雙語閱讀磨礪你的斧頭：做準備的重要性

　　Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.

　　Abraham Lincoln

　　如果讓我用6個小時來砍一棵樹，我會用前面4個小時來磨礪我的斧頭。

　　阿伯拉罕·林肯

　　A great quote, isn’t it? It’s the opposite of what many people do. When they have a project to work on, many people just work on it directly with little or no preparation. To the contrary, smart people prepare things well in advance and that way they outperform those with little or no preparation. They accomplish the job in less time and with less stress. That’s what I call working smart.

　　一個非常好的引用，是吧？但現實中的很多人都反過來做：當要做某件事情時，很多人只略做準備，甚至一點也不準備就開始工作了。相反地，聰明的人都選擇在動手前做充分的準備，以此來超越那些略做準備或不做準備的人，他們在較小的壓力下用較短的時間來完成工作。這就是我所說的高效工作。

　　Preparation is essential to work smart.At a glance, it may seem like a waste of time. Isn’t it better to use the time to get the job done? Isn’t it better to get to work directly? But preparation can make the difference between being productive and just being tired.

　　做準備是高效工作的前提。乍一看這像是浪費時間，用做準備的時間來投入工作不更好嗎？直接開始工作不更好嗎？但是，做了準備，你將能高效地工作；不做準備，你只會越做越累，這就是不同。

　　Here are three ways preparation can help you:

　　以下是3個做準備的`方法，應該會對你有所幫助：

　　1.Preparation helps you find if something is worth doing.

　　做準備可讓你發現某件事是否值得去做。

　　Few things waste your time more than working on the wrong project. So it’s wise to check first if something is worth doing. Is it the best use of your time and resources? Is there other project that can give you better return for your investment? Spend time to find out whether or not the project is feasible. The time saved from not doing the wrong project far outweighs the time spent to research it.

　　沒有什么比做不值得的事情更浪費時間的了，所以先檢查某件事是否值得做是很明智的。它能使你最理想地利用你的時間和資源嗎？有沒有其它讓你的投入獲得更大回報的項目？花時間來弄清楚這個項目是否可行。在研究項目可行性上所花的時間將可避免你做不可行的事情，這將為你省下比這多得多的時間。

　　2.Preparation helps you find the most efficient way to do things.

　　做準備將幫你找出做事情的最高效方式。

　　Once you decide that a project is worth doing, the next step is finding the most efficient way to do it. Those with no preparation will use the first method they can think of or the one they are familiar with. But chance is there are other methods out there that can do things better and faster. Do some research to find them. One good way is by watching how the best people in your field work. Find several models and observe the advantages and disadvantages of their methods. Pay special attention to methods that are radically different from what you know. Then combine the best methods to create something that suits your style and situation.

　　一旦你確定某件事情值得做，下一步該找出怎樣才能最高效地完成任務的方法。不做準備的人會采用他們所想到的第一個方法或比較熟悉的手段，但很可能有其它能更快更好地完成任務的方式。做一些研究來把這樣的方式找出來，管用的辦法之一就是看看你所處領域中那些頂尖人物是怎么做的。在這些人中定幾個作為榜樣，觀察他們所用方法的優點和缺點，對那些跟你所知道的非常不同的方法要多加留意，然后把最好的幾個方法以適合你的風格和狀況的方式結合起來使用。

　　3.Preparation makes you ready when opportunity comes. 更多信息請訪問：http://www.24en.com/

　　做準備可以讓你抓住機遇。

　　You shouldn’t prepare yourself only when you have a project ahead. Even when there is no project, you should keep building your skills and knowledge. Keep learning, keep growing, and open your eyes. That way when opportunity comes you will be ready to grab it. As Seneca said: Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

　　不要只在眼前有事情要完成時才做準備，即使目前沒有什么任務，你也要不停歇地鍛煉你的技能和充實你的知識。不斷地學習，不斷地成長，不斷地拓寬自己的視野，這樣機會來臨時你已做好一切準備來抓住它，正如塞涅卡所說： 機會總是眷顧那些做好準備的人。

　　There is a danger though: you could be over-prepared. Being over-prepared is dangerous because you may then take action way too late or never take action at all. Even worse, some people use preparation as an excuse not to take action. Don’t let this happen to you. Do only the preparation that significantly contributes to your project and your personal growth. Prepare well but don’t over-prepare.

　　有一點要注意：你可能會準備過度。準備過度是危險的，因為你可能會太遲才開始行動或根本就不開始行動。更糟糕的是，有些人會用做準備來作為不采取行動的借口。不要讓這種事發生在你身上，只做對你的工作有貢獻和對你的成長有利的準備，準備好就夠，千萬別準備過度。

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