Five Ways to Do More in Less Time (3)

4. Batch'em.
Imagine your time is like a closet. See your day as a limited space that accommodates only so much and benefits from organization. Group common tasks together. Hit the grocery store, cleaners and health-food store all in one outing.

How to: Counterpoint management: Pick off-times to pick up dry-cleaning and stock up on groceries. Leave 30 minutes earlier in the morning to avoid rush-hour traffic. Added benefit: You'll get in quiet time at work.

5. Just do it!
Procrastination is a chronic time guzzler. Set up a rewards system to stay motivated. Say a deadline out loud to someone else to solidify it in your mind and to commit yourself to it. If you are consistently late, set an early deadline and write reminders in your planner, calendar, or on post-its. Don't let fear of failure - or success - paralyze you. Jump in and get started.

How to: If you are feeling unfocused and having trouble getting something done, take a 15-minute break. Set a beginning and end to the break to make it guilt-free.

Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: What Is Rush Hour? 尖峰時段
rush hour 是個很有趣的片語,
字面上是指向前衝的一小時,
但事實上你在rush hour當中不但沒辦法rush,
而且時間遠超過一小時,
其實rush hour 指的就是上下班的尖峰時段,
雖然用的hour是單數,
但時間往往超過1小時,
通常是2-3個小時,
rush hour最明顯的現象就是traffic jam塞車,
嚴重的rush hour往往是bumper to bumper,
指的是一部車的保險桿緊貼著另一部車的保險桿,
也就是說在車陣當中動彈不得

Closer Look
Hit the grocery store, cleaners and health-food store all in one outing.
hit: to go
Hit... all in one...
- Hit the art galleries along the river all in one afternoon.
- Hit every museum in the city all in one week.

Language Lab
batch n.
a group of people or things that arrive or are dealt with together
- We waited outside the bakery for the first batch of fresh rolls.
batch v. 分批 分組
- Mail is batched by zip codes in the post offices before being delivered.
- Mark batched up the books for the moving company to pick up.

counterpoint v.
the combination of two or more tunes played together so that they sound like one tune
- The sharp lines of the furniture counterpoint their bright colors.
counterpoint n.
something that is different from something else in usually a pleasing way
- The tranquil atmosphere of the museum provides an interesting counterpoint to the busy and noisy streets outside.

chronic adj.
a chronic problem is one that continues for a long time and cannot easily be solved:
- Gloria suffers from chronic heart disease which makes her very weak.
a chronic disease or illness is one that continues for a long time and cannot be cured
- Zack is a chronic smoker. He had tried to quit many times but has failed.

paralyze v.
if something paralyses you, it makes you lose the ability to move part or all of your body, or to feel it:
- Fear of failure paralyzed her, and she stopped trying new things.


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