In last few lessons, we discussed the concept of Getting Things Done, or GTD for short. Today we will combine the concept of GTD with methods used for time management. 在前几节课中,我们分享了GTD的思想,今天我们将把这个思想与另外的之前提及的时间管理的方法来一并做个分享。 All ideas are connected. However, the simplest way is usually the most effective one. 所有的理念都是相通的,这叫大道至简,最终的道理都指向一个。 If you remember, Peter Drucker once said that we should focus on our own energy for completing very important tasks and delegate other tasks. 记得我们谈到过德鲁克先生讲过的:要做要事! In addition, remember that Stephen Covey, the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, told us to focus on matters sit in the second quadrant: important but non-urgent matters. 我们也记得讲过的:《高效能人士7个习惯》作者史蒂芬·柯维所提倡的---做第二象限,重要不紧急的事件。 We talked about the concept of "eating the frog everyday". In other words, complete the most important and complex tasks in the morning – don’t procrastiate. 我们也谈到过"吃青蛙"的理论:马克·吐温讲,每天早上起来我们要活吃一只大青蛙。 Today, we will delve more deeply into the theory of "eating that frog". 那我今天就把这个青蛙的理论继续深入地讲一讲。 Brian Tracy expanded and developed Mark Twain’s theory into "eating three frogs". In other words , three important tasks should be completed each day. Therefore, success in life is not dictated by how many tasks we complete, but in focusing on the important tasks and completing them to the best of our ability with our heart and soul. 博恩·崔西把马克·吐温这个理念发展成为吃3只青蛙,也就是说重要的事情要做3件,人生不在于做多少事,在于把重要的事要首先做、用心做、做到极致! According to GTD proposed by David Allen, all of our tasks and responsibilities, including ideas we think about, or assignments we receive from others should be written down or put into lists in apps on our iphone such as an inbox. 大卫·艾伦所谈到的GTD,让我们把所有的事物:大脑的想法、接收到的信息......装在一个收件框里面,把它写下来,或者装在移动手机的app的收件箱。 Only when all tasks have been collected in one place, can we classify them into those on a calendar and those in lists. Then, lists can be subdivided into those with deadlines and those without deadlines which can be further classified into contexts. 只有把一切事务收集下来,我们才可以对事件进行分类,分成日历,分成清单,清单可以再细分成为有截止日和没有截止日的,按照情境分的清单。 In its simplest form, there are two general classifications: calendars and lists. 但总的分两种:日历和清单。 In calendars, tasks need to be completed at certain time. There is no difference between important or unimportant matters. 日历上面是特定时间要完成的,没有重要不重要。 Consider this: if you promise to make a phone call to someone or call someone back but when the scheduled time comes to make that call you think it’s not important enough to suspend the supposedly more important task you are currently working on, aren’t you still expected keep your promise? That is why we must be so disciplined in to adhering to the tasks we put on our calendars. 这里的"必须"指的是:特定时间必须要做的事情,我们也可以这么来理解:叫固定时间和日期的行动。 Consider this: if you promise to make a phone call to someone or call someone back but when the secheduled time comes to make that call you think it"s not important enough to suspend the supposedly more important task you are currently working on, aren"t you still expected keep your promise? That is why we must be so disciplined in to adhering to the tasks we put on our calendars. 当然了,也许你约定了给某个人打电话或者回电话,它不够重要,但是跟你约定了,你还是必须要做,必须做的事就要写在日历上。 This is critical – if an item is placed on the calendar at a fixed date and time, you must have the discipline to complete them at their scheduled time. 这里的"必须"指的是:特定时间必须要做的事情,我们也可以这么来理解:叫固定时间和日期的行动。 Other tasks, not placed in the calendar, have little demands for time. They can be placed into different contexts and these contexts are flexible. This concept allows us to deal with the very practical and important reality. 除此之外的事对时间的要求就降低了,根据情境可以适应变化,所以这样的计划能够赶上变化。 Of course, even when items are scheduled, you will still choose relatively important matters to complete first over less important items, but since calendar items do not interfere with contextual items, there is no danger that you will sacrifice one task for the other. 当然了,日程表上你还是会选择相对比较重要的事,但是它少,它不太影响大局。 What’s more important is how we should classify and organize tasks on our lists, for they are numerous. 更重要的是我们如何管理清单上的事物,清单上的事情是多的。 So, how do we deal with this? 那怎么办呢? First we must organize the important tasks. 我们就要做到要事优先! At this point, we have written down all of our tasks and it is easy for us to classify them with software. First, we select the important matters, which we call "frogs". There can’t be too many frogs. Choose no more than three. 因为我们把事物都写下来了,而且也用软件很容易去做到分类,所以我们就可以标出重要的事情,我们把它称作"青蛙",青蛙一天不能太多,3只足矣。 "Three" is an approximate number. When you complete three frogs, you can choose another three. "3" 其实是个概数,当你做完3件重要的事,你其实可以标新的3件重要的事情。 It doesn’t have to be meant " three". If tese frogs are very complex ang very important, perhaps two or one frog is enough. The important thing is that you don"t choose too many. 所以 "3" 其实是一个概数,不一定指具体的"3件"。 Even if you cannot eat the entire frog in the morning, that is, you should complete that most important task before the morning is over, you will have accomplished some of the most important task. 即使你做不到早上一起来就吃活青蛙,但你可以做到要事优先。 For example, on some day, you can complete your scheduled items first at their scheduled times. If you are expected to call someone at 10:00 AM and promised to go out at 2:00 PM, you must do those at that scheduled time. 比如说:在你具体的某一天,你可以先做日程表上的事情,到点就要做,比如早上10:00,你要给人打电话,下午2:00你约定有个外出,那你在这个特定的时间,你一定要完成。 Furthermore, when you review your list and see all the tasks on it, you should also understand the context or situation you are in. For example, if you are in your office and you see there is no one around to disturb you, you can use this time to eat that frog. 除此之外,你就打开你整个的清单,你的清单上面有很多事,你就首先看到你现在所在的这个情境,比如在办公室,你觉得这里可以很好地办公,也没有什么打扰,你就可以先吃掉最重要的青蛙。 If you are presented with an emergency to complete, your organization of tasks into schedules and lists will allow you the flexibility to handle those tasks. Handle them quickly and then return to the task of handling that frog. The lists and the priority you have given them allow you to know where your focus should be at any given time. That is the power of this method. 也许你在做的过程中有紧急的事件发生,你就临时去处理一下,回过头来你还是去做这个重要的事情,这就是青蛙理论。 There will be emergency during this period ,you should cope with them firstly and return to that former important matter,which is what we call "Frog Theory" 所以当我们运用GTD的思想,把所有的事都记录下来的时候,我们就可以分类。 So, when we use the idea of GTD to write down all our tasks, we can classify them. When we finish classifying, we can pick out the important matters and then choose to complete tasks which are well suited to be handled in the situation we are in now – that is, our context. 当我们有了分类以后,我们就可以标出那些重要的事情,然后就可以根据我们所在的情境,优先选择去完成。 Even after hearing this concept for few lessons, you still might not use this method and put it into actions. 当然,你可能听了这么多节课,你还是做不到。 I’ve been told often: "I cannot focus on these tasks now, I’m too busy to focus on ." 很多人告诉我说:"我有拖延症,我还是不能够专注。" This is another concept that we will discuss in later lessons. 这又是另外一个话题了,我在后续的课程会陆续分享。 But, todays we are focusing on "the theory of eating frogs". This theory is based on the collection and classification of our tasks. We can call it the three processes for efficient time management: collection, classification and execution. We’ll talk about this more in the next class. 但是今天我们核心讲的就是"吃青蛙的理论",是要建立在收集和对事件分类的基础上,我们把它称作易效能时间管理的3个流程:搜集、排程,以及我们下一步要讲的执行。 These three processes are enough to collect all our tasks and prioritize them. Then we will know to complete the most important tasks first. 这3个流程足以让我们能够收集所有的事物,并对事情进行分类,轻重缓急,然后挑出要事,执行的时候我们就做要事了。 In our next class, we will talk about execution and what we can do to execute tasks on our lists. 下一节课我们来讲讲执行是怎么回事,清单上的事情怎样才能执行完成? Thanks for your listening. As always, I welcome your feedback. If you feel these audio lessons are good, please share it with your friends. 谢谢大家的收听,期待你给我更多信息反馈,如果你觉得这个音频教学好,就请把它分享给你的朋友吧。 -END- 本文内容出自易效能时间管理培训机构的创始人叶武滨在【喜马拉雅FM】APP上开设的专辑节目《叶武滨时间管理·易效能?浓缩三年300多场课程精华》(又名《时间管理100讲》)第108讲。 欢迎大家"订阅"本专辑,学习时间管理&练习英语听力,妥妥的高效能学习! 点击文末左下方的【阅读原文】也可收听本内容音频版,纯正的美式发音,英语学习好帮手!