原文: Top 10 Ways To Get Ready For 2008

The new year is almost upon us… and you may be feeling completely unprepared for it. Of course, you may also be excited as a three-year-old on Christmas morning about it (something I got to witness first-hand this week).

Either way, a new year presents a wonderful opportunity. Sure, you could say it’s just another day, another week, another month. But there’s a shift that happens when a new year dawns; a hope that you can feel—and take advantage of—to make changes in the way you do things. The question then becomes: what to change?

Of course, it all depends on your priorities… and they fall in line behind your goals… which are a product of what’s important to you. To help you get a bit more clear on what’s important to you, and brainstorm a bit about possible changes to make, here are a few ideas to sit with and see what sparks your interest.

1. Redefine your targets.

What’s important to you in your life? Another way of asking that is: What are you working towards? Retirement (years from now)? Location-Independent living? A few extra trinkets for you and yours?

If you aren’t clear on what your targets are, you’ll want to take some time to think long and hard about this one. After all, it’s a big world, and the choices are limitless… you can craft your life however you want. Knowing what targets you’re aiming at influences every action, every decision, every choice that follows.

(If you haven’t yet read The Four-Hour WorkWeek, you owe it to yourself to get a hold of a copy… Tim has an eye-opening philosophy when it comes to life, as well as excellent tools to help you get clear on what you’ll need to achieve your plans.)

2. Planning sessions.

Once you’re clear on your targets, take some time to do some planning. You may want to set aside some alone time to dream, mind-map, and feel into your path. You may also want the support that a mastermind group can offer; if you don’t have a group, think about starting one. Either way, working without a plan is like driving a race car blindfolded; you’ll stand a much better chance of getting where you want to go if you can see where you’re headed.

3. Clean out your office.

Working in a space that’s bogged down with old papers, unused files, and irrelevant project materials is like taking your grandmother with you on a first date; there’s history there that’s just not helpful. Instead, clear out the clutter from your space, organize it in a way that’s productive, and freshen things up; you’ll benefit immensely from the mental space you feel.

4. Clean up your computer.

Does your desktop look like an unfinished jigsaw puzzle? Do you have scores of folders and files piling up on your hard drive, making it hard to find what you need? You can save yourself a lot of time and headaches by devoting some time to clearing out your old computer detritus. Can’t part with it? Put the stuff you aren’t sure if you’ll need or not into storage: burn some DVDs, or stash it online.

5. Paint a room, or a wall.

You’d be amazed what some color can do for you. My office is mostly green, but I’ve got one wall that’s red, and it’s amazing. New color = new life.

6. Show your gratitude and love to someone.

Maybe there’s someone in your life that you haven’t been in touch with in a while, or someone who plays a special role in your life that you haven’t shared your feelings with lately; ringing in the new year is a great reason to reach out. But it doesn’t have to be a person, either: is there an organization you’ve admired, but haven’t made contact with? It could be a humanitarian organization or an environmental group, a software company, or a non-profit that serves your area. Call them, write them, or visit. It’ll do you both a world of good.

7. Commit to your health.

As they say, “Without your health, you haven’t got anything.” So what in your routine could use some tweaking, or a complete overhaul? Your eating habits? Exercise? Sleep patterns? There’s a world of good information out there; grab a recommendation from someone who’s got the area you want to focus on dialed in, and see what you can learn. After all, none of us are getting any younger!

8. Learn something new.

There’s nothing like following a passion to learn something new to breathe new energy into your life. You can focus on anything you want… and, you may want to learn something that plays into your work; it’s up to you. Need ideas? How about a new language to expand your client base? A software program that will allow you to do all kinds of fun things with your work? Or a skill (like typing dvorak to rid yourself of RSI), or a sport (to interact with new people), or a musical instrument?

9. Lighten the weight of debt.

There’s nothing like dropping old baggage to make you feel light again… resolving to clearing up old debt is a great way to head into the new year. It doesn’t just have to be financial debt, either. If you feel an outstanding obligation in a relationship you have, or the feeling that you owe somebody for something they’ve done for you, pay it back it whatever way you can. You’ll feel so much better once you do.

10. Commit to your spiritual well-being.

Your spiritual health is a deciding factor in your enjoyment of life, your ability to be creative and spontaneous, and your sense of purpose and fulfillment. But that doesn’t mean being spiritual can’t also be a blast! Look for ways to let your spiritual connection be a source of fun, as well as an outlet for your devotional tendencies. You can try new spiritual practices, or play with ways to make your tried-and-true acts of devotion more fulfilling, more expanding, or more celebratory.

What are you going to do to get ready for 2008?

Let us know in the comments. Or, if you need some help figuring it out, ask for it in the comments, too.

Want a podcast of this? Click here.

Image by bingbing on Flickr, via Creative Commons license.

And thanks to all those who commented on the previous post so far: Jean Browman, Michelle Van, Vitor

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译文: 十大方法为2008年做好准备

不管怎样，新的一年就是一个绝好的机会。当然，你会说它只是另一天，另一个星期，另一个月。但是，当新年伊始，就会有改变发生；一个你能感觉到的希望----趁机改变你做事的方法。问题就成了：改变什么？

当然，这要看你的轻重缓急……他们在你的目标中依次排序……什么对你是重要的。为了帮助你更清楚认识到什么对你是重要的，开动脑筋想想哪些是可能的改变，这里是一些意见，看看那些能激发你的兴趣。

1.     重新定义你的目标

在你生命中什么对你是重要的？另外一种问法就是：你拼命工作为了什么？退休（几年以后）？还有其它一些你的和你的家庭琐事？如果你不清楚你的目标是什么，你要花很长时间用心想想它。毕竟，世界很大，选择无限……你可以按你所想来规划你的人生。明确你追求的目标将影响着你今后的每一步行动，每一个决定，每一个选择。

（如果你还没有读过The four hour workweek, 那么你亏欠了你自己，快买一本吧。Tim有着能让你大开眼界的思想，也是一个优秀的工具来帮你清楚认识你需要什么来达到你的目标）

2．规划课程

一旦你明确了你的目标，花些时间来制定计划。你或许想先闲置一边等一个人空闲时规划它。

你也许会想从智囊团得到帮助；如果你没有一个智囊团，考虑开始组建一个。不管怎样，无计划性的工作就像蒙住眼睛开赛车一样；如果你有了目标，你想到达目的地的机会就会比较大。

3．清理你的办公室

在一个被废纸、无用文档、无关项目资料所拖累的空间里工作就像在初次约会时带上你的祖母一样。无用的东西已经成为历史。而是要让你的办公室整洁，创造性的整理它使之焕然一新。你会在你的心理空间里获益匪浅。

4．整理你的计算机

你的桌面看起来像一个未完工的拼图吗？在你的硬盘上积压着许多的文件夹和文件以至于很难找到你所需要东西吗？花些时间来清理你计算机的碎片能够节省您的时间，让您不再头痛。不能放弃它们？那么把你不确定是否还需要的材料放进存储器：刻录一些DVD光盘，或者把它们储存在网络上。

5．给房间或墙壁上漆

你会惊奇于颜色带给你的帮助，我的办公室大部分是绿色的，只有一面墙涂成红色，真神奇。新颜色=新生活。

6．感恩施爱

或许在你的生活中一些人好些日子没有联系了，或者最近你没能和那些在你生命中扮演重要角色的人物谈心交流了，在新年里开始联系是恢复往日关系一个很好理由。但是，这不仅限于是某一个人，而且：有你向往但还没有去联系的组织吗？它可能是一个慈善机构，或者是一个环境小组，一个软件公司，又或者是服务于你专业领域的非盈利机构。给他们打电话、写信或者拜访。这对你很有好处。

7．关注你的健康

俗话说，“失去了健康，你就失去了一切。” 那么在你的习惯中都使用哪些妙计或者一个全面的检查？你的饮食习惯？锻炼计划？睡眠方式？有许多有用的信息；从此领域里的那些你想专门咨询的专家那里寻求建议，看能够从中学到些什么。毕竟，我们每人都不能永葆年轻。

8．学习新事物

没有什么能比得上去学习某些东西为生命注入新鲜能量更让人有激情的了。你可以专注于你想干的任何事情，你或许想学习一些能够知识能用于工作之中，这取决与你。需要建议吗？学习一门能拓展你的客源的新语言怎么样？一个能帮你处理工作中的那些有意思的事情的软件程序？或者一个技能，或者一项运动（去和新人交流），或者一种乐器？

9．减轻负担

没有什么比丢掉沉重的包袱让人感觉再次轻松的了。分解压力减轻负担是迈入新的一年的妙方。这不仅仅是指财政债务。如果你感觉在感情还有未偿还的债务，或者觉得你亏欠了哪些曾帮助过你的人，就尽你做能地去补偿。一旦你这样做了，你会觉得那感觉真好。

10．精神良好状态

你的精神健康是你享受生活、你的创造力和自觉性以及目标感、满足感的决定性因素。但这不意味着精神健康不能。寻找方法能够让你的精神状态和你快乐的源泉结合在一起。你可以尝试一些新的精神修炼，或者学习一些方法，能够让你付出的行之有效的行动更加圆满、持续发展和让人高兴。

为2008年你准备做些什么呢？