Have you ever been so overwhelmed with things to do that you wished you could simply stop the clock and make time stand still while you got everything done?
你有没有被各种事情缠得焦头烂额过，巴不得时间停下来，好让你把一切搞定？
It would be wonderful if we could all do that, wouldn’t it? Sadly, those of us not living in some fantastic science-fiction show aren’t blessed with the ability to halt the hands of time, leaving us looking for more practical ways to get things done in any given day.
要是能把事情全部完成，应该挺爽的吧？可惜，我们并非生活在奇妙的科幻节目中，也没有能力让时间静止不动。所以，我们只能另外想出更实际的方法来把事情做完了。
1. Wake up earlier
早起
It may sound obvious, but if we’re really going to start getting more things done in a day, then where better to start than right at the beginning of that day.
听上去或许老生常谈，但如果我们真想在一天时间内完成更多事情的话，还有什么办法能比早起更好呢？
Getting out of bed earlier gives us more time to do more stuff, and hopefully still have time left over for the things that matter, like family and friends.
早点起床能让我们有更多时间做事，而且说不定还会多出时间让我们和亲友相处呢。
2. Stay healthy
保持健康
Dragging ourselves out of bed a little earlier doesn’t mean we have to spend the rest of our day fighting off fatigue. By eating healthily, enjoying exercise and generally taking care of ourselves, we’ll find ourselves with more energy to tackle the things we need to do.
早点起床并不表示接下来这一天我们只得与困倦作战。只要吃得健康、享受运动并照顾好自己，我们会发现自己可以更加精力充沛地处理好该做的事情。
Instead of dropping off into a post-lunch slump in which productivity is at an all-time low, or being too exhausted after a day at the office to spend time on our passion projects, we’ll be alert and awake and ready to get things done.
这样我们就不会出现饭后犯困、效率持续低下现象，也不会因为上班时紧张忙活了一天的项目而感到精疲力竭；相反，我们会感到灵敏清醒，会劲头十足地完成任务。
3. Organize and prioritize
有条不紊
Getting things done isn’t about doing a bunch of stuff for the sake of keeping busy, it’s about doing what matters to help us achieve our goals.
把事情做完并不表示为了忙碌而忙碌，而是要求我们完成有利于实现目标的重要任务。
In order to have a successful day, it pays to prioritize. Take care of the biggest, most crucial things first, and then work your way up.
若想充实过好一天，就得学会优化任务。先处理最重要的事情，然后以此类推。
Think of it like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: when we’ve dealt with the most mission-critical things, we’re better equipped to move on to the next set of tasks, and upwards we go, building on our own productivity and finding it even easier to get things done.
这就好比马斯洛需求层次理论：当我们搞定最重要的事情之后，才会更好地接手后面的任务，进而渐渐提高自身效率，最后发现可以更轻松地处理好所有事情。
4. Stay out of the past (and don’t go too far into the future)
告别过去（且避免过分想象未来）
How many times do we find ourselves dwelling on the past and reliving memories, both fond and painful? Physically, we’re in one place at one time, yet mentally and emotionally we’re somewhere else entirely. If we’re not lost in once-upon-a-times, chances are we’re projecting ourselves into the future, either worrying about things that haven’t happened yet or daydreaming about what might be.
有多少次，我们发现自己既迷恋又痛苦地沉浸在过去及回忆之中？生理上而言，我们一次只能在一个地方；但心理和情绪上来讲，我们却可以完全身处异地。如果不是沉浸在过去之中，那我们很可能就是在想象未来——要么为还没发生的事情担忧，要么做着不着边际的白日梦。
Though it certainly pays to take the occasional look ahead in order to know where we’re going, when it comes to getting things done, we benefit much more from being present in the moment and focusing on the now.
当然，偶尔预想未来能让我们清楚目前的状况；但若需把事情做完，我们还是应当多活在当下、珍惜现在。
By being alert and focused on the task at hand, we’re more capable of doing what needs to be done.
只要保持敏锐并专心做好手中任务，我们肯定会越来越能处理好该做的事情。
5. Delegate
委派分配
One of the most common mistakes people make when it comes to getting things done is falling for the belief that they have to get it all done by themselves.
说起把事情做完，很多人最常犯的一个错误就是，以为所有事情都得靠自己单独完成。
Yet being able to ask for help often means that you can not only get more done, but get it done better than if you tried to do it all by yourself.
其实，如果懂得请人帮忙，你不仅能完成得更多，还能比你单枪匹马时完成得更好。
6. Eliminate distractions
屏蔽干扰
Whether it’s by listening to music to block out background noise, or using website blockers like Google’s Stayfocussed app to keep you away from Facebook or other time-sucking sites, one of the best ways to get things done is to keep everything else out so that we can focus on the task at hand.
就好比用听音乐来屏蔽掉外界噪音，或用谷歌的保持专注应用软件等网页来阻拦Facebook等浪费时间的网站，完成任务的一个好办法就是屏蔽掉其他干扰，这样我们才能专心投入手中的事情。
For this writer, turning the computer off altogether and heading back to the pen and paper works best, but for you it might simply be a case of switching your cell phone off for a few hours or finding a quiet place to work.
对本文作者而言，关掉电脑并重新拿起纸笔的方法最为有效。但对你而言，或许只要关机几个小时或找个安静的地方就行了。
7. Take a break
休息一下
For much the same reasons that keeping yourself healthy is the key to getting more things done, being able to take time out once in a while can make all the difference to your productivity.
同理，保持健康是做好事情的关键。偶尔放松一下能大大提高你的做事效率。
Whether we step back to take a moment of stillness and quiet, or head outside to enjoy a walk in the fresh air, it’s important to relax from time to time if we want to avoid burnout.
不论你是蜗居享受静谧时光，还是出门散步呼吸新鲜空气，都可以。若不想变得精疲力竭，我们就应时不时地放松一下。
By avoiding burnout, we give ourselves more energy and, again, more energy leads to increased productivity.
不再精疲力竭的话，我们便能获得更多能量，进而拥有更强的办事效率！