高山下的花环电视剧:从使用牙线到时间管理

　　Smile...you're managing your time better!

　　微笑、、、更合理的管理你的时间。

　　用牙线清洁牙齿是时间管理原则的最好佐证之一。为什么呢？

　　我们都知道，有些事应该做，可能却并没有去做。

　　在看过牙医后，你会暗暗发誓，从现在开始要好好保持牙齿。这样坚持了几天之后，很可能你又会恢复到从前的习惯，直到下一次再去看牙科。事情为什么会是这样呢？没错，用牙线是一件麻烦事，而清洁牙齿所带来的益处可能在很遥远的将来才得以体现。假如我许诺，如果你现在开始用牙线清洁牙齿，我会给你一百万美金。你可能会立刻找牙线来清洁牙齿，我说的对吗？答案是肯定的。

　　但这都是假设。事实是，如果利用睡前几分钟时间用牙线清洁牙齿，你将有可能大大降低得蛀牙、掉牙或患牙周病的几率——有可能是很久以后、或许几十年以后。

　　当你75岁的时，你会后悔自己没有从30岁就开始使用牙线，但当你意识到这一点的时候，为时已晚。另外，有科学研究显示，习惯用牙线清洁牙齿的人比那些没有这一习惯的人更长寿。想一想，几十年后当生命即将逝去，你会希望自己的生命中拥有更多的健康时光，可以照看孙辈，陪伴你的伴侣，继续你的事业。这些都是期望，对吗？你可以将这些期望当礼物送给自己，只要你从今天开始使用牙线。

　　当结果很多年后才会出现，你要如何在现在保持自己做这件事的积极性呢？你明白应当用牙线清洁牙齿，但“应当”是远远不够的。你需要给自己一个真实的，能够打动自己的，随时都可以实现的目标，这一目标能够让你坚持下去。或许简单的像你不断对自己重复吟唱的颂歌，每天，当你拿起牙线的时候，对自己说“我要将长寿作为一个礼物送给自己”，或是“75岁时，我也能拥有迷人的笑容”

　　你也可以想像这样一些场景：孙辈们在你膝头戏闹，引领着你的孙女走在婚礼的红地毯上，跟你的挚友打高尔夫、、、一切都你来说有意义的事。所有这些是否值得让你从现在开始做几分钟的麻烦事？答案是肯定的。

　　如今，你可能是因为怕痛才坚持。如果是那样的话，可以想像一些不好的结果，比如牙齿掉光，无法享用多汁的苹果或是肉块。而从现在开始用牙线清洁牙齿就能避免这些情况的发生。很值得，你觉得呢？

　　也许所提到的情况，都不足以激励你。毕竟用牙线的益处太抽象，很久以后才能体现。如果你有孩子，或者你有跟孩子们相处的经历，你肯定知道，孩子们很容易被眼前的奖励所鼓舞。同样的，每当你用牙线，就给自己奖励一个金星。每收集到十个金星就给自己一个物质奖励，比如自己喜欢的咖啡或是一场电影。没错，这是在进行贿赂，世上的每个家长和老师无数次的采用这一方法。原因是这样做很有效。找一个对自己有诱惑力的奖励方式，并以此来激励自己使用牙线。有需要的话创建一个图表或找一个有帮助的电脑程序。

　　10岁那年，阿姨对我说，如果吃完了青豆就奖励我5美金。我狼吞虎咽的很快把它们吃光了。阿姨觉得，我吃的快是因为我喜欢吃青豆。事实是我并不喜欢青豆，但为了5美金的奖励，我做了自己并不喜欢做的事。

　　问题的关键在于，人总是考虑自己眼前的方便，纵然使用牙线的好处不会在未来几年得以体现。给自己一些奖励以确保某些事情得以进行，不仅仅是使用了牙线——可以是任何事！

　　Flossing your teeth is one of the best examples of the principles of time management. Why?

　　Well, we all know it’s something you should do, yet probably don’t do.

　　After you see your dentist, you vow to do better this time, you stay on it for a few days, maybe, and then let it go again, until your next appointment. Why does this happen? Well, flossing is a hassle, and the payoff is in the distant future. If I told you I’d give you a million bucks if you flossed your teeth right now, you’d run out and get some floss and make it happen, right? Of course!

　　But that’s not your reality.

　　The reality is that if you spend a few minutes now before bed time, you will be less likely to get cavities, lose your teeth, or suffer gum disease in the future — perhaps in the distant future, decades from now. When you are 75, you will wish you had started flossing when you were 30, but by then it will be too late. Furthermore, research has shown that people who floss actually live longer then people who don’t.

　　Think about that. When you are on death’s door decades from now, you will wish you had a few more healthy years in you, to see your grandkids, to share with your husband or wife, to continue your life’s work. That puts things into perspective, doesn’t it? You can give yourself that gift, but you will need to start flossing today.

　　So, how will you stay motivated today when the payoff won’t come for so many years? You know you should floss, but should is not enough. You need to create a visceral, emotional payoff that you can experience now, that will motivate you to keep going. Perhaps it’s as simple as a mantra you repeat to yourself as you pick up the floss each night: “I am giving myself the gift of a longer life,” or “I’m going to have a sexy smile when I’m 75!”

　　Or maybe you imagine smiling as your grandkids bounce on your knee, or as you walk your granddaughter down the aisle to get married, or play golf with your best friend, whatever has meaning for you. Is that worth a few minutes of hassle right now? Of course it is!

　　Now, perhaps you are motivated by avoiding pain. In that case imagine something awful, like having no teeth, not being able to enjoy a juicy apple or hearty steak, but you can avoid that with a few minutes of work right now. Worth it, right?

　　Maybe none of that is sufficient. The payoff is too far away, too abstract. Fair enough. If you have kids, or if you have ever worked with kids, you surely know that they can be motivated by immediate rewards. Floss your teeth, and get a gold star on the chart! Collect ten stars and you get a reward, like a favorite coffee drink or a trip to the movies.

　　Yes, this is bribery, and every parent and teacher on this earth has resorted to it many times, because used well, it works! Find a reward that is motivating and use that to incentivize yourself to floss. Create a chart if you need to, or find an app.

　　When I was 10, my aunt told me she would give me five dollars if I finished my green beans. I choked them down in seconds. She thought it proved that I actually liked them. I didn’t, but I had a clear picture of the reward for doing something I didn’t want to do — which was the five dollars she promised.

　　The bottom line is you want to find a way to experience some satisfaction today, even though the benefit of flossing won’t be felt for years. Create this kind of reward for yourself, and not just flossing — but anything — becomes possible.