Welcome to the Project List Mindsweep, a step-by-step exercise to help you properly identify every project in your work and life.

欢迎来到 "项目清单大扫除"，这是一个循序渐进的练习，帮助你正确识别工作和生活中的每一个项目。

Your Project List is a list of the outcomes or goals you are currently committed to, all in one place. It serves as a dashboard of your current workload, helping you grasp the current progress of your projects with just a glance.

你的项目清单是一个列表，将你当前为之努力的结果或目标集中在一起。它作为你当前工作量的仪表盘，帮助你一目了然地掌握当前项目的进展情况。

Most people couldn’t give you a full inventory of their projects if their life depended on it. Yet they also tell you that they have too much on their plate. Creating an accurate Project List gives you the confidence to say yes OR no to new commitments. Once you know how much capacity you actually have, the decision of what to fill it with can be intentional and strategic, instead of reactive.

大多数人无法拿出一个完整的自己赖以生存的项目们的清单。但是他们却会告诉你，有太多的事情要做。创建一个清晰的项目清单，让你有信心对新的事情是否要着手去做做出决断。一旦你知道了你的能力范围，你对自己的能力资源的分配决策就会更有目的性和策略性，而不是被动应对。

There is often a resistance to writing down all our projects, because we fear that seeing them all in one place will be overwhelming. But non-judgmentally collecting the full inventory is the first step to gaining control. You committed to these projects – we’re just creating a tool to support you in managing them.

我们经常会有一种抵触情绪，因为我们担心看到所有的项目都在一个地方，会让人不知所措。但是，不假思索地将所有事情收录进清单是获得控制权的第一步。你本来就要做这些项目 —— 我们只是创造了一个工具来支持你管理这些项目。

Follow the instructions below to create your Project List. Click here for an Evernote template to help you follow along.

按照下面的说明创建你的项目列表。点击这里查看Evernote模板，帮助你跟上后续的练习。

The key distinction to understand as you begin this process is that we aren’t using the word “project” in the usual vague sense. That word is used to refer to everything from a bathroom remodel to a multi-billion dollar construction project.

当你开始这个过程的时候，需要了解的关键区别是，我们并不是在模糊意义上使用 "项目 "这个词。这个词是用来指从浴室改造到数十亿美元的建筑项目的一切事情。

We are using the following definition of a project: “Any outcome you’re committed to that requires more than one work session to complete.”

我们对项目的定义如下： "需要不止一步的工作步骤才能完成的、任何你要达成的结果。"

This definition forces us to acknowledge the reality that even the simplest outcomes — like “buy headphones” or “prepare an agenda” — usually require numerous steps. Instead of tracking all these steps in our heads, we want to track them in an external tool. Your Project List remembers all these steps for you, so you can focus only on the next action.

这个定义迫使我们不得不承认一个现实，那就是即使是最简单的结果 —— 比如 "买耳机 "或 "准备议程" —— 通常也需要无数个步骤。我们想要通过一个外部工具来追踪这些步骤，而不是凭借人脑来记忆。你的项目清单会帮你记住所有这些步骤，所以你可以全神贯注于接下来的行动。

Most people find that sticking to this definition produces a list of around 20–40 projects. This is why we want to use an external tool — not our brains!

大多数人发现，坚持这个定义会产生一个20-40个左右的项目清单。这就是为什么我们要使用外部工具 —— 而不是我们的大脑!

Here’s some things to consider and places to look:

以下是一些需要考虑的事情和需要注意的地方。

Your mind | 你的想法

What’s worrying you that you haven’t taken the time to identify as a project? What’s taking more mental bandwidth than it deserves? What needs to happen that you’re not making consistent progress on, that could benefit from a project structure?

有哪些你没有花时间去定义为项目的事情正在困扰你？哪些事情占用的心力超出预期？有哪些事情目前没有持续跟进但是必须存在的，可以从项目结构中受益？

Example: “My back is hurting” => Schedule doctor’s appointment 例如： "我的背很痛" => 预约医生

Calendar | 日历

Look a few weeks into the past: what do you need to follow up on? What needs wrapping up? What projects do you want to create out of events that already happened?

回顾过去几周：你需要跟进什么？哪些事情还需要总结一下？你想根据已发生的事件创建哪些项目？

Look a few weeks into the future: what needs planning and preparation? What requires some goal-setting? Who do you need to catch up with?

展望未来几周：哪些需要规划和准备？哪些需要制定目标？你需要跟谁叙旧小聚？

Example: “I need to figure out what we’ll do at that team off-site” => Plan team off-site agenda 举例："我需要想一想，我们在那个外出的团队活动的会议上要做什么？"我需要弄清楚我们在那个团队外的会议上要做什么" => 计划团队外的会议议程

To Do list

What actions are you already taking, that are actually part of a bigger project you’ve not yet identified?

你已经采取的哪些行动，实际上是你尚未定义的更大项目的一部分？

Example: “I need to follow up with that house cleaner” => Find cleaner and schedule weekly cleaning time 例子："我需要跟进家政清洁工"=>找个清洁工，安排每周的清洁时间。

Agendas | 议程

What communication or followup actions you’ve scheduled with people are actually part of a bigger project?

你与人安排的哪些沟通或跟进行动实际上是一个大项目的一部分？

Example: “I need to call Linda back” => Develop sales campaign with Linda 例如："我需要给 Linda 回电话"=>与 Linda 一起策划销售活动。

Briefcase/bag/wallet/purse | 公文包/包/皮包/钱包/皮包

What objects or papers have you saved because they remind you to take an action? What have you not gotten rid of because it’s needed for a project?

你保存过哪些可以提醒你采取某些行动的物品或文件？有哪些东西因为项目需要而没有扔掉？

Example: Business card in purse => Follow up with potential contractor from conference 例子。皮包里的名片 => 与会议上的潜在承包商进行后续跟进。

Physical environment | 物理环境

Look around your office, home, car, or desk: what physical objects represent projects you haven’t identified as projects?Document on desk => Package up and mail document to business partner

环顾你的办公室、家里、车上或桌子：哪些东西代表着你还没有确定为项目的项目？ 桌上的文件 => 将文件打包后邮寄给业务伙伴

Computer | 计算机

Look at your computer desktop, downloads folder, documents folder, bookmarks, emails, open browser tabs: what are you keeping around because it is part of a project?

看看你的电脑桌面，下载文件夹、文档文件夹、书签、电子邮件、浏览器中打开的页面：哪些是因为它是某个项目的一部分而保留在这的？

Example: PDF article => Read draft article and give feedback to co-author 例子。PDF文章 => 阅读文章草稿并反馈给合著者

Processes or procedures | 流程或程序

Which processes in your work or life could be more efficient, streamlined, or purposeful? What do you do regularly that takes too long, is too difficult, or hasn’t been thought through?

你的工作或生活中哪些流程可以更有效率、更精简或更有目的性？你经常做的事情中，有哪些事情总是花费太多时间、太过难搞，或者并没有经过深思熟虑？

Example: Grocery shopping => Collect list of staple food supplies and set up recurring deliveries 例如：去食品杂货店购物 => 收集主食用品清单，并建立经常性的送货服务。

Creative opportunities | 创造性的机会

What would you like to learn, develop, build, put on, pursue, start, explore, or play with as a project?

哪些事情是你想作为一个项目来学习、开发、建设、投入、追求、开始、探索或者玩的？

Example: Flyer for improv class => Look up and schedule improve class 例子。兴趣班的传单 => 查询并安排改进班的课程。

Competence building | 能力建设

Which skills would you like to learn? Which hobbies would you like to start? What kind of project could advance your career, or make your life more fun or interesting?

你想学习哪些技能？你想开始哪些兴趣爱好？什么样的项目可以推动你的事业发展，或者说让你的生活更有乐趣或更有趣？

Example: Email confirmation for online course purchase => Complete online course on coding 例子。在线课程购买的电子邮件确认 => 完成在线编码课程的确认

Don’t worry about the exact definition of a project at this stage. In the next step, we’ll decide what to do with this initial brainstorm.

在这个阶段不用担心项目的具体定义。在下一步，我们将决定如何处理这个初步的头脑风暴的结果。

Some options to consider:

可以考虑的一些方案：

Delete anything that is obviously not a projectSometimes you just need to write something down to realize it’s not something you’re committed to.

删除任何明显不属于项目的东西：有时你只需要写下一些东西，就会意识到这不是你的应该做的任务。

Combine projects that are tied to the same outcome“Wipe old computer” and “Research new computers” could be part of the same project “Buy new computer.”

合并同类项：将 "清理旧电脑 "和 "研究新电脑 "这两个项目结合起来，可以成为 "购买新电脑 "项目的一部分。

If a project can be substituted by a calendar entry, add it to your calendar insteadFor example, “Pick up sister from airport” doesn’t really need to be actively tracked over time. Seeing it on the appropriate day will trigger all the necessary actions.

如果一个项目可以被一个日历条目所替代，那就把它添加到你的日历中。在适当的日子看到它，就会触发所有必要的操作。

Move “someday/maybe” projects to the bottom of the list：Keep track of these future projects, but don’t let them clutter your current list.

将 "某天/可能 "项目移到列表的底部 ：保持对这些未来项目的跟踪，但不要让它们让你的当前清单变得杂乱无章。

Look at each project on your list and ask yourself: what is my desired outcome for this project? What would need to happen for this project to be considered an outstanding success?

看一下你清单上的每个项目，问自己：我希望这个项目的结果是什么？这个项目要怎样才能被认为是一个杰出成就？

I suggest writing these desired outcomes in the present tense, to help project yourself forward in time to when the outcome you are describing has come true:

我建议用现在时态写出这些期望的结果，以帮助你在目标实现前更好地进行规划和推进。

Add a date | 添加一个日期

Part of defining the desired outcome is deciding “by when.” Every single project on your list needs to have a specific deadline or timeframe that leaves no room for confusion (such as “by June 30, 2017,” “by the end of 2017,” or “by the end of Q3 2017.”).

This is the true test of whether it is actually a project. Even if the deadline seems arbitrary, it serves as a reminder for you to check on your progress and reevaluate your approach.

Add a target completion date for each project on your list.

评估结果是否理想的部分标准由 "何时截止"决定。你清单上的每一个项目都需要有一个具体的截止日期或时间框架，不能有任何模糊的地方。

这才是对“项目”是否确实是一个项目的检验。即使最后期限看起来很随意，但它也可以作为一个提醒，提醒你检查你的进度，重新评估你的方法。

所以记得，为你的清单上的每个项目添加一个目标完成日期。

Use action verbs | 使用动词

We’re looking for a verb that describes DONE: finalize, submit, deliver, complete, send, clarify, organize, update, implement, resolve, submit, reorganize, design, roll out, install, set up, publish, or complete.

我们要找一个描述「完成（Done）」的动词：最后确定、提交、交付、完成、发送、澄清、组织、更新、实施、解决、提交、重组、设计、推出、安装、设置、发布或完成。

If you find yourself using verbs such as manage, oversee, ensure, or maximize, it is probably an ongoing Area of Responsibility, not a Project. Something must be able to happen in the near term so that you can mark the project as “done.”

如果你发现自己使用了管理、监督、确保或最大化等动词，那很可能是一个还在活跃的的责任领域，而不是项目。项目必须是可以在近期内发生的事情，这样你才可以把这个项目标记为 "完成"。

If you see any projects that don’t include clear action verbs, add them now.

如果你看到任何项目没有包含明确的动作动词，请立即添加。

Most people prioritize their work at the level of individual tasks.

Here’s the problem with this approach: it takes only one phone call, one email, or one new piece of information to completely change your priorities. Priorities are constantly shifting throughout your day and week. Why spend a lot of time to sit down and identify your priorities when they’ll probably change within minutes?

But it’s a very different story when it comes to prioritizing projects.

Projects move much more slowly, and don’t change their priority even if there’s an emergency. It’s worth spending the time to clearly identify which projects are the top priority, because that is unlikely to change much during the course of a week.

Rearrange your Project List from most to least important for the current week. Reprioritizing this list is as simple as moving projects up or down on the list. By doing this at the beginning of each week, you can focus your attention the rest of the week on those top priority projects, and not get distracted by the rest.

Make an intuitive judgment of how much of your mental bandwidth each project should be taking up this week, and sort your list accordingly.

大多数人根据单个任务来进行优先级排序。

这种方法的问题是：只需要一个电话、一封邮件或一条新信息就能彻底改变你的优先级。优先级在你的一天和一周内不断地变化。当你的优先事项可能在几分钟内就会改变时，为什么要花大量时间坐下来确定你的优先事项呢？

但是，如果换成根据项目来确定优先级，情况就完全不同了。

项目的变化相对来说要慢得多，即使有紧急情况也不会改变优先级。所以值得花时间来明确哪些项目是最优先的，因为在一周的时间里，这些项目不太可能有太大的变化。

在每周一开始时，将你本周的项目，从最重要的到最不重要的重新排列。这样你就可以把注意力集中在那些最重要的项目上，而不会被其他项目分散注意力。

对每个项目在本周应该占用你的精力「带宽」多少做一个直观的判断，并对你的清单进行相应的排序。

Does this include all the outcomes you’re committed to?

这是否包括了你所承诺的所有结果？

Look over the whole list from a bird’s eye view: does it accurately represent your current priorities, interests, values, and long-term goals? In which area do you have too many projects? Not enough? Which outcomes or goals you say are important to you don’t have any projects targeted at them? Where are you spending time or attention that has no clear outcome or goal?

For any that are simply unclear, take a step back and ask “What am I really trying to accomplish here?” or “What bigger goal is this connected to?”

With this whole inventory in front of you, which projects should you cancel, postpone, renegotiate, or clarify?

鸟瞰整个清单：它是否准确地代表了你目前的优先事项、兴趣、价值观和长期目标？你在哪些方面的项目太多？哪些不够多？你说的哪些成果或目标对你来说很重要，却没有针对这些成果或目标的项目？你把时间或注意力花在哪些没有明确的结果或目标的地方？

对于那些根本不明确的项目，退一步问："我到底想要什么？"或 "这和哪个更大的目标有关？"

你面前有了这个完整的清单之后，哪些项目是你应该取消，推迟，重新考虑或明确的呢？

With a clear and complete Project List in hand, you are now ready to execute on your tasks without having to remember which balls you have in the air. You can focus most of your attention on the top priority projects, while keeping an eye on the rest.

Consider this exercise just the “first pass” on creating a Project List. Any time you feel you are lacking clarity and don’t know where to focus, you can run through this checklist to gather up and prioritize all your commitments.

Even better, you can make this exercise into a “Weekly Review” – a standing appointment with yourself to reflect on the week and update your Project List. If you do this review from a more calm and balanced perspective, away from the chaos of the workweek, you’ll find it easier to maintain balance throughout the week.

有了一个清晰而完整的项目清单在手，现在你就准备好了去做当下该做的事情了，而不需要操心记忆那些还没到来的事情。你可以把大部分的注意力集中在最优先的项目上，同时分点心留意其他的项目。

把这个练习看成是创建项目清单的 "第一关"。任何时候，当你觉得自己的思路不够清晰，不知道该把重点放在哪里的时候，你可以通过这个检查表来整理所有的任务，确定优先级。

甚至还可以做得更好，你可以把这个练习变成一个 "每周回顾" —— 和自己做一个长期的约定，每周进行回顾，并更新你的项目清单。如果你从一个更冷静和稳健的角度来做这个回顾，远离了工作周的混乱，你会发现更容易保持整个星期的有条不紊。