In years past,
you couldn't talk to me
before 10:00 in the morning,
much less expect me
to get anything useful done.
过去
在上午10点之前你根本就不可能和我说上话
更不可能希望我完成什么有意义的事

And the weekends? Forget it.
周末？算了吧

If the time had "a.m."
attached to the end of it,
you'd better believe
I was face-down in a pillow.
如果时间安排后面标注着“上午”
你最好相信我正抱头大睡

Nowadays, however,
despite my best efforts
I cannot sleep past 8.
I'm mentally forming my to-do list
before I even open my eyes.
但是，现在一过早晨8点钟
我就怎么也睡不着了。
甚至在睁眼之前，
我就已经开始在大脑中
列数今天要做的事项清单了

I find that my best writing is done
within the first few hours after I wake up,
and my go-getter mentality
has dimmed into a quieter energy
come late afternoon.
我发现我最好的文章
都是在刚醒来的最初几个小时内写就的
而傍晚时分我的勤奋精进
会化作一种更为安静的能量。

So what's my secret?
那么，我的秘诀是什么呢?

1. For starters, night time prep
is half the battle.
首先
晚间准备是成功的一半

A few minutes at night
to set up the coffee pot,
lay out an outfit,
and get your lunch together
for the following day
can be a godsend come sun-up.
晚上拿出几分钟时间
设置好咖啡壶
收拾好一套衣服
准备好第二天的午餐
你会感到早晨如有神助

2. Set two alarms.
设两个闹钟
The first one is gentle,
within reach
and set for five minutes
before you really need it.
第一个闹钟比较柔和
在你够得着的范围内
设置在你真正想起床的5分钟之前

This soothing sound
will slowly wake you up.
温柔的铃音
会慢慢将你唤醒

The second one should be louder,
placed across the room
and set for the time
you actually need to get up.
第二个闹钟声音要大一些
放在房间另一端
设置成你真正需要起床的时间

3. Do something
that is genuinely,
authentically YOU.
真正为你自己做些事
Give yourself a little "me" time
before the hustle begins.
在繁忙的一天开始之前
给自己一点“自我”时间

Enjoy your coffee slowly.
Take a walk
or do 10 minutes of yoga.
慢慢地享用一杯咖啡
散个步
或者做10分钟瑜伽

If you walk out the door
with peace in your heart,
you'll carry it with you
throughout the day.
如果你在出门时心情平静
那么一整天都会如此

If you generally thrive
in the evening hours,
don't push yourself too hard
to go against nature.
如果你通常都是在晚上才能精力旺盛
也不要逼自己太紧而违背天性

Lean into your afternoon energy
but use these tips to help you embrace
those tough mornings
with a bit more grace.
继续利用好下午的好精力
但是可以运用这些小贴士
来帮助你在拥抱痛苦的清晨时
更从容一点

In time
you might find yourself transition
into a "morning person" after all!
假以时日
你可能就会发现自己
最终转变成“晨型人”了

微信公众号：英语美文朗读 孟叔的微博：孟飞Phoenix 孟叔的抖音：184302945