如果吃了太多油膩食物，或者喝得酩酊大醉之后，身體就會(huì)告訴你，它需要休息——大量飲水，清淡的食物，可能還要好好鍛煉一下。杰森·賽爾克認(rèn)為，應(yīng)對(duì)新一年的挑戰(zhàn)之前，“頭腦也需要來次大掃除。我們的頭腦里充斥了亂七八糟的傳媒影像。我們沒有給它足夠的休息?；蛘?，由于工作擔(dān)心和最后期限，我們將頭腦累到極限。”
賽爾克在2006年曾擔(dān)任圣路易斯紅雀隊(duì)（the St. Louis Cardinals）的心理訓(xùn)練總監(jiān)，這一年紅雀隊(duì)20年來首次贏得棒球大聯(lián)盟（World Series）冠軍，2011年該隊(duì)再獲冠軍。他也曾為富國銀行（Wells Fargo）、企業(yè)租車服務(wù)公司Enterprise Rent-a-Car、西北互助人壽保險(xiǎn)公司（Northwestern Mutual）和金融咨詢公司Edward Jones等公司培訓(xùn)高管最大程度地發(fā)揮腦力。
“不管是職業(yè)運(yùn)動(dòng)員，還是辦公室職員，”賽爾克說?！耙嵘憩F(xiàn)，都必須先進(jìn)行腦力大掃除?！蹦敲?，他建議怎么做呢？在接下來21天里，不妨試試下面六步：
1.每周三次，每次鍛煉30分鐘。賽爾克指出，大量醫(yī)學(xué)研究證實(shí)，鍛煉身體能幫助人們擺脫壓力（和年齡）導(dǎo)致的大腦運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)放緩。“每周至少安排三次有氧運(yùn)動(dòng)或舉重鍛煉，持續(xù)三周，”他建議。“鍛煉身體帶來的效率提高和精力充沛遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)可抵消工作日內(nèi)半小時(shí)的時(shí)間損失?！?/p>
2.每天預(yù)先做好安排。“就算意味著必須早點(diǎn)起床，也要在一天開始前就做好安排，”他說?！斑x擇三項(xiàng)最能影響你表現(xiàn)和成功概率的事情，作為每日必做功課?！?/p>
3.要事第一。“大多數(shù)人本末倒置。先做不重要的事情，將最重要的事情留到最后，”賽爾克說。這樣做的問題是，“每天到了最后，你因?yàn)槊δ切﹥?yōu)先性低的任務(wù)已經(jīng)忙到精疲力盡時(shí)，還要集中最大精力專注于最重要的事情。每天先完成最重要的事情，余下時(shí)間可以有更充沛的腦力和精力?！?/p>
4.凡事開頭就要完成。“沒有完成的項(xiàng)目會(huì)讓我們感到自慚和愧疚。如果接了一個(gè)項(xiàng)目，就要全力以赴直到完成，”賽爾克建議說?！叭绻且粋€(gè)大項(xiàng)目，可以將它分拆成很多個(gè)一次性可以完成的小項(xiàng)目?！北M可能不要同時(shí)處理多項(xiàng)任務(wù)，避免干擾和分心。
當(dāng)然，說起來容易做起來難，但值得一試：“今日事今日畢，如此自我約束能讓你對(duì)自己更滿意，一天工作結(jié)束時(shí)頭腦也更放松?！?/p>
5.關(guān)注細(xì)小持續(xù)的改進(jìn)。“需要進(jìn)行腦力大掃除的一個(gè)跡象是你感覺毫無希望、難以承受或精疲力盡，”賽爾克表示。“這種感覺源于你總是盯著遙不可及的最終目標(biāo)，而沒有留意一路上細(xì)小的進(jìn)展?！币虼耍谶@21天里“不妨提醒自己留意現(xiàn)狀中的種種改進(jìn)，無論大小。當(dāng)你養(yǎng)成習(xí)慣總是著眼于改進(jìn)，你會(huì)變得更加樂觀，不再那么沮喪?！?/p>
Eat too much rich food or overindulge in liquid cheer, and your body will tell you it needs a break -- lots of water, lighter fare, and maybe a few good workouts. According to Jason Selk, before you tackle new challenges in the year ahead, "the mind needs detoxing too. We cram it full of disturbing media images. We don't give it enough rest. Or we strain our brains to the max with work worries and deadlines."
Selk was director of mental training for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006, when the team won its first World Series in 20 years, as well as in 2011, when the Cardinals won it again. He also coaches executives at companies like Wells Fargo (WFC), Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Northwestern Mutual, and financial advisors Edward Jones on how to get the most out of their brains.
"Mental detoxing is necessary for optimal performance," says Selk, "whether you're a pro athlete or an office worker." So how does he recommend you do it? For the next 21 days, try these six steps:
1. Do 30 minutes of exercise three times a week. Selk points to reams of medical research confirming that exercise helps head off the slowing down of mental function that can result from stress (and from aging). "Schedule at least three cardio or weight-lifting workouts every week for three weeks," he advises. "The productivity and energy that exercise brings will far outweigh the loss of a half hour from your workday."
2. Plot each day in advance. "Organize each day before it starts, even if you have to get up earlier in order to do it," he says. "Choose three daily tasks that will have the greatest influence on your performance and success."
3. Do your top to-dos first. "Most people do this backwards. They focus first on the unimportant tasks and save the most crucial activities for last," Selk observes. The problem with that, he says, is that "you'll need the greatest energy and focus at the end of the day, when you're already tired from spending hours on low-priority tasks. By getting the most important items done first, you create mental energy and momentum for the rest of the day."
4. Finish what you start. "Unfinished projects leave us feeling self-critical and hassled. As you tackle a project, commit to concentrating on it until it's done," Selk suggests. "If it's a large project, break it down into manageable parts that can each be finished in one sitting." Avoid multitasking if you can, and shut out interruptions and distractions as much as possible.
That's often easier said than done, of course, but it's worth a try: "Developing the self-discipline of a finisher will help you feel more satisfied and mentally relaxed at the end of your workday."
5. Aim for small, continuous improvement. "One sign that you need to mentally detox is feeling hopeless, overwhelmed, or burnt out," says Selk. "This comes from focusing on the end result, and how far away it seems, rather than looking for small signs of progress along the way." So, for 21 days, "remind yourself to seek out any improvement in the situation, small or large. When you get into the habit of seeing improvement, you become more optimistic and less discouraged."
6.給大腦充充電?！斑^載的大腦需要休息，才能優(yōu)化運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)，”賽爾克表說?！按竽X真的很像一塊電池，只要一整晚的睡眠就可以充好電?！边B續(xù)幾天努力工作，人困馬乏？沒問題，只要你能每隔幾天就好好地睡上一晚上八小時(shí)。
“白天腦力放松也很重要，”賽爾克說?！澳贸鋈諝v，未來三周每七天安排一天休息。你會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)另外六天自己會(huì)更有效率，精神上也沒那么疲憊?！?/font>
為什么要花21天時(shí)間來做這些？因?yàn)樽钚碌拇竽X可塑性神經(jīng)病學(xué)研究顯示，用一個(gè)新習(xí)慣取代舊習(xí)慣需要21天。當(dāng)然，為了方便計(jì)算時(shí)間，也可以考慮堅(jiān)持整整30天。其它的新年愿望也可以這樣。
高管教練兼作家羅瑞·瓦登委托研究公司Kelton對(duì)新年決心進(jìn)行調(diào)查時(shí)，結(jié)果很有意思。2012年，每兩個(gè)美國人里就有一個(gè)立下了新年決心，可以預(yù)料到的是，近半數(shù)人（48%）在某個(gè)時(shí)候就半途而廢了。很多人1月份還沒結(jié)束就已經(jīng)選擇了放棄。但在那些堅(jiān)持了30天或更長時(shí)間的人中，有超過3/4的人（76%）在調(diào)查時(shí)仍然在堅(jiān)持履行自己的新年決心。
“要靠自律做出真正的改變很難，”《通往成功的七級(jí)臺(tái)階》（Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success)一書的作者瓦登說?！暗绻覀兡軋?jiān)持到第一個(gè)月底，我們做出長期改變的可能性就會(huì)增加3倍多?！?/font>
6. Recharge your mental battery. "The overloaded brain needs rest in order to function optimally," Selk notes. "The brain really is like a battery, and it only needs one full night's sleep in order to recharge." It's okay to work hard and be mentally tired, even several days in a row, as long as you get one solid night of eight hours of sleep every few days.
"Mental rest during the day is also important," Selk adds. "Take out your calendar and schedule one day of rest for each seven-day cycle for the next three weeks. You will find yourself more productive and less mentally exhausted during the other six days."
The reason for doing all this for 21 days is that, according to recent neurological research on brain plasticity, that's how long it takes to replace old habits with new ones. Just for good measure, though, you might think about keeping up these behaviors -- or any other New Year's resolution you've made -- for a full 30 days instead.
When executive coach and author Rory Vaden commissioned research firm Kelton to do a survey on New Year's resolutions, the results were intriguing. One in two Americans made a resolution in 2012 and, predictably, nearly half (48%) of those quit trying, at some point, to keep it. Many gave up before January ended. But among those who persevered for 30 days or longer, more than three quarters (76%) were still sticking to their resolutions.
"It's tough to cultivate the self-discipline to make real change," says Vaden, author of Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success. "But if we can just make it through the first month, we're three times more likely to make a permanent change."
聯(lián)系客服
