Tricks to Stay Efficient Even When I Feel Like Garbage

People always try to take full advantage of those times when feeling highly motivated or inspired. 【小题1】   And staying efficient means having a plan for working well even when not feeling your best. Here are some principles.

Optimize(最优化) for energy

【小题2】 As an editor, the most important is to write a high-quality article. Occasionally I’m extremely exhausted but have to “push through”. It only leads to low-quality work. 【小题3】 For example, although calling up a friend to chat isn’t super “important”, it’s energizing. I spend an hour not writing, but the energy I get from the call will make up for it and then some.

【小题4】

Many people feel like garbage because they’re too hard on themselves. I’m often going to feel unmotivated but I don’t beat myself up for little mistakes. I remind myself frequently that feeling bad is not a big deal. The secret to my consistent efficiency is: When times are tough, treat yourself like you treat a friend.

Write down the one thing

Sometimes I have lots of things to do, but it can be hard to find what I really need to be working on. 【小题5】 But we don’t always feel motivated-even to work on things we enjoy. And when I’m not feeling as energetic as I’m used to, I have one very simple trick: I write down my one thing. My one thing is the answer to this question: At the end of the day, if I did..., I would be proud of myself.

Ways to Put Down Your Smartphone

For most people, when they wake up in the morning, the first thing coming to their mind is to find their smartphone. If it is the same to you, it is time for you to put your smartphone down.【小题1】

Pick up a newspaper

Read a newspaper and be amazed at how relaxing it is to read through the day's news. We will find our attention has increased and we will enjoy reading it.【小题2】Even the New York Times is only $9 a week for home delivery, plus digital access.

【小题3】

Take your old radio out again, plug it in, and be amazed at how vital radio still can be. More importantly, you won't be attracted to check other apps and websites.

Cut off social media ties

We love Facebook or Twitter to communicate with friends and relations.【小题4】And turn off app and email information at some other time in any other places, so you aren’t attracted by them. Pile up your phones

Today, it seems nearly impossible to put your phone down for 60 minutes. However, whether dining at home or out on the town, stick to (坚持) a no-device policy.【小题5】Even better, you can also have a waiter place them out of site, so no one can break the policy.

How to improve reading efficiency

1.Make sure of your purpose of reading.

Before you start reading, ask yourself why you are reading this book. Most people read for two main reasons: pleasure or knowledge. Being specific and clear about your reading purpose not only helps you to avoid books that you don’t need to read, it also reminds you the book is important to you.【小题1】

2.Read only what you are attracted to.

Whether you are reading fiction or nonfiction, it's important to enjoy what you read. Your friends may recommend books that they love, but those books might not necessarily be the ones you enjoy. 【小题2】

3.Give up books that you don't enjoy.

You may have selected books that match your purpose. You may have selected books that you are attracted to. But you are reading them, there may still be some books that you won't enjoy reading. 【小题3】 Remember reading shouldn't make you feel annoyed.

4.【小题4】

Having a reading goal helps you figure out how much reading you need to do in a week or even a day.

5.Give yourself a deadline to finish each book.

Before you read each book, ask yourself when you need to finish this book. What I find interesting is that I tend to read books that I borrow from libraries faster than the books I bought. 【小题5】 I don't need to return those books. When you don't set a deadline to finish you book, there isn't a sense of urgency. And when something isn't urgent, you tend to slow down.