1. They don't believe in messiness.

1. 他们不苟同杂乱。

When you're working in an organized and clean workspace, you're more focused on getting the job done and less distracted by clutter¹. According to the productivity researcher Jason Jennings, being a truly productive person is "about having a habit of touching everything once. When something has to be done, productive people simply do it, then get rid of it.

当你在一处整洁的空间干活时，你会更加集中精力把工作干完，而不会被一大堆杂物分散注意力。据效率研究员詹森·詹宁斯的说法，要成为一个真正有效率的人便是养成每件事都一次性干完的习惯。当有任务要做，有效率的人就会去做它，然后便再也不受其累。

2. They schedule everything (even family time).

2. 他们安排好所有的事（甚至是与家人相处的时间）。

Truly productive people set a program for each day. "They make a list of the things that have to be accomplished², then they go through that list and prioritize it even further," says Jennings. Just make sure family and personal time ranks just as high as important meetings.

真正有效率的人每天都会制定一套计划。詹宁斯提到：“他们会列出一张待办事项的清单，然后再进一步按照事情的重要度来排序。”不过也需要确保与家人相处的时间和私人时间和重要会议一样不容忽视。

3. They follow through.

3. 他们一鼓作气完成手头上的事。

"If you finish your rice, then wash your bowl," says Tim Pychyl, author of Solving the Procrastination³ Puzzle. That's an ancient Zen saying he lives by. "It's just a matter of getting things done; I simply put one foot in front of the other," he explains. Zeroing in on a single action rather than the entire task puts the wheels in motion.

《战胜拖延症》一书的作者蒂姆·皮切尔讲道：“吃完了米饭，顺带也把碗给洗了。”他所身体力行的这条谚语出自古老的禅宗。他解释说：“这就是在讲把事情做完。我只是把一只脚迈了出去。”专注于一处行动，而不是整项任务，能让你开始行动起来。

4. They don't check email as often as you do.

4. 他们不会像你那样经常查看自己的邮箱。

Jennings reveals, "Most super-productive people only check their email 2 or 3 times a day." When you're always hearing new message alerts you'll never get anything done because there's always something else to tend to. But if you can't bear to turn off your email, at least enlist⁴ the help of filters.

詹宁斯还透露说：“大多数超级有效率的人们一天只会查收他们的邮箱2至3次。”当你总是听到有新消息提示，你绝不会把手头上的事做完，因为总会有其他的事提醒你来处理它。但如果你不能容忍关闭邮箱，至少启用邮箱过滤。

5. They don't forget about themselves.

5. 他们不忘关注自身状况。

Getting enough sleep and exercise is the key to clear thinking, more creativity, and increased energy -- which, in turn, make you more productive. And if by some fluke one of these super-productive people didn't get quite enough sleep the night before, they're not opposed to a midday nap.

睡眠充足并锻炼身体是思维清晰的诀窍，它能让你更有创造力，精神更饱满，这样就让你更加有效率。而且如若刚好这些人前一天晚上没能睡足觉，他们也会在中午稍稍打个盹。

6. They like to sweeten the pot.

6. 他们喜欢让工作变得更顺心。

A little bribery⁵ can go a long way. If you have, say, an expense report that you've been dreading⁶, allow yourself a little indulgence when it's finally done.

一些犒劳能让你的工作进展顺利。假设你有一份一直让你很操心的费用报告要做，最终将其完成后，可以稍稍纵容自己放松下。

Time limits also have the same effect. Set a timer and say 'I'll do this for 10 minutes. Chances are, once you dive in you'll keep going.

限制工作时间也能取得相同的效果。设置好时间，像是我要十分钟内把这件事做完。那么当你开工了，很有可能你将一直做下去，直到把事情完成。

7. They make technology work for them.

7. 他们会使科技助力工作。

Technology can be both a blessing⁷ (calendar apps!) and a burden (Facebook!) during the workday. It's all about anticipating procrastination and then limiting any wiggle room you might have to keep you from getting a task done.

在工作日，科技既可能帮上大忙（如日历应用程序！），也可能成为负担（如脸书！）。可能会有的拖延症将阻止你完成任务，不给你留下任何调整空间。

For example, Pychyl sets different color to every category (work, personal, family) in his email calendar. This way, he can see at a glance when he's giving too much (or too little) time to one specific area of his life, and can prioritize accordingly.

举个例子，皮切尔在他的邮箱日历上使用不同的颜色对应每个类别（像是工作、个人和家庭）。这样，他只要瞄一眼就能知道他在某一块是否花费了过多或过少的时间，然后便能相应调整优先顺序。