Your day goes by in a flurry of activity. But despite your busy day, it feels like you aren’t making any progress.

你整天被无数活动缠身。可是即便忙得团团转，你还是觉得自己的工作没任何进展。

You finish your day and it seems like you are further behind that when you started. You have to wonder, “Are you getting anything done?”

一天结束时，你甚至觉得工作进展还早得很。你不禁扪心自问：“我到底有没有做完什么事情？”

You work hard and go from one meeting to the next, one urgent¹ matter to another. However, in the never-ending sea of tasks, you feel like you aren’t keeping up.

你拼命工作，一场赶一场地开会，忙不迭地处理紧急事宜。可是面对永无止境的各种任务，你竟觉得自己毫无进展。

Why are you working so hard, and not getting your work done? The main reason that most people don’t get their work done is that they are working on everything else.

为何你如此拼命，事情却总还是做不完？很多人事情做不完，是因为他们心思总是在别处。

When you finish your day, do you look at your to do list and think, “Why didn’t I get to the important stuff² done today?”

一天结束时，你有没有翻翻任务清单问自己：“为什么今天又没把重要的事情做完？”

Here are 8 Reasons that You Aren’t Getting Things Done:

下面就是你事情总是做不完的8个原因：

1. Your Time Management Is Not Habit

没有养成时间管理的习惯

Time management is not something that you turn on and off like a light switch. You don’t use it only when you are up against a crisis³. It has to be a built into your lifestyle and habits.

时间管理不像开关，任你开任你关。你只在火烧眉毛时才管理时间。其实，时间管理应该成为你生活方式和习惯的一部分才行。

2. Doing Other People’s Work

多管闲事

If you are doing other people’s work, when are you going to do your own? If you are always putting out other people’s fire drills, you aren’t’ going to get your work done.

如果你总是管别人的闲事，什么时候才能空下来面对自己的事情呢？如果你总是解救别人的燃眉之急，自然无法顾忌到自己的工作了。

3. You Are Disorganized

杂乱无序

By disorganized, I mean your workspace is a mess. It is hard to do that task if you can’t find it. Clean your desk and workspace so that you have room to work and know where your work is.

说你杂乱无序，首先指的是你的办公室一团糟。不改掉这个毛病，你很难处理好任务。只有整理好办公桌和办公室你才能宽敞办公、对工作一目了然。

4. You Don’t Have Deadlines

未设定最后期限

Tasks usually get done… right before they need to be done. Tasks without deadlines aren’t urgent and don’t have to be done. If your tasks don’t have a deadline then you will justify⁴ not doing them… yet.

任务总是在最需要完成的时候完成。无期限的任务不必着急，甚至不必去完成。如果你没给任务设定期限，很可能连碰都不碰吧。

5. Doing Everything But Your Work

心有旁骛

Are you checking your email, reading the news, updating Facebook, talking to coworkers, surfing the web, and checking your email again? You will never get to your work if you are doing everything else. Cut out the miscellaneous distractions⁵, interruptions⁶, etc. Close the email, turn off the internet if you must, and shut the door. Put your work in front of you and concentrate on that.

你又在查看邮件、浏览新闻、更新Facebook、与同事聊天、上网并再一次查看邮件了吧？如果你总是做其他琐事，工作怎么可能完成呢？撇开所有杂七杂八的琐事和干扰，关掉邮箱，必要的话就断开网络并关上门吧。工作就摆在眼前专心做吧。

6. Not Making Time For Your Work

没去挤时间

Many people say, “I never have time for my work.” You have to make time for it. Reserve time if you must. Try making appointments with your work. Put them on your calendar so other things do not take their place.

很多人说：“我总是没时间做自己的事情。” 那就挤时间呗。必要的话还可以预留好时间。为自己的事情定好计划，比如把任务写到日历上，决不让其他事情干扰。

7. Putting Things Off

一味拖延

Procrastination⁷ is the enemy of success. When you find yourself about to put off a task, ask yourself, “Could I do this now?” Are you putting it off simply because you don’t want to do it. Instead, "Just Do It Now."

拖延症是成功的敌人。当你感到自己开始拖延时，就问问自己：“这事儿现在做得了吗？” 要是你只是因为自己不想做而拖延任务，那“此刻就行动吧”。

8. You Don’t Finish Things

虎头蛇尾

During your day, you probably start many things… but do you finish them? 57 Things started and nothing finished is a recipe for a never-ending todo list. Finish one task to completion before beginning another. A handful⁸ of tasks done almost always beats a bunch started.

或许你已经开始着手很多事情……但是，你都完成了吗？开了57件事情的头，却没有一件是完成的，任务清单越拉越长。事情一件一件做，做完了再做下一件。有一些完成的事情好过无数虎头蛇尾的任务。