课文：

2. Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize.

Prioritizing is the key to greater efficiency as well as accomplishing what really matters. Assess each activity or task at hand and ask yourself point-blank: What results will this gain?

How to: Establish a way of ranking items on your to-do list by relearning your ABCs. Give A-items (rich in reward) your full attention first. Set aside a special time each day or week to accomplish these things. Focus less on the B’s (they offer minimal payoff). Brush aside or farm out the C’s with the 4D’s: delete, delay, diminish, delegate.

prioritize：决定事情的先后顺序、按重要性排序、划分优先顺序
prior：在…之前
efficiency：效率、效能、功效
accomplish：完成、达到（= realize）
at hand：在手边、即将到来
point-blank：直截了当地
establish：设立、建立、确立
rank：等级、顺序
minimal：极小的、极少的、最低的
minimum：最少的
brush aside：把…推在一边、漠视某人
farm out：出租土地、承揽
diminish：减少、缩小
delegate：委派、授权

3. Disarm distractions.

Taking a call at random or chatting with an unexpected visitor can eat away your day. Manage distractions by asking upfront how much time is required. Be proactive in deciding whether to proceed or postpone. If you’re in the middle of something, offer to meet at a later time.

How to: Get ahead of the game by starting early in the day. One hour of quiet, uninterrupted work time is worth three to four hours later in the day, according to time-management studies. Also, don’t start each morning with the simplest tasks on your to-do list to warm up. That tactic simply wastes your most alert hours.

disarm：消除…的伤害、解除…的武装
distraction：分散注意的事物
eat away：侵蚀
upfront：直率的、坦白的、预付的
proactive：积极主动的、主动出击的
pro：之前、向前
active：活泼的
postpone：使延期、延迟
ahead of the game：领先、占优势
uninterrupted：不间断的、连续的
warm up：加势、变暖、作准备
tactic：手法、策略、战术、手段
alert：警愓的、警觉的、灵活的、机敏的、留神的

文法：
one hour of … is worth … hours …（一个小时的…相当于几个小时…）

特别补充：
undivided：全部的、专心的、专一的
outsource：委外
subcontract：外包
priority：优先性