原來最有效率的工作日是「星期二」

一周工作日的五天，星期一有Monday blue，星期五有個俏皮的說法是Friday I'm in love，剩下的那三天，星期二、三、四總要好好工作了吧！猜猜看哪一天工作最有效率？可不可以每天都這麼有效率？進入本文前，先想想以下英文怎麼說：

a) 待辦事項　
b) 黃金時間　
c) 避開

According to a survey on 300 HR managers in Canada, Tuesday is the best day to work on important projects or to simply get your a) to-do list checked. It is the one day of the week when we can 1) buckle down and be the most productive.
一項針對300位加拿大人資經理進行的調查顯示，星期二最適合進行重大專案，或將待辦工作清單處理完。一個禮拜當中，我們最能全力以赴也最有效率的就是這一天。

It makes sense-everyone hates Mondays. People unwillingly return to their never ending workload. Wednesdays seem to be a long slog since it is in the middle of the week. As for Fridays, lots of people are already making plans for the weekend.
聽起來蠻合理的--每個人都討厭星期一，人們不情不願地回到工作崗位，星期三夾在一個禮拜中間，就是個苦日子，到了星期五，很多人已經開始位周末計畫了。

According to the survey by staffing firm Accountemps, Tuesdays are the days when people really 2) get the ball rolling. 33% of the interviewees thought their productivity accelerated on Tuesdays, while 5% on Thursdays and 6% on Fridays. The second most productive day goes to Wednesdays, according to 23%. 14% voted for Mondays and 18% for no particular day.而由人力資源公司Accountemps進行的調查看來，星期二是員工最能順利推進工作的一天。33%受訪者認為他們在星期二效率加快，星期四和星期五則分別只獲得5%和6%的票數。效率次高的是星期三，獲得23%的票數，14%的人認為周一最有效率，18%的人則認為沒有哪天效率特別高。

The firm tried to get an idea of people’s efficiency curve, and the results seem consistent regardless of size or type of company
這家公司透過和其他當地或國際公司合作，有大型的也有小型的，去全面瞭解人們是如何工作的，考查得出的結論基本上一致。

How do you make every day like a Tuesday? Accountemps offered a few tips to increase productivity:

• Axe the excess. Too often we overestimate what we can accomplish and become frustrated by our lack of progress. A shorter, more realistic list that leaves room for unexpected projects and setbacks will help you become more productive.
• Aim for quality, not quantity. Repeatedly switching from one project to another also slows you down. Do your best to focus on one item at a time.
• Know your b) prime time. Tackle critical or challenging assignments during the time of day when you are most productive.
• c) Dodge derailers. Mute your mobile devices, sign out of email, and politely ask  coworkers not to disturb you for a while.  

如何讓每天像星期二一樣有效率？Accountemps也提供一些訣竅：

• 砍掉過量計畫 我們太常高估一天可以完成的事情，然後因為進度不佳受挫。列一個實際一點的工作清單，為不在計畫中的專案或挫折保留一點空間。
• 質大於量 同時進行多樣工作其實會讓速度變慢，一次完成一件事情，重點在完成。
• 知道自己的黃金時間 必要、有挑戰性的工作要在這段時間內進行。
• 分心能避則避 把行動裝置設為靜音，登出信箱，也禮貌的請同事這段時間內先不要打擾你。 

口語字彙

1) buckle down
buckle down 的字面意思是「彎下來」，請想像一下球員把身體下彎蓄勢待發的樣子，所以有「開始認真做事」的意思。

It's time to buckle down and do your assignment. 該開始認真做你的作業了。

2) get the ball rolling
Get the ball rolling 意思是開始做一件事，而且讓它可以很順暢地運作。 

Let's get the ball rolling on this project. 我們來著手進行這個計畫吧。

如果這件事情已經進行到一半，你可以用 keep the ball rolling表示維持運作順暢。

本文收錄於英語島English Island 2016年1月號
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