“Precrastination（提前趕工）” 指過早地快速完成一項任務，通常是為瞭降低對尚未完成某事的焦慮。提前趕工並不是隻有好處。比如，在截止日期前提早交論文雖然會讓你頗感輕松，但也讓你失去瞭按照老師在最後一刻給的建議進行修改的機會。我們雖然生活在一個快節奏的世界中，但你依然可以選擇慢下來，按時完成任務。這麼做也許會讓你更加高效。本文介紹瞭提前趕工這種做法的缺點。
詞匯：precrastination 提前趕工，急於提前完成某事的行為
You’ve heard of procrastination, putting off tasks you’d rather avoid doing until you have to, but what about precrastination? The name gives a clue. Pre- means before, so it’s the opposite – completing tasks before you need to. So, why do we precrastinate, and is it a good thing, or not?
Precrastination is closely linked to anxiety and neuroticism. People want to finish tasks early so they don’t have to worry about them any more. Ed Wasserman, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Iowa, said precrastination is “the inclination to complete tasks quickly just for the sake of getting things done sooner rather than later“. This means you’re doing something early at the expense of something else. That could be a physical, financial or mental expense. Imagine you submit an essay a week before the deadline. You feel a huge sense of relief that it’s over, but also can’t add the last-minute tips your teachers gave you. If your marks are then lower than they could be, will you feel better in the long run? Possibly not. Also, if tasks are rushed, they are more likely to be less carefully planned, so results could be incomplete or inaccurate.
But we live in a fast-paced world, so it’s hardly surprising that we want to tick off tasks as soon as we can. David Rosenbaum, a professor of psychology at the University of California, believes “It should be agreed in our society that it’s OK to smell the flowers. To be deliberate, mindful and to be allowed to slow down. ”
If you think you are a precrastinator, what can you do to still feel productive? Prioritise and categorise tasks. What needs to be done straight away, and what can be put off? Recognise that some tasks need breathing room – they can even benefit from it.
詞匯表
procrastination 拖延
put off 推遲
precrastination 提前趕工，急於提前完成某事的行為
neuroticism 神經質
inclination 傾向
for the sake of 為瞭…的目的
sooner rather than later 寧早不晚
at the expense of 以…為代價
in the long run 從長期來看
rushed 倉促而就的
inaccurate 不準確的，不精確的
fast-paced 快節奏的
tick off 打記號表示完成
smell the flowers 聞花香，指 “停下來欣賞周遭的美好景色”
deliberate 從容的
mindful 小心留意的
productive 富有成效的
prioritise 按照優先順序排序
categorise 分類
straight away 馬上，即刻
breathing room 喘息的空間，指用於休息的時間
測驗與練習
1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。
1. What does precrastinate mean?
2. What is precrastination closely linked to?
3. True or False? People precrastinate for physical, financial or mental reasons.
4. Why can precrastination be seen as a bad thing?
5. What can precrastinators do to avoid doing things too quickly?
2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。
1. He doesn’t know the answer. Let’s give him some ________.
inclination neuroticism procrastination breathing room
2. I like to do tasks quickly because it makes me feel more ________.
rushed fast-paced deliberate productive
3. I hate washing up. I always _______ for as long as possible!
categorise it smell the flowers prioritise it put it off
4. When I wake up, I make a coffee ________.
for the sake of at the expense of straight away lead to
5. Stop _______! Just wait and focus on the task more closely.
precrastination procrastinate precrastinating precrastinate
答案
1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。
1. What does precrastinate mean?
It means completing tasks before you need to.
2. What is precrastination closely linked to?
Precrastination is closely linked to anxiety and neuroticism.
3. True or False? People precrastinate for physical, financial or mental reasons.
False. People precrastinate at the expense of things that are physical, financial or mental.
4. What happens if tasks are rushed?
They are likely to be less carefully planned, meaning results are incomplete or inaccurate.
5. What can precrastinators do to avoid doing things too quickly?
They can try to prioritise and categorise tasks that need to be done straight away with those that can be put off.
2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。
1. He doesn’t know the answer. Let’s give him some breathing room.
2. I like to do tasks quickly because it makes me feel more productive.
3. I hate washing up. I always put it off for as long as possible!
4. When I wake up, I make a coffee straight away.
5. Stop precrastinating! Just wait and focus on the task more closely.
免費試聽
填表領取25分鐘真人外師課＋英文程度分析
