时间管理 Managing My Time

上shàng个ge月yuè我wǒ买mǎi了le一yí个ge本子běnzi，决定juédìng认真rènzhēn管理guǎnlǐ自己zìjǐ的de时间shíjiān。

Last month I bought a notebook and decided to manage my time seriously.

第一dì-yī天tiān，我wǒ在zài上面shàngmiàn写xiě了le十二shí'èr件jiàn事shì，结果jiéguǒ只zhǐ完成wánchéng了le三sān件jiàn。

On the first day I wrote down twelve things to do, and in the end finished only three.

后来hòulái我wǒ发现fāxiàn，问题wèntí不bú是shì时间shíjiān不够búgòu，而是érshì我wǒ总是zǒngshì先xiān做zuò容易róngyì的de事shì。

Later I realised the problem wasn't a lack of time, but that I always did the easy things first.

比如bǐrú回huí消息xiāoxi、整理zhěnglǐ桌子zhuōzi，做zuò完wán以后yǐhòu我wǒ觉得juéde自己zìjǐ很hěn忙máng，其实qíshí重要zhòngyào的de事shì一yí件jiàn也yě没méi做zuò。

Replying to messages, tidying my desk — after doing those I felt busy, but in fact I hadn't done a single important thing.

于是yúshì我wǒ改变gǎibiàn了le方法fāngfǎ：每天měitiān早上zǎoshang只zhǐ写xiě三sān件jiàn最zuì重要zhòngyào的de事shì。

So I changed my method: each morning I write down only the three most important things.

而且érqiě我wǒ把bǎ手机shǒujī放fàng在zài另lìng一yí个ge房间fángjiān，中午zhōngwǔ以前yǐqián一yí次cì也yě不bú看kàn。

What's more, I put my phone in another room and don't look at it even once before noon.

两liǎng个ge星期xīngqī以后yǐhòu，我wǒ每měi天tiān完成wánchéng的de事shì虽然suīrán不bù多duō，但是dànshì都dōu是shì最zuì重要zhòngyào的de。

Two weeks later, although I finish fewer things each day, every one of them is the most important kind.

同事tóngshì说shuō我wǒ看起来kànqǐlai比bǐ以前yǐqián轻松qīngsōng，其实qíshí我wǒ只是zhǐshì学会xuéhuì了le拒绝jùjué一些yìxiē事shì。

A colleague said I look more relaxed than before; in fact I have simply learned to say no to some things.

时间shíjiān管理guǎnlǐ不bú是shì让ràng自己zìjǐ做zuò更gèng多duō的de事shì，而是érshì让ràng自己zìjǐ做zuò对duì的de事shì。

Time management is not about making yourself do more things, but about making yourself do the right things.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

管理guǎnlǐto manage; management

完成wánchéngto complete; to finish

整理zhěnglǐto tidy up; to sort out

改变gǎibiànto change

方法fāngfǎmethod; way

拒绝jùjuéto refuse; to turn down

不是……而是…… — not …, but rather …

不是 rejects the wrong explanation and 而是 supplies the right one: 问题不是时间不够，而是我总是先做容易的事。

他不是不想去，而是没有时间。— It's not that he doesn't want to go, but that he has no time.

把 + object + 放在 + place — the 把 construction

把 moves the object in front of the verb when you say what happens to it, especially where it ends up.

请把这些书放在桌子上。— Please put these books on the desk.

一 + 量词 + 也/都 + 不/没…… — not even one

This pattern emphasises a complete zero: 重要的事一件也没做；一次也不看。

那天他一句话也没说。— That day he didn't say a single word.

1. On the first day, how many of the twelve things did the author finish?

2. What is the author's new method?

3. What did the colleague notice about the author?