【推荐1】Swap, Don’t shop!

You keep hearing about reducing, reusing, and recycling, right? But it doesn’t end with bottles, cans, and paper. Clothes are also an issue we should face. So what to do with all those perfectly-good-but-you’re-maybe-a-little-sick-of-them clothes piled on your bedroom floor?    1     It’s the best way to get rid of your used clothes, get clothes from your friends, and have a party all at the same time.

A successful swap depends on the selection(选择)of clothes, the organization of the event, and, obviously, how much fun is had. It’s really easy to do! Here are a few pointers.

·Invite 5—10 people so you have a nice selection.     2    , and there may not be enough things to choose from; more than that, and it becomes uncontrollable.

·    3    . They should also prepare plenty of reusable bags to carry their “new” clothes home.

·Put different types of clothing on different surfaces in the room.    4    . Place a few mirrors around your room so people can see how things look when they try them on before they take them — things always look different when you put them on.

·Set a starting time. Maybe you say “go,” or turn on a certain song, or whatever. Just keep music playing throughout.    5    . Remember, it’s a party!

【推荐2】A hobby is an investment of time. It also can be an investment of money and commitment. Many people choose to develop more than one type of hobby. It can be necessary to select the hobby that is right for you.     1    

Hobbies are usually an activity of some sort that brings out a certain skill that you have. When you have a talent like painting or woodworking，it can be easy to determine which hobby suits your skill.     2     Skills can be developed and challenged as you go along. It is not a necessary requirement. A hobby is fitting because you love it，not because you're a professional at it.

Some people particularly enjoy taking part in hobbies that they can do in a group with others. It can be a lot more fun to become a member of a hobby group than to sit alone in your basement.     3     It's important to share interests and networks with other hobby enthusiasts that do what you do.

Hobbies are generally an activity that you undertake（着手做）because of the joy it brings you. Of course many people have discovered the joy that also comes with a hobby that earns you a living.     4     Just make sure you make the choice that fits your lifestyle and personal preference.

    5     But most of the skilled hobbies like art，building or writing have a series of lessons or tutorials that you can take to further your skills. In some cases it's really a good idea to take lessons，especially if you are clueless as to where or how to begin. Step by step books for most hobbies can often be found in bookstores as well.

【推荐3】How to Turn Your Goals into Habits

First we make our habits, then our habits make us. It’s such a simple concept, yet it’s something we don’t always do.

I believe that having ONE goal to focus on is much more powerful than having many goals. By putting the belief into practice, I have achieved a lot of personal goals over time.    1    . My answer takes a little explaining. I try to turn my goals into habits, and in doing so! I put my goals on autopilot (自动化). Turning a goal into a habit means really focusing on it for at least a month. The more you can focus, the more it’ll be on autopilot.    2    . You’ll still do it, but you only have to use minimal force to maintain it, and you can focus on your next goal or habit.

Take my marathon goal as an example. I was just starting running and had the brilliant idea to run a marathon within a year. So that was my goal.    3    . First, I had to make running a daily habit. Second, I had to report to people in order to have accountability (负责) so that I could not quit easily. I focused on the daily running habit for about a month, and didn’t have any other goals or habits. When the running habit stuck, I started reporting to people I knew and blogging about my running every day.

    4    . I could focus on new goals without having to worry about the marathon. I still had to do the running, of course, but it didn’t require constant focus. And eventually, I ran the first marathon in my life. I was able to achieve this because, all year long, I had daily running and accountability habits.    5    , so instead of struggling with it daily for an entire year, I focused on it for one month and was able to accomplish it while focusing on new habits and goals.

【推荐2】What you do after studying could have a big effect（影响）on how well you learn and remember. Today on Education Tips, we will explore two no-cost ways that can help you improve your learning: wakeful rest and sleep.

When many students finish studying, they often go straight to another activity. Perhaps they look at their phone or computer. They might even play a video game or watch television. But research suggests that resting after your study may help you remember what you have studied.

The basic idea is this: by stopping your activity after the study, your brain gets a chance to rest. Resting is difficult when you are playing computer games.

While this might sound unusual to you, many studies have explored the benefits（好处）of resting after learning —what is called “wakeful rest”.

A 2019 study found that both young and older adults were able to better remember information they learned after doing wakeful rest.

If you want to give “wakeful rest” a try, here are a few simple things to do. Rest quietly for five to ten minutes. Do not look at your phone, read stories or play games. It is really that easy!

Besides wakeful rest, sleep is also important for learning. The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School（HMS） notes that sleep helps people to learn in two ways. A report on the school’s website explains that “a sleep-deprived（剥夺）person cannot focus attention well and therefore cannot learn well”. It also says, “Sleep itself helps us to memorize and that memorizing is very important for learning new information.”

The National Sleep Foundation（NSF） suggests that adults between the ages of 20 and 64 get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per day. Teenagers may need a little bit more, and people over the age of 65 may need a little less.

Try to get some “wakeful rest” after a study. Then try to get a good night’s sleep. That’s it —a simple, no-cost way to help you remember what you learn.