D. Answer the questionsLiving Like Franklin（像本杰明 · 富兰克林那样安排作息帮助我成为了一个更高效的人）
Benjamin Franklin, a writer, printer, politician, scientist and inventor, certainly knew how to get things done quickly. I recently learned about his daily schedule. And in an effort to be more productive, I have tried to follow it.
I started by getting up at 5 every morning. However, I always found myself tired during the day. After six days, I decided to rise at 6 a.m. and spend two hours — one hour less than Franklin — planning my day. Franklin's day didn't seem to include any exercise. I'm used to exercising in the morning, so I added "workout" to those two hours. At 8 a.m., I sit down to work.
Working continuously for four hours was a challenge. I realized that I was less able to fully focus on my work after 10 a.m. Slowly, I found a fix by dealing with harder tasks, like writing, in the first half of these four hours. I use the remaining two hours for easier tasks like researching.
Taking a two-hour break at noon to eat and read seemed wasteful to me. I rarely spent more than 30 minutes eating lunch. During the first week, I kept watching the clock to find out when I could return to work. Finally, I decided not to eat and read at my desk. Now, I'm used to taking a longer lunch break, and I've seen the benefits.
At 2 p.m., I start working non-stop for another four hours. Again, the order in which I complete my tasks is based on my energy level. At 6 p.m., I force myself to call it a day. I spend the rest of the day having supper and relaxing. I go to bed at 10 p.m.
Every morning, Franklin would ask himself, "What good shall I do today?" And he would end the day by asking himself, "____?" At first, I thought this was silly. But answering those two questions daily has helped me to make the most of my day.
I've learned a lot by following Franklin's schedule. I think I'm using my time more wisely now.
