如何让自己集中注意力（1）

Focus is something of a novelty these days. We’ve got cellphones for texting and calls, IM, Twitter, Email, RSS feeds, Facebook, Myspace… the list goes on and on. If you don’t have ADD before you start working online, it seems it’s almost inevitable thanks to these inputs. If you’re a web worker who uses the Internet for the majority of the day, you’re especially at risk for losing focus.

注意力如今成了新鲜物。我们有手机来发短信、打电话，即时聊天工具，博客，电子邮件，RSS订阅，Facebook，Myspace……不胜枚举。如果上网工作前你没有注意力缺陷障碍(attention deficit disorder)，那么因为上面那些东西，你也将会不可避免地患上这种病症。如果你是一位一天大部分时间都使用互联网的网络工作者，那么注意力不集中的可能性更大。

Focus is something that must be fought for. It’s not something that automatically switches on when you want to. You have to make sure your surroundings are perfect for working if you want to be focused. Here’s a few ways I’ve found this to work:

注意力是需要争取的，它不会在你想要的时候自动开启。如果你想让注意力集中，那么就必须让自己所处的环境最适合工作。下面是我发现的一些有帮助的方法：

1. Use offline tools. 使用非网络工具。Paper products, pens, and other physical tools are a Godsend for those of us who have a hard time focusing throughout the work day. They’re so simple that we can use them quickly, without having to worry about becoming distracted.

纸质品、笔和其它有实体的工具对工作中集中注意力困难的人们来说简直是上天赐与的礼物。由于它们非常简单，我们迅速就能掌握，所以不必担心会导致分心。

2. Take more breaks. 多休息。More breaks = More productivity. It may sound wrong, but it’s true. Breaks allow us to re-group our thoughts and focus for the task at hand. They also keep us fresh so that we don’t end up burning out after only a few hours work.

更多休息=更多生产力。听上去不是那样，可其实是对的。休息能让我们对手边的工作重新集中思想、注意力；还能让我们保持头脑清晰，从而不会只工作了几小时后就出现精力枯竭。

3. Smaller tasks to check off. 先完成小任务。When you’re planning your day, make sure that your “action steps” (aka items in the checklist) are small actions. Instead of “Paint living room”, try breaking it down into many tasks, like “buy paint, buy rollers, pick colors” etc.

在计划一天的工作时，让你的“工作步骤”（也就是清单上的项目）成为一个个小的行动。不要写“给客厅刷漆”，试着将它分解为许多小任务，例如“买油漆，买滚筒刷，挑选颜色”等等。

(to be continued)