阅读外刊学英语

外刊阅读:Make the most of your preci

2020-04-18  本文已影响0人  爱英语爱阅读

每个人的每一天都有24小时,在这一点上,上天非常公平。但是,怎么用好这24小时,就要看我们自己了。

Make the most of your precious time

by Peggy J. Noonan

Suppose you were promised $1,440 each day for your entire life – a whopping(很大的) $525,600 a year – that could never be reduced or changed as long as you live. Sounds great, doesn't it?

entire /ɪnˈtaɪə(r)/ adj. 整个的
as long as 只要

Actually, we all do get 1,440 a day – but in minutes, not dollars. Time is our most precious and finite resource, says Steve Booren, founder of Prosperion Financial Advisors in Greenwood Village, Colorado. It's possible to get more money, but you can't make more time.

precious /ˈpreʃəs/ adj. 宝贵的
finite /ˈfaɪnaɪt/ adj. 有限的、会穷尽的
resource /ˈriːsɔːs/ n. 资源
founder /ˈfaʊndə(r)/ n. 创办人(由found加上表示人的后缀-er)
Colorado /ˌkɒləˈrɑːdəʊ/ n. 科罗拉多(美国西部的州)

Many of the same sound management practices that help people get a handle on – and make the most of – their money can also be applied to what Booren calls your "time currency." The question is, he says, are you a good steward of your time?

sound /saʊnd/ adj. 明智的、合理的
management /ˈmænɪdʒmənt/ n. 管理(由manage加后缀-ment变成名词)
practice /ˈpræktɪs/ n. 实践、做法
get a handle on 理解、掌控
apply /əˈplaɪ/ v. 应用、运用
currency /ˈkʌr(ə)nsi/ n. 货币
steward /ˈstjuːəd/ n. (大型公共活动的)统筹者

Try these simple steps to take control of your clock and calendar:

step /step/ n. 步骤
control /kənˈtrəʊl/ n. 控制
calendar /ˈkæləndə(r)/ n. 日历、日程表

Find out where your time is going now. Write down everything you do in a day. Include work, cooking and meals, cleaning and household maintenance, personal hygiene, sleep, family time and mindless activities such as binge-watching TV and getting lost in social media.

household /ˈhaʊshəʊld/ n. 家庭、住户
maintenance /ˈmeɪnt(ə)nəns/ n. 维修保养
hygiene /ˈhaɪdʒiːn/ n. 卫生
mindless /ˈmaɪndləs/ adj. 不需要动脑子的(由mind加上表示否定的后缀-less并变成形容词)
activity /ækˈtɪvəti/ n. 活动
binge-watch 连续观看、追(剧)
get lost in something 沉迷于某事

Look at your day in 15-minute increments, suggests Corie Clark, of Irvine, California, founder of the Purposeful Planner. Block off sleep first, then non-negotiables such as your job or family commitments, and you'll see pockets of time you can use for things you want to do. Making this assessment "gives people a clear picture that they actually do have a lot more time than they realize," Clark says.

increment /ˈɪŋkrəmənt/ n. 增量
California /ˌkælɪˈfɔːniə/ n. 加利福尼亚(美国西部的州)
block off 封锁(这里指锁定睡觉的时间)
non- 前缀,表示否定
negotiable /nɪˈɡəʊʃəb(ə)l/ adj. 可以商量的(non-negotiable指必须要做的事)
commitment /kəˈmɪtmənt/ n. 必须花时间做的事
pocket /ˈpɒkɪt/ n. 一小块、一小片
assessment /əˈsesmənt/ n. 评估(由assess加后缀-ment变成名词)
picture /ˈpɪktʃə(r)/ n. (头脑中的)情景、印象

Invest a few minutes at the beginning of each day or week to plan and organize. Ten minutes of planning can save you an hour of time and helps stretch the time you have, Clark says.

invest /ɪnˈvest/ v. 投资
stretch /stretʃ/ v. 拉伸、拉长

Set limits. Use kitchen timers, phone reminders, apps or other timing devices to stay focused and work more productively, suggests Janine Adams, certified professional organizer and owner of Peace of Mind Organizing in St. Louis.

timer /ˈtaɪmə(r)/ n. 定时器
reminder /rɪˈmaɪndə(r)/ n. 提醒消息(由remind加上表示人或物的后缀-er)
app /æp/ n. (手机上的)应用程序
time /taɪm/ v. 计时、确定时间
device /dɪˈvaɪs/ n. 设备、装置
focused /ˈfəʊkəst/ adj. 专注的
productively /prəˈdʌktɪvli/ adv. 富有成果地(由productive加后缀-ly变成副词)
certify /ˈsɜːtɪfaɪ/ v. 认证
organizer /ˈɔːɡ(ə)naɪzə(r)/ n. 活动组织者(由organize加上表示人的后缀-er)
St. Louis 圣路易斯(美国中部城市)

Group small tasks into one job. "I think batching things together is really helpful," says Adams. When you have errands to run, instead of making three separate trips on three different days to grab groceries, office supplies or home store products, batch them – hit all three stores in one trip, she suggests. It's more efficient to plow through "little one-off" tasks in one swoop(突袭) rather than deal with one at a time throughout the day.

group /ɡruːp/ v. 使成群、使成组
task /tɑːsk/ n. 任务、工作任务
batch /bætʃ/ v. 成批处理
errand /ˈerənd/ n. 跑腿
separate /ˈsep(ə)rət/ adj. 分开的、分离的
grab /ɡræb/ v. (快速地)抓、拿
groceries /ˈɡrəʊs(ə)riz/ n. 食品杂货
supplies /səˈplaɪz/ n. 物资、用品
hit /hɪt/ v. 到达
efficient /ɪˈfɪʃ(ə)nt/ adj. 高效的、效果好的
plow through 费力处理、艰难地完成
one-off 一次性的
deal with 处理、应付
throughout /θruːˈaʊt/ prep. 从…的开始到结束

At the end of the day, week, month and year, take a look at how well you've managed your time. You'll see where you could do better and where you've accomplished what you set out to do. Booren likens this progress check to reviewing your annual financial statement. Take time each day to reflect on your accomplishments and set goals for tomorrow. Do that over and over and "it becomes habit," Booren says, like "muscle memory, so it's natural."

accomplish /əˈkʌmplɪʃ/ v. 完成、实现
set out 开始
liken /ˈlaɪk(ə)n/ v. 认为…很像、把…比做(由like加后缀-en变成动词)
progress /ˈprəʊɡres/ n. 进度、进展
review /rɪˈvjuː/ v. 回顾
financial statement 财务报告
reflect /rɪˈflekt/ v. 反思、深思
accomplishment /əˈkʌmplɪʃmənt/ n. 成就(由accomplish加后缀-ment变成名词)
over and over 一次又一次
muscle /ˈmʌs(ə)l/ n. 肌肉

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