and free up time to do what you love most

　　擠出些時間做你最想做的事

　　【1】Two years ago Shirley Michels of St. Louis found herself getting up earlier and earlier, and going to bed later and later, just to meet everyday demands. The wife, mother and ophthalmic technician met her responsibilities『責職;任務』, but lacked time for the things that mattered most.

　　【1】兩年前，圣路易斯州的雪莉 米歇爾斯發現自己起得越來越早，睡得越來越晚卻僅能滿足日常的生活需求。盡管無論是作為一名妻子，一位母親，還是眼科技師她都已盡了職責，但她卻沒有時間做最重要的事情.

　　【2】She and her husband, Vic, an attorney, began searching for ways to simplify『簡化;精簡』their lives. “We had to decide what was really important,” says Shirley. They knew they wanted more time to play with their three-year-old son, Ryan, to exercise and eat right, and to nurture『培育;養育』friendships.

　　【2】她和她的丈夫維克，一名律師，開始想辦法簡化他們的生活。雪莉說：“我們得決定什么是生活中真正重要的。”他們知道自己想擁有更多的時間和三歲的兒子瑞安在一起，做做游戲，做做運動，讓他吃好，以培養他們之間的感情.

　　【3】So the couple chose to live more modestly『適中的;適度的』, shopping with care for necessities and enjoying inexpensive pleasures such as reading, cooking and going to the park. Shirley quit her job and began working part time from home. She printed up business cards that read “At your service―buy yourself a little time,” and hired herself out for personal tasks such as shopping, paying bills, organizing parties, doing Internet research―whatever clients needed.

　　【3】 因此這對夫妻選擇了一種更簡單的生活方式，注意只買生活的必需品，從事一些花錢不多的消遣，諸如閱讀、烹調、逛公園。雪莉辭掉了原來的工作，開始做半天工作，比如說為私人購物、付款、組織聚會、做國際互聯網研究方面的事情――做客戶所要求做的一切。她在她的商業名片上印上“聽候您的吩咐――給你自己留點時.

　　【4】“I still work hard, but being able to control my hours makes all the difference,” she says. “I can carve out『(雕)刻出;開辟出』time to take my son to the zoo or play basketball with him. My stress headaches are gone. Having a chance to get to know neighbors not only has been fun, but it’s also helped us further simplify.

　　【4】她說：“我仍然在努力工作，但現在能夠自己控制時間卻使一切變得大不一樣了。我能抽出一些時間領兒子去動物園或，和他一起玩玩籃球。我因壓力而造成的頭痛消失了。有機會去了解鄰居不僅給生活帶來了樂趣，而且還有助于使我的生活變得更加簡單化。 .

　　【5】According to trend watchers『趨勢;時尚』, the Michelses are far from『完全不』 alone in wanting to slow down『減速』 and live a more satisfying life. A Gallup Poll found that half of all Americans claim they lack enough time to do what they want. Fifty-four percent of parents say they spend too little time with their children, and 47 percent of married couples complain that they lack time together.

　　【5】根據時尚觀察者們所說，米歇爾斯們并非單單想放慢生活的節奏，過一種更舒服的生活。蓋洛普民意測驗，發現有一半美國人說他們缺少足夠的時間來做他們想做的事。54%的家長說他們和孩子呆在一起的時間太少了。47%的已婚夫婦抱怨他們缺少在一起的時間.

　　【6】When Lyn Petit from Ridgewood, N. J., was a stay-at-home『不出門的;經常呆在家里的』mom to her two daughters, Sarah, ten, and Elizabeth, 12, she taught Sunday school, helped run a thrift shop『節儉商店;慈善性二手貨商店』and chaired just about any committee she was invited to take on. After returning to her job as a floral designer, she continued trying to do it all.

　　【6】新澤西州Ridgewood 市的林恩 柏蒂是位有二個女兒的家庭主婦：薩拉10歲，伊麗莎白12歲。她在主日學校教書，幫助經營一個廉價舊貨店，還被邀請擔任某些員會的主席。 在她重新做花樣設計師后，她仍然盡量幫助做一切事情。

　　【7】Eventually her impossible schedule led to anxiety attacks『(疾病等的)發作;(工作等的)開始、著手』, which forced her to prioritize『把事情按優先順序排好』and limit her volunteer work to the Girl Scouts and PTA. Now the family sits down to dinner together every night. Petit is there to help with homework, and she says, “It’s great to get to know my husband again.”

　　【7】她的那些難以實施的計劃最終導致憂慮的開始，迫使她依主次安排活動。使她把志愿工作限定在女童子軍和學生家長和學生的聯誼會上。 現在家人每晚坐下來一起吃晚餐。柏蒂輔導孩子做功課，并且她說：“能再次了解我丈夫真是太好了。”

　　【8】“No is a two-letter word that can free up many hours a week,” says Elaine St. James. Say it gently but immediately, offering a brief explanation, such as “I just don’t have time.” Avoid giving detailed excuses―the other person is likely to see a way you actually could fit in the request.

　　【8】“不”是兩個字母的詞它卻能讓你在一周內節省出很多時間。和顏悅色但要馬上說“不”，做簡單的解釋，比如說：“我只是沒時間。”避免做詳細的解釋，因為其它的人也許能看出來你真的合適做這件事。

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