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Cleaning out your closet. Defragging your hard drive. Updating your resume.
收拾橱柜，整理硬盘文件，更新个人简历。
What do all of these have in common? They’re nagging little jobs on most of our “to-do” lists that we keep putting off because they’re tedious and boring. They keep getting pushed to the back of the queue, gathering dust and being neglected until we’re forced to take care of them for one reason or another, at which point we end up stressed, panicky, and resentful.
这些事情都有什么共同点？在我们的待办清单上，这些大多是烦人的小事情，又乏味又单调，所以我们总是不断推迟去做。它们被不断地推迟到清单的末尾，慢慢尘封被我们遗忘。而当我们因为这样或那样的原因不得不开始处理这些事情时，结果可能会使我们陷入充满压力恐慌和易怒的状态。
Fortunately, there’s no time like the present to finally get around to doing these tasks, and having them all over and done with for the New Year and allow yourself to start the next year with a clean slate. Below are a few suggestions about some of the tasks you might like to tackle, if you have time to do so:
幸运的是，再也没有一个时间比现在更合适来让我们处理这些任务了。新年伊始我们把这些都圆满解决了，我们就能轻装上阵开始新的一年。下面是新年你可能需要处理的一些事情，如果有时间就开始做吧：
1. Clean out your email
1. 清理电子邮件
Most of us have a plethora of unread emails lounging around in our in-boxes, as well as old drafts, spam, and various other sundries tucked into different folders. Instead of just vegging out in front of the TV after supper, consider putting on some music and sifting through your folders to clear them out. Doing this for 20 minutes/night for just a few evenings will tidy things up nicely.
对于大部分人来说，可能都有太多的未读邮件安静地躺在收件箱里，还有一些旧的工作草案、垃圾邮件和各种待办杂事堆积在不同的文件夹里。晚饭后不要只是呆呆地坐在电视机前看电视，不如放上点音乐，仔细翻查下文件夹清理下电子邮件吧。每晚做上20分钟，可能只要几个晚上，就能把电子邮件里的东西收拾整齐。
2. Review and update your address book
2. 查看并更新地址薄
Do you really need to hold onto the email addresses belonging to people you worked with in 2003? Take a few minutes to sort through your address book and cull those that you haven’t communicated with, along with old addresses that your friends/family don’t use anymore.
你不会真的还留着2003年和你共事的人的电子邮箱地址吧？花上几分钟，对地址簿进行一下分类整理，剔除那些你基本没怎么联系的人，顺便去掉那些家人朋友不再用的旧地址吧。
3. Clean your computer (inside and out) and tidy up your workstation
3. 彻底清洁电脑，收拾你的工作区
While you’re tidying up all those files, consider using this opportunity as a chance to clean up your desk (and your computer itself). If you have a CPU tower, take it apart so you can vacuum out all the dust and pet hair that might have accumulated in there. Toss away any take-out containers or empty energy drink cans around your desk, give everything a solid once-over with some spray cleaner, and be sure to clean your keyboard too—those things get nasty.
当你在整理这些文件夹的时候，不妨也利用这个机会收拾一下你的工作台（还有你的电脑）。如果你使用的是立式主机，记得把主机拆开，这样可以使用吸尘器整理里面堆积的灰尘和宠物毛发。把办公桌上的外卖盒子和空饮料瓶统统丢掉，用喷雾清洁剂将所有的东西都仔细清理一遍，别忘了也要清洁键盘，这些都特别容易脏。
4. File and organize papers, bills, statements, and receipts
4. 分类整理文件、账单、报表和收据
Keeping these in order can come in handy, especially since tax season is just around the corner. Try to organize them so your receipts and statements are together, with outstanding bills and invoices in another section.
把这些东西按顺序整理，早晚能派上用处，特别是即将到来的报税季节。好好整理下，收据和报表最好放在一起， 未偿付票据和单据归在另一类。
5. Update your personal budget, resume and bio
5. 更新个人收支预算和简历
As you go through your papers, take note of your spending habits over the last year. Have you gone overboard with spending? Been too frugal? Compare your habits to your bank account, and then consider re-adjusting your personal budget to even things out a bit.
在处理上述文件时，可以记下去年的消费习惯。是不是过度支出了？还是太节俭了？将你的消费习惯与银行账户进行比较，考虑下重新调整你的预算，使收支更为平衡一些。
On that same note, if you find that you’ve struggled to make ends meet or that you’re not being paid what you’re worth, it might be time to update your resume and look for a new job. If instead you’re perfectly happy with where you are, but you’ve had some major life changes (moved to a new city/country, earned a degree, got married, etc.) then you might want to update your bio on various networking sites.
与此同时，如果你发现自己收入勉强维持生活，或是觉得自己工作并没有得到应有的工资报酬，也许是时候更新下简历找一份新工作了。如果你对自己目前的状况非常满意，但在过去的一年你经历了一些比较重大的生活改变（比方说搬到新城市/国家，获得学位，结婚等），那你也许需要去各种社交网站更新下自己的最新状态。
6. Reduce clutter, and give things away
6. 减少杂乱，送掉你不需要的一些东西
You would not believe how much stuff can accumulate in cupboards and closets, particularly in the bathroom. Set aside an hour or so to sort through everything under the sink to see just how many unused soaps, creams, razors, and other sundries you’ve collected, and then decide whether you’re actually going to use them or not. If you will, think about displaying them in a basket or keeping them at hand so you’ll use them up. If you’ll never touch the things, give them away to friends who’ll use them, or donate them.
你可能想不到你的壁橱和柜子里到底能堆多少东西，特别是浴室里的柜子。空出大约一个小时的时间，清理水槽下的所有东西，你会发现自己到底搜集了多少从未用过的肥皂、面霜、刮胡刀和其他杂物，然后可以决定到底会不会用这些。如果要用的，就把它们放在篮子里，摆在显眼方便的地方，这样你才会想到去用；如果不打算用，就把它们赠送给需要的朋友，或者可以直接捐掉。
7. Clean out your closet, and donate your old clothes
7. 整理壁橱，把旧衣服捐掉
A good rule to stick to as far as clothing is concerned is to give away anything you haven’t worn in over 2 years. For each piece you give away, you can buy yourself something new that fits both your figure and your current fashion sense, but don’t hold on to something that will never fit or come back into style again.
关于衣物有一条很好的处理原则：把那些你超过两年没穿的衣服统统送给别人吧！每一件你送出去的衣服，你都可以去买一件更适合你现在身材和时尚感的新衣服，不过不要坚持买那些不适合也基本不会回归流行的款式了。
Once you’ve taken care of all of these tasks, all you really need to do is make some goals for 2013. If you find that you tend to self-sabotage official resolutions, consider just making some short-term goals that are easy to attain: reaching them will boost your confidence, and might encourage you to pursue some more intense, longer-term goals in turn.
一旦你开始处理这些事务，你就真的需要为2013制定一些新目标了。如果你发现那些正式的新年目标可能都没法坚持到底，那不如考虑先制定一些容易达成的短期目标吧：实现这些可以增强你的自信心，也会鼓励你继续追求强度更大的长期目标。
