4 time-saving tricks to get the upper hand on your late nights.

四个让你在“晚上加班”上获得主动、节省时间的方法

By Laura Vanderkam

From Reader's Digest

August 2004

It isn't just your job: According to the UN's International Labor¹ Organization, Americans log in longer hours than any other workers in the industrial world. "Companies would take 24 hours a day if they could," says Laura Stack, author of Leave the Office Earlier. Some tricks to reclaim² your life: 不光是你一个人在工作中会遇到这种事：据联合国国际劳工组织称，美国人的工作时间在工业国家中排第一。“要是可能的话，公司会一天24小时让人们工作，”Laura Stack说。Laura Stack是《早下班》一书的作者。下面是几个让你重获个人生活的办法：

Nix last-minute interruptions 下班前最后几分钟拒绝打扰

Close your door ten minutes before quitting, so co-workers with "emergencies" won't drop by. Cubicle-bound? Turn on voice mail and put your bag and coat in a visible spot. 在下班前十分钟关上你办公室的门，这样那些“有紧急事件”的同事就不会来了。你是在格子间工作的？那就打开语音邮箱，把包和大衣放在显眼的位置。

Map out tomorrow  做好第二天的工作计划

Before you leave, prioritize the next day. Plan important tasks for morning so you won't buy yourself a late night. 离开之前，优先化第二天的工作。 把重要任务安排在早上，这样你就不会在第二天加班了。

Schedule personal time 安排好下班后的个人时间

Block out "appointments" with your family, your gym or yourself. If someone asks to meet at six o'clock, you can honestly say you're booked. 用家人、健身或自己做借口将那些“约会”打发。如果有人想约你晚上六点见面，你可以坦诚地说自己有约了。

Minimize meeting time 缩短开会时间

If only part of a meeting is relevant to your project, arrange to go first. Say you have another appointment you couldn't reschedule or a pressing deadline (even if it's just getting home on time). 如果会议只有部分和你的项目有关，可以协调先走。你可以说有另外一个无法改期的约会或有一件事要到期限了（即便只是准时回家）。