Most of life is maintenance. Paying bills, buying groceries, doing laundry, and so on. We're running around, juggling our responsibilities, while trying to have some fun, too. It becomes so easy to forget the little things that enrich our lives and make it better.
每年都要做的10件事——用这个清单来维护你的生活。生活中的大多数时候，我们都是在处理日常事务，比如付账单，买杂货，洗衣服等。我们四处奔波，应对肩上的责任，同时也想找找乐子。渐渐地，我们很容易忘记那些能够让生活变得更丰富、更美好的小事。
The start of each year is a time where we tend do a lot of soul searching. Most of us see it as an opportunity to wipe the slate clean, and make resolutions for the year ahead. In addition to those intentions though, there are a number of things that you can do over the course of the year that will drastically improve your life. Here are 10 things you should do at least once a year!
在每年年初，我们总是在寻找自我。很多人认为这是一个重新开始的机会，为新的一年做出决心，定下目标。除此之外，其实还有一些事情你可以做，它们能够帮你在这一年中彻底改善生活。以下就是十件事，每年你至少都要做一遍。
Number 1 – Declutter. Your wardrobe, your purse, the contact list on your phone, your email inbox. Everything. Get rid of everything you don't need or that brings back bad memories. Everything that's in your life should be useful, make you happy, or motivate you. If it isn't doing any of these things, it's just taking up unnecessary space.
第一，清理物品。你的衣柜，你的钱包，手机上的联系人列表，邮箱，所有东西都需要清理。你不需要的东西，让你想起不好的经历的东西，都扔掉。在你的生活中，每样东西都要是有用的，能让你开心的，可以激励你的。如果它们达不到这些标准，它们就是在浪费空间而已。
Number 2 - Rearrange your space. The purpose of things and where they are placed change the whole ambiance of a room. Personal space carries energy, so change the orientation of your bed, move your TV, move your computer desk, put your favorite lamp somewhere else, and you'll probably perceive things differently from last year. Just make sure it's for the better!
第二，重新安排你的生活空间。物品的用途，物品存放的地方，会影响整个房间的氛围。专属个人的生活空间能给我们带来能量，所以，换一换床的方向，移动一下电视机和电脑桌，把你最爱的台灯放到另一个地方，然后你可能会有一切都焕然一新的感觉。这一切的前提是，这些改动，是能改善生活的。
Number 3 – Invest in some new clothes and shoes. Updating your wardrobe can be very satisfying. It will boost your confidence and improve your appearance. Fit is everything, so only buy clothes that are comfortable and shoes that make you feel like you're walking on a cloud all day. If you can afford it, don't hesitate to spend a little bit more on quality clothing, and always remember that quality doesn't necessarily mean the most expensive brands. Trust me, an $800 Gucci T-shirt won't be any more comfortable than a $20 one. If you hate clothes shopping or never know what to buy, take a friend with you, preferably one that has a good sense for color matching and wardrobe styling.
第三，买些新衣服和新鞋子。给自己的衣柜升级，这是一件很令人满足的事情。它能够提升你的自信，改善你的形象。舒适最重要，所以只买那些舒适的衣服和鞋子。如果你有能力，不要犹豫，多花点钱来买质量好的衣物，而且要记得，重视质量并不意味着要买最贵的牌子。相信我，一件800美金的古驰短袖，穿起来并不比一件20美金的舒适多少。如果你不喜欢买衣服，或者不懂买什么，那就带上一位朋友，最好是位懂得色彩搭配、衣物搭配的朋友。
Number 4 – Clean up your e-life. Nowadays, almost everyone on the planet spends much of their time on a computer, and the more time that you spend on it, the more cluttered it becomes. You know what I mean. If your desktop or laptop is filled with icons from top to bottom, it's definitely time for a cleaning. You can start by creating a folder for various things. Create a folder for your music collection, where you can also create sub-folders for different genres, then a folder for your documents, another for movies, and so on. While you're at it, make sure to check that your security software is up to date. Once that's done, pull up your social networks and evaluate your connections. This is a good time declutter those as well. Yeah, it looks cool when you have 2000 Facebook friends, but how many do you actually talk to?
第四，清理你的网络生活。如今，几乎每个人都在电脑上花费很多时间。在电脑上花费的时间越多，电脑就越混乱。你肯定明白我的意思。如果你的电脑桌面上，或者笔记本电脑上，堆满了图标，那就是时候清理一下了。你可以从给不同东西新建文件夹开始。为你的音乐收藏新建一个文件夹，再给你的电影收藏也建一个，等等。做这个事情的时候，确保你的电脑安全软件总是保持在最新的版本。完成这些之后，看看你的社交网络，衡量一下你的人际关系，现在也是时候清理它们了。如果你的脸书上有2000个好友，看起来确实挺酷的，但是你到底和几个人说过话呢？
Number 5 – Reflect. Take some time to reflect on things you want more of. Be it romantic love, appreciation, better friends or whatever. Decide how you will actively give that to others. Perceiving lack from others is often a reflection of what we aren't giving enough of ourselves. Karma works magic in this department. The more you give, the more you will get.
第五，反思。花点时间，思考一下你想要的事情。无论是爱情，还是他人的欣赏，还是更好的朋友，等等，想一下你要怎么让别人拥有这些事情。理解别人缺什么，往往可以帮我们反思自己缺什么。有因就有果，你给予的更多，你获得的就更多。
Number 6 - Make a list. Make a list of the things you value, and then a list of ways you're going to make those things a priority. If you care more about your friend's feelings than you do about some temporary frustration, make your friend the priority. If you care more about living peacefully with your roommate than fighting over another dirty dish, prioritize that. Decide what matters most to you, and how you're going to resolve your issues. The best way to get over something is to simply start caring about something else more.
第六，列个清单。列一个清单，上面写着你重视的事情。再列另外一个清单，上面写着你要怎样优先处理这些重要的事情。如果你更在乎朋友的感受，而不是暂时的沮丧，那么就把前者。如果你更在乎与舍友之间的和睦，而不是为一个脏碟子大吵大闹，那就把前者放在首位。你要自己决定，什么是最重要的，以及要如何处理你的问题。熬过一件事情的最佳方法，就是让自己更加在乎另一件事。
Number 7 – Travel. Often people neglect travel only to buy a new TV, PS4, or whatever is the latest hot product on the market. But these are all things that will become obsolete in a few years and it's very unlikely that you will think back and say, "I remember those magical nights when I would play Call of Duty until 6 am". Travelling expands your horizons and creates lifelong memories. Visiting a new place can do wonders. This doesn't have to be a 2-month expedition through another continent. Even if it's a place just an hour away, that will do. Just spend a week or two somewhere else. Visiting a new place will change your outlook and it will always be exciting to look back on. It will definitely become one of the highlights of the year, believe me. You may even find an incredible new place, meet new people, and see some amazing architecture. And they will not only make great memories but you will have some great stories to tell.
第七，去旅行。通常，人们宁愿花钱买新电视，买游戏机，买市面上最新的产品，而忽视了旅行。但是，这些东西，几年内就会过时了。你不太可能说“通宵玩《使命召唤》的夜晚真是太难忘了”。旅行能帮你拓展视野，留下让你怀念一辈子的回忆。去一个新的地方旅行，能够为你带来奇迹。这并不一定是去另一个大洲来一场两个月的探险，就算是去一个两小时车程之外的地方，也能有很好的效果。在另一个地方度过一两周的实践，就行了。相信我，这会成为你这一年的生活的闪光点。你可能会找到一个很奇妙的地方，遇见新的朋友，欣赏一些很棒的建筑。它们不仅成为了美好的回忆，还能让你与别人分享美好的故事。
Number 8 - Surprise someone. Do something surprising and unbelievably kind for someone who will not expect it. Send flowers to a random friend, give them a gift card, or take someone you love out for a special dinner. Do something that is so generous you couldn't possibly do it regularly, a kind gesture that would make somebody else's year complete, knowing that somebody cared enough about them to do something at that level.
第八，为某个人制造惊喜。为一个人做一件令人惊喜的事，比如为一个朋友送花并附带贺卡，或者带你爱的人出去吃一顿特别的晚餐。这件事必须是很慷慨的，你不可能经常做的那种事。一个充满善意的举动，能让别人的一年变得更加完整，因为他们知道，有人很在乎他们，愿意为他们做这么美好的事。
Number 9 - Take somebody on a date. Things have changed a lot. Before the internet, people actually went out on dates. Yeah. Can you believe it? I'm talking about a time when you didn't just swipe a screen to have someone appear in your bed. Take someone out on a real date. Make a reservation at a restaurant and get tickets to a show. You will make the person feel special, because everybody knows that planning these things takes time, effort, and care.
第九，带一个人去约会。现在跟以前太不一样了，在互联网出现之前，人们是出门约会的，这是真的，你信吗？现在，你在手机上划两下，第二天起床的时候，身边就会躺着另外一个人，以前可不是这样的。带一个人去体验一场真正的约会吧，提前预定餐厅，买好票，一起去看展。你会为那个人带来独特的感觉，因为大家都知道，准备这些事情，需要时间，需要精力，需要你足够在乎对方。
Number 10 - Try something new. One of the best ways to improve yourself is to try a new activity. It can be painting, photography, cooking or whatever. It doesn't really matter, as long as it's something new. Now while this sounds great, the problem is that most people want to do new things, but they never seem to get around to it. So, what can you do? I suggest looking online for classes in your area. Enroll yourself in one of those evening classes where you go once a week for a few hours. It will only cost a couple hundred dollars but you will feel committed so you will actually go. And who knows? Perhaps you will discover a talent you never knew you had! What do you think?
第十，尝试新事物。提升自己的最佳方式就是尝试新事物，它可以是画画，摄影，烹饪之类的。是什么不重要，重要的是，这是新事物。这听起来挺棒的，但问题在于，其实多数人都想体验新事物，但是他们缺乏行动力。那么，你可以怎么做呢？我建议，你可以上网查一下，看看你所在的地区有没有兴趣班。给自己报一个兴趣班，晚上去上课，每周去几个小时。你只需要花上几百美金而已，但是你会觉得自己下定决心要做这件事，所以你会去做。说不定，你可能会发现自己的新潜能。你觉得呢？
