当每件事看起来都很重要的时候，如何区分工作的轻重缓急

Even with all of the advances in modern technology, there are only so many hours in the day to cram in everything that we need to do. A simple “to-do” list doesn’t always cut it, and it’s easy to feel adrift in a sea of tasks without an oar. The key to managing all of the work responsibilities on your plate is prioritization.

即使有现代科技的进步，我们每天也只有那么多的时间去填满我们需要做的事情。一个简单的“要做的事”清单并不总能解决问题，而且很容易让人在没有桨的情况下感到在任务的海洋中漂流。管理所有工作职责的关键是分清轻重缓急。

In this article, we’ll look at various ways to help you become a master of time management at work and keep all of those proverbial spinning plates from crashing to the ground.

在本文中，我们将探讨各种方法，以帮助您成为工作中时间管理的大师，并避免所有那些众所周知的“旋转的盘子”摔到地上。

1. Write out All the Things You Need to Do

把你需要做的事情都写下来

Becoming a master of prioritizing will have numerous benefits. You’ll get more done, climb the job ladder faster, and have more free time to enjoy life outside of work. It all starts, though, with making a list of what you need to get done.

成为分清主次的大师会有很多好处。你会完成更多的工作，工作中更快地晋升，有更多的空闲时间来享受工作之外的生活。不过，这一切都要从列出你需要完成的事情开始。

Write down the things you need to get done at work today, tomorrow, this week, and this month. Don’t worry about the order — we’ll get to that in a minute — just write down everything.

写下你今天、明天、本周和本月需要完成的工作。不要担心顺序——我们马上就会讲到——把所有的东西都写下来。

2. Start by Asking: What’s Really Important Here?

首先要问:这里真正重要的是什么?

Chances are, you have a pretty full list and that a good deal of them seem like the most important thing or at least top priorities. Some of these tasks may very well be top priorities, but others can probably wait. And they’re going to have to if you’re ever going to tackle the top priorities on your list.

很有可能，你有一个相当完整的清单，其中很多似乎是最重要的事情，或者至少是比较重要的事情。其中一些任务很可能是最优先考虑的，但其他的可能可以等待。如果你要处理你清单上的首要任务，将不得不这样做。

Each priority will fall under: do, defer, delegate, and delete. You don’t necessarily need to assign each priority a label just yet, as there are a few methods to help you cut through the fog.

每个优先级分别是:do、defer、delegate和delete。您现在还不需要为每个优先级分配一个标签，因为有一些方法可以帮助您克服困难。

3. The Triangle of Cost, Scope, and Time

成本、范围和时间的三角关系

One method that effective project managers use to help with prioritizing tasks on a large-scale project is by looking at each task as an equilateral triangle. Each priority’s side can be measured by its cost (resources needed to complete it), scope (how big the task is) and time (how long it will take to complete). Here’s a graph showing the Triple Constraint, illustrated by the site Project Manager:

在大型项目中，有效的项目经理用于帮助确定任务优先级的一个方法是将每个任务看作一个等边三角形。每个优先级的方面可以通过它的成本(完成它所需的资源)、范围(任务的大小)和时间(完成它需要的时间)来度量。这是一个图表显示三重约束，由网站项目经理说明:

You may be able to change a particular side of the triangle, perhaps reducing the cost needed to finish it, but it will likely involve altering the scope or deadline.

你可能会改变三角形的某一面，也许会降低完成它所需的成本，但它可能会涉及改变范围或期限。

If a deadline and scope can’t be changed on a task, then perhaps that project takes top priority and compromise will have to be made with cost or the scope of other tasks.

如果一项任务的最后期限和范围无法改变，那么这个项目可能是最优先的，必须在成本或其他任务的范围上做出妥协。

4. Apply the Eisenhower Matrix

运用艾森豪威尔矩阵

“I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.” —President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

“我有两类问题:紧急的和重要的。紧急的不重要，重要的永远不紧急。——艾森豪威尔总统。

It was out of this quote that the Eisenhower Matrix of prioritization was formed. Remember those do, defer, delegate, and delete labels we mentioned?

艾森豪威尔优先级矩阵就是从这句话中形成的。还记得我们提到的那些do、defer、delegate和delete标签吗?

Here’s where they come into play as illustrated in a graph made by James Clear:

这就是它们发挥作用的地方，正如詹姆斯·克利尔绘制的图表所示:

· Urgent & Important = Do. As in, do it now.

· Important & Not Urgent = Decide. Do it later, and decide when to do it.

· Urgent & Not Important = Delegate. Give the task to somebody else.

· Not Important & Not Urgent = Delete. Don’t waste your time on it.

既紧急又重要=做。现在就做。

重要但不紧急=决定。以后再做，然后决定什么时候做。

紧急但不重要=委派。把任务交给别人。

不重要又不紧急=删除。不要在这上面浪费时间。

We only spend around 40 percent of our workday on primary tasks, with things like checking emails, meetings, and trivial tasks eating up the rest of the day. If you learn how to prioritize effectively, however, you’ll soon find that managing that giant to-do list is easier and finishing those must-do tasks happens quicker!

我们一天中只有40%的时间花在了最基本的事情上，比如查收邮件，开会，做一些琐碎的事情。然而，如果你学会了如何有效地划分优先级，你很快就会发现管理一个巨大的待办事项清单是很容易的，完成那些必须完成的任务会更快!