上个月我买了一个本子，决定认真管理自己的时间。
Last month I bought a notebook and decided to manage my time seriously.
第一天，我在上面写了十二件事，结果只完成了三件。
On the first day I wrote down twelve things to do, and in the end finished only three.
后来我发现，问题不是时间不够，而是我总是先做容易的事。
Later I realised the problem wasn't a lack of time, but that I always did the easy things first.
比如回消息、整理桌子，做完以后我觉得自己很忙，其实重要的事一件也没做。
Replying to messages, tidying my desk — after doing those I felt busy, but in fact I hadn't done a single important thing.
于是我改变了方法：每天早上只写三件最重要的事。
So I changed my method: each morning I write down only the three most important things.
而且我把手机放在另一个房间，中午以前一次也不看。
What's more, I put my phone in another room and don't look at it even once before noon.
两个星期以后，我每天完成的事虽然不多，但是都是最重要的。
Two weeks later, although I finish fewer things each day, every one of them is the most important kind.
同事说我看起来比以前轻松，其实我只是学会了拒绝一些事。
A colleague said I look more relaxed than before; in fact I have simply learned to say no to some things.
时间管理不是让自己做更多的事，而是让自己做对的事。
Time management is not about making yourself do more things, but about making yourself do the right things.
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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
Grammar note 语法点
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.
Check yourself 小测验
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?
After this reading
Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.
I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.
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