“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.”
- Paul J. Meyer
Most individuals have 150 to 200 short-term action items and 30 to 100 longer-term projects bubbling at any given time, according to David Allen, a time-management consultant. Hence, the to-do list. If you’re having trouble crossing items off on yours, it’s probably not because you’re lazy or unfocused; it’s because your lists may not be good to begin with.
1. Put it in writing.
As the efficiency expert Peter “The Time Man” Turla says, “Paper remembers, people forget.” Writing down your goals creates the roadmap to your success. Although just the act of writing them down can set the process in motion, it is also extremely important to review your your list frequently. Remember, the more focused you are on your list the more likely you are to accomplish everything.
2. Make it specific and measurable.
If your goal is to ‘do your best,’ you probably won’t. Define and describe your goal. Write down when you want to achieve it. Write down the reasons why you want it. Write down what it would feel like after you have achieved it. Figure out exactly what it will take to get it. Be realistic about the time things will take. Many people don’t allow themselves enough time, and give up too soon.
3. Put a date on it.
A dream becomes a goal when you attach a time frame. Without a date, you procrastinate. Draw a horizontal timeline with a dot at each end. The left end represents now, and the right end represents a point in the future. Specify what you want to happen and when, from now until then.
4. Phrase it positively.
Your goal should be written and have positive intent about what you want to bring into your life. This is very important, since the focus of your goal should not be centered around describing a problem you want to eliminate. If your goal is to stop eating so many hot-fudge sundaes, you’ll obsess about eating them. It’s better to write, ‘I will reward myself with one hot-fudge sundae per month if I average three workouts per week.’
5. Make it realistic.
Grand goals are inspiring, but be sure to approach them incrementally. Kick-start your get-goingness by setting small goals and winning. Take a big dream, like ‘I want to be famous,’ and break it down into smaller, more manageable steps, like ‘I want to star in a science fiction movie,’ ‘I want to go to three auditions a week,’ ‘I want to move to another city’ and ‘I want to save $5000 so I can move.’
6. Keep entries short and separate.
Try formulating goals for seven life areas: health, relationships, finances, material goods, career, education, and recreation. Then learn to balance your priorities. Most individuals are much better at setting work goals than personal ones, but it’s probably harder to maintain a successful marriage, retire wealthy, or stay healthy than it is to succeed at work. Make sure you have goals for these things too.
Don’t forget the words of Lao-Tzu: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
译文:
使待执行清单更有效的六个步骤
绩效从来不是偶然的。它常常是卓越的追求，聪明的计划和专心的努力之后的结果。 ——保罗·麦尔
根据时间管理顾问David Allen的说法，许多人在任一时期内都会有150-200个短期待办事项和30-100个长期项目。因此，如果你的执行项目清单很难逐项完成，这或许不是因为你懒惰或者不专注，而是因为你的清单在一开始做的就不够好。
1. 把它写下来
如效率专家Peter所说，“纸能记，人易忘。”写下你的目标来制作你的成功路线图。虽然写下只是使这个过程启动，但经常浏览你的清单也是十分重要的。记住，你对你的清单越专注，你完成任何事的可能性就越大。
2. 具体而有效
如果你的目标是尽力而为，你或许不会努力。明确并叙述你的目标。当你想达到某个目标时就写下来。写下你想要达到这个目标的原因，写下你达到这个目标后会是什么样子。确切弄清楚达到目标的代价。对花费的时间要现实一些。许多人不愿意花费太多的时间导致过早的放弃。
3. 在上面标注日期
当你加上一个时间期限，梦想就变成了目标。没有期限，你就会拖沓。画一个每段结尾都带有圆点的水平时间进度表。左端表示现在，右端表示将来的一个点。确切说明从现在到结束的每一时间里你想要做的事情。
4. 积极的表述
你的目标应该写下来并对你的生活带来如你所期望的积极意义。既然你的目标的焦点不是围绕着去描述你想要去除的问题，那么这一点很重要。如果你的目标是为了停止吃太多的巧克力奶油圣代，那么你在吃它们的时候会有些困惑。这样写比较好，‘如果平均每周能进行三次运动，我将每月奖励自己一只巧克力奶油圣代。’
5. 现实
辉煌的目标令人鼓舞，但一定要逐步实现。通过制定小的目标开始。比如一个很大的梦想，像“我要成名”，就把它变得更小些，变成更可行的步骤，如“我想成为科幻电影明星”，“我想一周去试镜三次。”“我想搬到其他城市“和”我想存$5000因此我就能搬家了。”
6. 保持清单的简短和独立
试着把目标整理成生活的7个部分：健康，社交，财力，物质财富，职业，教育和娱乐。然后学着平衡你的重点。许多人更擅长制定工作目标。但是这样比起工作上的成功却很难维持一个成功的婚姻，退休后的富有，或者保持健康。确信在这些方面您也有目标。
不要忘了老子的话：“千里之行，始于足下。”