【推荐3】When it’s five o'clock, people leave their office. The length of the workday, for many workers, is defined by time. They leave when the clock tells them they’re done.

These days, the time is everywhere: not just on clocks or watches, but on cell-phones and computers. That may be a bad thing, particularly at work. New research shows on that clock-based work schedules hinder morale (士气) and creativity.

Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours. For example: a meeting from 9 am to 10 a.m., research from 10 a.m. to noon, etc. On the other hand, task-timers have a list of things they want to accomplish. They work down the list, each task starts when the previous task is completed. It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.

What, then, are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways? Does one make us more productive? Better at the tasks at hand? Happier? In experiments conducted by Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier, they had participants organize different activities—from project planning, holiday shopping, to yoga—by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under “clock time” vs “task time.” They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they felt little control over their lives. Task timers are happier and more creative, but less productive. They tend to enjoy the moment when something good is happening, and seize opportunities that come up.

The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported in the business culture. Smart companies, they believe, will try to bake more task-based planning into their strategies.

This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office, but the researchers argue that it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy: work organized by clock time. While most people will still probably need, and be, to some extent, clock-timers, task-based timing should be used when performing a job that requires more creativity. It’ll make those tasks easier, and the task-doers will be happier.

【推荐2】The first time I went for a walk around my father-in-law’s neighbourhood in America was Garbage Day, and I was shocked to see what people were throwing out.

It was back in 1981, and I saw many people gather in someone’s front yard. As I went nearer to see what was happening, I got my first introduction to yard sales. For the few dollars I had in my wallet, I was able to buy a seven-inch black-and-white portable TV. I also bought a flashlight.

The following weekend, at another yard sale, I saw a 14-inch colour TV being sold for almost nothing. I felt I could not miss the offer and bought it. Now I had two sets and couldn’t wait to see what else I could afford the next weekend.

Spring ended, and by then I had accumulated almost every type of electronic equipment I had always wished to have back home.

Then this new idea came to mind. I had heard about a man who travelled back home every few months. He drove a truck filled with boxes of new and used stuff that people were sending to relatives. So I told my father that I would send as many types of items as I could so that he could start his resale business.

Every few months I would gather several boxes of American “junk” televisions, toasters, fans, hair dryers, etc. and sent them home. As word got out about my father’s “trash” market, people all came to buy these things.

Three years later, when I visited my family for the first time since leaving home, I learned that many of the families in our neighborhood had a piece of “trash”. It proved that I had the responsibility to keep people back home in Guatemala up to date with the latest technology you no longer need.

【推荐3】“You should get a cat,” my doctor said. “A cat?” I couldn’t even look after myself. I took a deep breath and carefully considered the idea of welcoming a feline (猫科的) friend into my life.

Adopting an animal during the height of the pandemic was far from easy. When my partner and I found Cinnamon, her adoption profile made her out as the perfect kitten. We filled out the paperwork and had a few weeks to prepare for her arrival.

When she came home, it became increasingly obvious that Cinnamon didn’t understand “no”, “stop it” or “don’t do that”. She was the worst cat I’ve ever owned. I was beginning to doubt my doctor’s advice.

We decided to start taking her for walks. I could barely leave the house before, but my heart couldn’t say no to Cinnamon. Cinnamon showed me what bravery looked like if there was a dog at a park, she would run toward it. She jumped without knowing where she would land. She loved adventure. I found myself mirroring her behavior after a while, jumping out of bed without a second thought. I began to find the motivation to get out of bed in the morning.

Cinnamon unfortunately passed away after a medical accident, leaving a cat-sized hole in my heart the day she left us at only six months old. I’m no stranger to sadness or grief, but losing my pet so suddenly was the most confusing emotional experience I’ve ever had. She was supposed to help me through more of my life than the three short months we had her.

Our time is often cut unpredictably, unmistakably short. It would be a shame to live life being anything less than brave and adventurous.