如何把时间掰成两半用

A lot of productivity advice offers great hints for speeding up particular tasks: perhaps by concentrating better, by eliminating distractions and interruptions, or by learning to use Firefox, Gmail and other common programs more efficiently.

But what can you do if simply saving five minutes here and ten minutes there isn't enough? What if you want hours more space in your life, or if you feel constantly overloaded and busy?

Here are five big ways to make more time, which, ultimately means you'll have a better chance of succeeding at what you want to accomplish.

Drop One of Your Goals

It's an unpopular thing to say, but I'm going to say it anyway: You can't do everything that you want to do. I'm sure that, like me, you've got loads of goals and projects and ambitions and ideas... the truth is, you're going to have to pick between them if any of them are going to succeed.

Can you drop one goal? Can you put it aside for a while? If you're trying to start a side business, lose 50lbs, write a novel and get a promotion all in the same year, you're probably going to end up quitting on all of them. It's much better to make a conscious decision on what you want to drop.

Ditch an Unwanted Commitment

As well as the goals and projects which we love, most of us have a few commitments which we're not so keen on. Perhaps you got roped in to being on a committee at your kids' school, or maybe you're always the person who cooks at home.

You don't have to keep on with your commitments month after month and year after year. If you've totally lost interest in something, and if it's become a dreaded chore, then find a way out! You might even find that by quitting, you can open up a space for someone who'd really enjoy that particular task.

Learn to Delegate

One reason that many of us end up too busy is because we have the attitude that "If you want a job doing, you have to do it yourself." The truth is,there are plenty of tasks – especially low-level ones – which we should be delegating. It's not only better for us, it's better for other people who can learn and grow their skills by taking on those tasks.

At work, delegating usually means handing on tasks and responsibility to a junior colleague (see here for some tips on delegating effectively). But you can also delegate at home: perhaps getting your teens to help with dinner, or even paying a professional for help with jobs such as cleaning, gardening or decorating.

Get Better at Saying No

Many of us have a tendency to say "yes" whenever we're asked to take on something new. Often, we're reluctant to say "no" because it's just a little job ... perhaps taking the minutes for a regular meeting at work, or making cakes for the kids' school fete, or helping out with our partner's accounts.

The problem is, little jobs often go on over time and become tedious commitments, draining energy as well as time. Plus, if you keep saying "yes", you'll find your free time shrinking rapidly. One of the best ways I've found to say "no" is to ask for a few days to think about it. This is often easier than feeling put on the spot for a decision, and it also lets people know that you're taking their request seriously.

Make Your Happiness a Priority

Finally, if you're really going to create time in your life to do what you want, you need to make your happiness a real priority. That means believing that your happiness does matter, and behaving appropriately.

You may find that you need to stand up for yourself more, or that you can start suggesting social activities which you enjoy, rather than just going along with whatever friends and family say. You may even end up switching careers, starting your own business or taking a sabbatical.
What could you do this week to free up a big chunk of time in your life?

 

很多效率咨询者会提供怎样加速完成某项特殊任务的技巧：比如，集中精力、排除干扰和打扰、更加有效地使用Firefox、Gmail 和其他常用程序。

但是这样做，你只能在这里省5分钟，在那里又省10分钟。如果你想要几个小时的空闲时间或觉得过劳了，你该怎么办呢？

一下有5个技巧帮你增加更多的时间，也就是说，你完成梦想的机会增大了。

放弃你的一个目标

这是不常见的说法，但是我还是得提出来：你不能把你想做的事都完成。我坚信这一点，像我，你有一大堆的目标、机会、抱负、主意……但真实的情况是，如果你想其中的某项成功，你就必须放弃其他的一些目标。

你能放弃一个目标吗？你能暂时不去管它吗？如果你想在同一年完成创业、减肥、写作、升职，最终可能你一个目标也完不成。你最好认真地考虑一下放弃什么。

打破强迫的承诺

虽然大多数的目标和计划是我们所喜欢的，但其中也有一些我们不是很热心的承诺。或许，你不得不作为你孩子学校家长委员会的一员，或在家做饭的总是你。

你不需要一月有一月、一年接一年地保持你的承诺。如果你对某事失去兴趣、这件事变成对你的致命折磨，你应该找条路离开它。你可能会发现你放弃了，但是却给了其他热衷该事的人一个机会。

学会委托

大多人整天忙碌的一个重要原因就是其认为“如果你想完成某件事，你就必须亲自去完成它。”事实上，有很多任务——特别是低水平任务——我们应该委托他人去做。这不仅对我们有好处，他人也可以从中学习和增长技能。

在工作中，委托通常意味着把任务和责任给下属。但是如果是在家中：可能就是让你十多岁的孩子帮忙准备晚餐，或让专业的清洁工、园丁、装修工做相应的工作。

学会说“不”

在问及要不要做新任务是，我们常倾向于说“是”。通常，如果这个任务不大，我们更不愿说“不”……比如，在工作中作常规会议的会议记录、帮小孩为学校制作蛋糕、帮忙合伙人审计账户。

其问题在于，这些小任务通常会超时、变的无聊、吸走你的精力和时间。再加上，如果你一直说"是“，你会发现空闲时间急剧缩短。我发现最好地说”不“的方式是要求多几天考虑。这比马上做决定要容易得多，这也会别人认为你在认真考虑他们的请求。

把你的幸福放在第一位

最后，如果你真的想创造空闲时间去做你想做的是，你需要把你的幸福放在第一位。这意味着你要相信你的幸福是很重要的，要用适当的方式获得幸福。

你会发现你更多时候需要维护自己，或开始咨询你所喜爱的社会活动，而不是仅仅做你家人和朋友所说的事。最终，你可能换职业、开始创业或只是休假。这周你能做什么来增加一大块时间？