We all like to think that we’re constantly pressed for time, but the reality is that most of us waste this vast resource simply by remaining unaware¹ of how we spend our days. So if you need to find more time in your day check out the following six tips on how to get more done in less time:

我们都常常认为自己总是没有时间，其实大多数人只是不懂得如何利用时间，而白白浪费掉了时间这一宝贵的资源。如果你希望在自己的一天中挤出更多的时间，看看下面这6条贴士，它们会告诉你如何用更短的时间做出更多的事情。

Tip #1 – Set your alarm clock earlier

把闹钟调早一点

Yeah, yeah – this is the one tip that nobody ever wants to hear… But here’s the thing – if the rest of your day is already packed full of productive² work, you’re going to be hard-pressed to free up as much time throughout your day as you can by waking up earlier in the morning. Even getting to the office a half hour ahead of your coworkers can give you the quiet time needed to start your day off on a productive note.

我懂得，没有人愿意听从这个建议，可是你想啊，如果你一天中余下的时间里已经排满了要求高效率的工作任务，除非你早晨起早一点，否则你很难在一天中挤出那么多自由的时间。哪怕只是比同事早半个小时到达办公室，你就能获得一段安宁的时间，让你以高效的状态开启一天的工作。

Tip #2 – Lay out your clothes at night

晚上把要穿的衣服拿出来

Morning indecision about what you’ll wear is a huge time-waster, so take a few minutes each evening to lay out the clothing you’ll wear the next day. If you’ll be hitting the gym before you’re home again, setting out your gym clothing as well will help you to save time and avoid forgetting important items.

一大早为今天穿什么衣服而纠结，这会浪费掉你很多的时间。所以，你可以每天晚上花上几分钟时间，把自己第二天要穿的衣服拿出来。如果你打算回家之前去一下健身房，还要把运动服也拿好，这样会帮你节省时间，也能避免临时找不到必备的衣饰。

Tip #3 – Prep meal ingredients ahead of time

事先准备好做饭的食材

Taking the time to do as much of your meal prep work ahead of time as possible can save you some major time – not to mention help you avoid unhealthy “eating out because you don’t have the energy to prep and cook a meal” trips.

在饭点之前尽可能多的做好烹调的准备工作，这样能为你节省很多的时间——更不用说还能避免你又自欺欺人的对自己说“下馆子是因为我没有精力准备食材烹饪食物”了。

Tip #4 – Opt³ for public transportation⁴

选择搭乘公共交通工具

When you drive to work, you can’t send email messages, finish up a set of business documents or watch training videos. If you have the option to take public transportation, consider doing so and use the spare minutes you’ve found to catch up on business tasks before you arrive at the office.

如果你开车去上班，你就不能在通勤的时间里发信息，整理商务文件或者学习培训视频了。如果你可以选择搭乘公共交通工具，考虑一下这个建议，这样你就能利用这段时间熟悉一下这一天的工作任务，进入办公室的时候你已经准备好了。

Tip #5 – Start each day with a pre-made “to do” list

让一张写好的“需处理事宜”清单开启你的每一天

If you’re arriving at your office without a clear vision of what you must accomplish throughout the day, you’re already wasting time! Instead, take a few minutes before you leave the office each night to write a list of the 1-3 most important things you must do the next day.

如果你每天走进办公室的时候，没有一张清晰明了的清单，告诉你这一天要完成哪些事情，你已经开始浪费时间了！与此相反，你可以每晚离开办公室之前花几分钟的时间写张单子，列出第二天你要做的1-3件最重要的事情。

Tip #6 – Wear headphones to minimize⁵ distractions⁶

带上耳机，减少干扰

Having fun coworkers is great – until you need to actually get work done. If you can’t seem to stop gossiping with colleagues when you should be handling the items on your “to do” list, invest in a comfortable pair of headphones and wear them – music on or off – until you’re finished. People are often more reluctant to interrupt those wearing headphones.

拥有一群逗比的同事固然是极好的——直到你不得不完成工作的时候，如果你一跟同事聊八卦就停不下来，却本应该去处理“应处理事宜”上的事物，不如花点钱去买一对舒适的耳机，带上它们——听或者不听音乐都可以——直到你做完工作。人们往往会对打扰那些带着耳机的人更有所顾虑。