcoming meeting. Youre tempted by more exciting tasks, so you tell yourself you can do i

12、t tomorrow (or the day after). But force yourself to think about the downside of putting it off , and you realize that tomorrow will be too late to get hold of the input you really need from colleagues. If you get moving now, you have half a chance of reaching them in timeso fi nally, your gears cre

13、ak into action. To make the costs of action feel smaller: Identify the fi rst step. Sometimes were just daunted by the task were avoiding. We might have “learn French” on our to-do list, but who can slot that into the average afternoon? The trick here is to break down big, amorphous tasks into baby

14、steps that dont feel as eff ortful. Even better: identify the very smallest fi rst step, something thats so easy that even your present-biased brain can see that the benefi ts outweigh the costs of eff ort. So instead of “learn French” you might decide to “email Nicole to ask advice on learning Fren

15、ch.” Achieve that small goal, and youll feel more motivated to take the next small step than if youd continued to beat yourself up about your lack of language skills. Tie the fi rst step to a treat.We can make the cost of eff ort feel even smaller if we link that small step to something were actuall

16、y looking forward to doing. In other words, tie the task that were avoiding to something that were not avoiding. For example, you might allow yourself to read lowbrow magazines or books when youre at the gym, because the guilty pleasure helps dilute your brains perception of the short-term “cost” of

17、 exercising. Likewise, you might muster the self-discipline to complete a slippery task if you promise yourself youll do it in a nice caf with a favorite drink in hand. Remove the hidden blockage.Sometimes we fi nd ourselves returning to a task repeatedly, still unwilling to take the fi rst step. We

18、 hear a little voice in our head saying, “Yeah, good idea, but . . . no.” At this point, we need to ask that voice some questions, to fi gure out whats really making it unappealing to take action. This doesnt necessarily require psychotherapy. Patiently ask yourself a few “why” questions“why does it

19、 feel tough to do this?” and “whys that?”and the blockage can surface quite quickly. Often, the issue is that a perfectly noble competing commitment is undermining your motivation. For example, suppose you were fi nding it hard to stick to an early morning goal-setting routine. A few “whys” might hi

20、ghlight that the challenge stems from your equally strong desire to eat breakfast with your family. Once youve made that confl ict more explicit, its far more likely youll fi nd a way to overcome itperhaps by setting your daily goals the night before, or on your commute into work. So the next time y

21、ou fi nd yourself mystifi ed by your inability to get important tasks done, be kind to yourself. Recognize that your brain needs help if its going to be less short-sighted. Try taking at least one step to make the benefi ts of action loom larger, and one to make the costs of action feel smaller. You

22、r languishing to-do list will thank you. CarolineWebbistheauthorofHowtoHaveaGoodDay:HarnessthePowerofBehavioral SciencetoTransformYourWorkingLife.SheisalsoCEOofcoachingfi rmSevenshift,andaSenior AdvisertoMcKinsey&Company.FollowheronTwittercaroline_webb_,Facebook,orGoogle+. RelatedTopics: PRODUCTIVIT

23、Y| MANAGINGYOURSELF ThisarticleisaboutTIMEMANAGEMENT FOLLOWTHISTOPIC Comments LeaveaComment POST 14COMMENTS NagarajanSomasundaram18daysago Itsaninterestingtopicandarticle.ButImustsaythatyouareleavingthevisualizationpartofthestorytothe readerandonceagainleavingitforaguessinggame.Throwingsomeexampleso

24、fhowthevisualizationmightlook likeandeventuallyleadtothatsatisfactionofcompletingataskcouldbemoremeaningfulforareaderto understandthecompleteprocessandthestoryassociatedwithit. Needalotofimaginationtogointothisasitisthecreativityandtheimaginationthatwilldrivetheindividualto achievesomethingandintime

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