新年大计：21天头脑大扫除

    如果吃了太多油腻食物，或者喝得酩酊大醉之后，身体就会告诉你，它需要休息——大量饮水，清淡的食物，可能还要好好锻炼一下。杰森·赛尔克认为，应对新一年的挑战之前，“头脑也需要来次大扫除。我们的头脑里充斥了乱七八糟的传媒影像。我们没有给它足够的休息。或者，由于工作担心和最后期限，我们将头脑累到极限。”

    赛尔克在2006年曾担任圣路易斯红雀队（the St. Louis Cardinals）的心理训练总监，这一年红雀队20年来首次赢得棒球大联盟（World Series）冠军，2011年该队再获冠军。他也曾为富国银行（Wells Fargo）、企业租车服务公司Enterprise Rent-a-Car、西北互助人寿保险公司（Northwestern Mutual）和金融咨询公司Edward Jones等公司培训高管最大程度地发挥脑力。

    “不管是职业运动员，还是办公室职员，”赛尔克说。“要提升表现，都必须先进行脑力大扫除。”那么，他建议怎么做呢？在接下来21天里，不妨试试下面六步：

    1.每周三次，每次锻炼30分钟。赛尔克指出，大量医学研究证实，锻炼身体能帮助人们摆脱压力（和年龄）导致的大脑运转放缓。“每周至少安排三次有氧运动或举重锻炼，持续三周，”他建议。“锻炼身体带来的效率提高和精力充沛远远可抵消工作日内半小时的时间损失。”

    2.每天预先做好安排。“就算意味着必须早点起床，也要在一天开始前就做好安排，”他说。“选择三项最能影响你表现和成功概率的事情，作为每日必做功课。”

    3.要事第一。“大多数人本末倒置。先做不重要的事情，将最重要的事情留到最后，”赛尔克说。这样做的问题是，“每天到了最后，你因为忙那些优先性低的任务已经忙到精疲力尽时，还要集中最大精力专注于最重要的事情。每天先完成最重要的事情，余下时间可以有更充沛的脑力和精力。”

    4.凡事开头就要完成。“没有完成的项目会让我们感到自惭和愧疚。如果接了一个项目，就要全力以赴直到完成，”赛尔克建议说。“如果是一个大项目，可以将它分拆成很多个一次性可以完成的小项目。”尽可能不要同时处理多项任务，避免干扰和分心。

    当然，说起来容易做起来难，但值得一试：“今日事今日毕，如此自我约束能让你对自己更满意，一天工作结束时头脑也更放松。”

    5.关注细小持续的改进。“需要进行脑力大扫除的一个迹象是你感觉毫无希望、难以承受或精疲力尽，”赛尔克表示。“这种感觉源于你总是盯着遥不可及的最终目标，而没有留意一路上细小的进展。”因此，在这21天里“不妨提醒自己留意现状中的种种改进，无论大小。当你养成习惯总是着眼于改进，你会变得更加乐观，不再那么沮丧。”

    Eat too much rich food or overindulge in liquid cheer, and your body will tell you it needs a break -- lots of water, lighter fare, and maybe a few good workouts. According to Jason Selk, before you tackle new challenges in the year ahead, "the mind needs detoxing too. We cram it full of disturbing media images. We don't give it enough rest. Or we strain our brains to the max with work worries and deadlines."

    Selk was director of mental training for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006, when the team won its first World Series in 20 years, as well as in 2011, when the Cardinals won it again. He also coaches executives at companies like Wells Fargo (WFC), Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Northwestern Mutual, and financial advisors Edward Jones on how to get the most out of their brains.

    "Mental detoxing is necessary for optimal performance," says Selk, "whether you're a pro athlete or an office worker." So how does he recommend you do it? For the next 21 days, try these six steps:

    1. Do 30 minutes of exercise three times a week. Selk points to reams of medical research confirming that exercise helps head off the slowing down of mental function that can result from stress (and from aging). "Schedule at least three cardio or weight-lifting workouts every week for three weeks," he advises. "The productivity and energy that exercise brings will far outweigh the loss of a half hour from your workday."

    2. Plot each day in advance. "Organize each day before it starts, even if you have to get up earlier in order to do it," he says. "Choose three daily tasks that will have the greatest influence on your performance and success."

    3. Do your top to-dos first. "Most people do this backwards. They focus first on the unimportant tasks and save the most crucial activities for last," Selk observes. The problem with that, he says, is that "you'll need the greatest energy and focus at the end of the day, when you're already tired from spending hours on low-priority tasks. By getting the most important items done first, you create mental energy and momentum for the rest of the day."

    4. Finish what you start. "Unfinished projects leave us feeling self-critical and hassled. As you tackle a project, commit to concentrating on it until it's done," Selk suggests. "If it's a large project, break it down into manageable parts that can each be finished in one sitting." Avoid multitasking if you can, and shut out interruptions and distractions as much as possible.

    That's often easier said than done, of course, but it's worth a try: "Developing the self-discipline of a finisher will help you feel more satisfied and mentally relaxed at the end of your workday."

    5. Aim for small, continuous improvement. "One sign that you need to mentally detox is feeling hopeless, overwhelmed, or burnt out," says Selk. "This comes from focusing on the end result, and how far away it seems, rather than looking for small signs of progress along the way." So, for 21 days, "remind yourself to seek out any improvement in the situation, small or large. When you get into the habit of seeing improvement, you become more optimistic and less discouraged."