Take the time before beginning a brand new project to look at what has worked in the past in similar projects. Also serious decide what errors occurred in the past that either added to ordetracted from the success of the project. Yes, even errors can lead to successes in the future.　
　　在你打算开始完成一项全新的任务之前，不妨花点时间研究一下在过去类似的工作之中，哪些行为是起到了良好作用的。同样，审慎地考虑下在过去的经历中曾犯过什么错误，以至于“阴差阳错”地推动了抑或是“顺理成章”地阻碍了该项工作的最终的成功。的确，有时甚至是错误也能给你带来今后的成功。

　　Organizing yourself before beginning a new project takes part on two levels, the mental and the physical.　
　　在开始一项新的任务之前，在身心两方面都要好好地调整一下你自己。

　　It is probably best to organize your physical space before settling to mental gymnastics.　
　　最好是在你开始调整心态之前先整理一下你将要用以工作的那个物理空间。

　　Your physical space should be organized for several reasons. First, if you have space set aside where you will spend your working time, whether it is a completely equipped home office or a cubbyhole in a closet, the space should be as well-equipped for the type of work you do as possible. That certainly would include writing materials, computer or typewriter, reference books or materials. You will need a comfortable chair to sit in, positioned correctly for writing or working at a computer keyboard.　
　　这里有几个理由可以解释为什么你需要整理你的物理空间。首先，如果你保留了一块地方用于你将要进行的工作，无论它是一方家庭办公设备齐全之地、还是壁橱中的类似鸽笼大小之隅，这块空间都应该尽可能地布置得当以备符合你的工作所需。这其中当然包括了书写材料，计算机或者打字机，参考书或参考资料。你也需要为自己准备一把舒适的椅子，以便让自己可以舒舒服服地坐在上面写字或者是打字。

　　If your project involves the use of other tools or equipment, those should be available and arranged to be accessible near your seating place. Even if you work at home, your home office space should be equipped as well as is possible so that when you go to your space, it is with the mental shift which will allow you to begin work promptly.　
　　如果你的工作将要用到其它的工具或是设备，它们都应该事先被准备妥当，并被安放在你坐下后触手可及的范围。即使你是在家工作，你的家庭办公空间也应该尽可能地被布置完善，以便你一旦进入该空间，就可以立刻开始调整心态从而快速地开始工作。

　　Once your space is organized, you are ready to begin the other significant preparation phase of your project, the mental preparation. You should think through and jot down key words or thoughts to help you remember actions later on as you expand your basic ideas.　
　　一旦你的物理空间已经打理完毕，你就要开始准备进入你的工作的另一个重要的阶段，那就是心理准备阶段。你应该彻底全面地考虑一下你工作中的关键词或是思维的火花，并立刻把它们写下来，这样当你扩展了自己的一些基本思路之后，它们就会紧跟着帮你记住你所计划好的那一系列举措。

　　Consider each part of the project carefully in order. Try to ask yourself questions about the need for this organized step. Look at the order of the steps mentioned and play with them mentally. Try putting the steps in a different order and see how that might play.　
　　井然有序地考虑好你工作中的每一个步骤。试着问问自己如何才能完成好这一计划好的步骤。观察下自己计划中每一个步骤的先后顺序并在心中默默地完成一遍。再试着把那些步骤打乱并想想那样又会产生什么样的效果。

　　As you mentally walk through the project you are planning, keep track of key points you will need to know in order to accomplish your task. Are there tools which will be needed that you don't have yet? Is there information which will need to be researched before completing the planned project?　
　　当你正在脑中构思着自己正如何进行着那份工作的时候，由于你需要那些关键之处帮助你完成你的任务，所以对于它们你就需要多加留意。有没有一些本是你工作所需的工具，你却还没有？是不是在你完成计划的项目前还有些什么信息有待研究？

　　By the time you go through each step of your project mentally, noting additional research materials, tools and people which will be needed to complete the project, you should have a fairly complete project outline. Your next task is to begin the process of putting a time line with the various project components. You may want to jot down when you plan to begin, whether you have outside deadlines which must be maintained, and how much flexibility is available for the person in the barber shop.　
　　一直到你在脑中已详细地检查了你工作的每一个步骤，罗列了你完成工作所需的另外所有的材料，工具和人员，你就应当已经有了一个相当完备详尽的工作大纲了。你接下去的任务也就是给计划的各个步骤订一条时间限制。无论你是有外在的完成工作的截止期限必须遵守，还是像理发店里的人那样对时间随心所欲，你都应该在你计划开始工作的时候就写下那些时间限制。

　　With all this pre-planning you should have at least a rough outline of the phases of the project, what additional work will be required, any further research which you will need to complete the task and about how long it will require to finish the entire project.　
　　有了这个事前准备，你至少就已经有了一个粗略的提纲，告诉你你接下去的工作有哪些阶段，你还需要做哪些额外的工作，你完成这个任务需要再做哪些进一步的研究以及完成整项工作你将需要多久之类。