本文是写手作业写作指导，主要内容是针对写手在写作作业的时候如果做到准时提交作业，总结了五个好习惯供参考。
写手要养成准时作业的五个好习惯
Good Habit#1–Get started
好习惯之一：开始做就对了
For all the talk about a deadline being a motivator and a planning tool,it mostly is an unforgiving date looming in the distance.As one draws nearer to it,it looms higher.In the shadow of it,a deadline can be quite terrifying.A disciplined academic writer knows this and accepts this.A smartdisciplined writer goes one step further and takes steps to remove the terror from a deadline so that it doesn’t loom at all.It becomes simply another date on a calendar.The first habit about deadlines that a smart writer develops is to start working on a paper as soon as it is assigned.
常有人说期限是督促你努力的动力来源，让你事先规划的工具，但多数人仍视它为远方若隐若现的无情猛兽，越靠近它，它就越是张牙舞爪。时时刻刻笼罩在它的阴影下，期限着实令人畏惧。自律的作者了解、也接受这点，而聪明的作者懂得抢先一步，采取行动，屏除期限如影随形的恐惧。期限不过是行事历上的一个日期，而聪明的作者培养的第一个好习惯，就是在知道有这篇论文要写之后，就马上着手进行。
Early starts aren’t all about use of time and making every day count,though that is important.Writers who take a small sabbatical at the beginning of every paper project are not just wasting time—though they are—they also are indulging themselves.We all know some indulgences are better than others,with timing often being the critical issue.A runner who lets himself be distracted at the start of a race pays a price and curses his luck.A writer who gives his mind a break when he should be brainstorming a subject will find other excuses as a project goes along.
早点开始并不单只是为了充分利用每一天的时间，当然这点很重要。而是若在每篇论文写作开始前都先放自己一点假，想当然耳时间是一定浪费了，还放纵了自己。适时放纵、宠爱自己是好的，但时间点常常是关键。赛跑选手若在比赛一开始就让自己分心，一定会付出惨痛的代价，根本是自掘坟墓。同理，明明是该全神贯注思考的时候却让自己的心放大假，在写作期间一定还会不断找借口拖延。
This falls under the heading of Discipline.I repeat,starting a project on day one is not just about use of time.It is about becoming mentally engaged in a project at the outset,rather than at some later date.After all,an academic paper should not be a dreaded assignment.It is an opportunity to stir your intellect,learn something new,and advance your academic career through research and writing.What is to dread about that?Neither should a deadline be dreaded.It is just another appointment on your academic calendar,just another part of your scholarly routine.Get started!
这就是自律。我再强调一次，从知道有这篇论文的第一天就开始着手，不仅是为了充分利用时间，而是让自己在一开始就做好投入的心理准备，免得之后措手不及。毕竟学术论文不该是件可怕的工作，而是一个机会，让你透过研究和写作来锻炼脑力、学习新知、提升学术涵养，这有甚么可怕的呢？截稿期限也一样，没有甚么好怕的，不过是行事历上的另一件代办事项，学者生涯的例行工作之一而已。开始做就对了！
Good Habit#2–Do the worst first
好习惯之二：从最讨厌的部分开始
This habit is a good one to develop for any sort of task.It plays to a writer’s psychology(or anyone else’s psychology)through deferred gratification.It holds in reserve something to do that a person happily anticipates doing rather than dreads doing.Dread is not a motivator.It doesn’t spur movement.Thus,when a dreaded part of a task is still ahead,people put it off till…“later.”They drag out the enjoyable tasks,milking them more than being enriched by them.The impact is very much like the spinning of wheels:Momentum is slowed just when a final push is needed.
养成这项习惯，做任何工作都将无往不利，就是把喜欢做、想做的留到最后再做，而不要将畏惧做的留到最后。这项习惯操弄了作者或任何人的心理，给人倒吃甘蔗的错觉，毕竟畏惧是激不起斗志的，无法鞭策行动。当还有令人害怕的工作等在前头，最常见的反应就是「等一下」再做，但一旦拖延，连喜欢做的也一起延后了，不但没有因为做喜欢做的事感到满足，反而只会感到被榨干般精疲力竭，好比转动中的轮子，正需最后冲刺之际，转速反而慢了下来，动力渐失。
To use thisstrategy of worst-first,it is important that a writer-researcher know himself.He should acknowledge to himself his least favorite tasks.Example:If perusingbound,published material is more enjoyable than compiling data from loose-leafand online sources,do the tedious collection before the reading.Also,researchrequires meticulous note-taking and ordering of notes,or else it is wastedeffort;if you don’t like taking and ordering notes—do them now,carefully,without deferring them till…“later.”You know what you don’t like.Go ahead and get it out of the way.
要从讨厌的部分开始做，作者或研究者首先要了解自己，承认自己最讨厌做哪些事情。比如说，如果觉得细读装订好的文献刊物比整理网络或散装数据来得愉快，就在开始阅读前先把枯燥的资料搜集部分做完。又例如做研究需巨细靡遗地作笔记并整理笔记，否则一切努力都是徒劳。如果你不喜欢作笔记、整理笔记，现在就做，谨慎小心地做，不要「等一下」。你很清楚自己不喜欢甚么，就先把它们做完，别让这些绊脚石拖累你的进度。
Once again,this habit of ordering necessary tasksaccording to personal likes and dislikes can only be developed if awriter-researcher has discipline.When someone has proceeded to a point whereacademic writing is a regular part of his life,the assumption is that theperson can regulate his activity.He can do what he knows he needs to do,rather than wants to do.Another example:If second drafts are a problem for a writer,he should do itwithin a day or two of the first draft,rather than waiting till…“later.”Whenthe worst is behind,such procrastination is not a problem.
我再次强调，这项根据喜好排列工作优先级的习惯，唯有当研究者能自律才培养得起来。如果学术写作早已成为你生活中的一部分，你就必须懂得约束自己的行为，知道自己必须做甚么，而不是想要做甚么。再举个例子。如果写第二份草稿是你最讨厌的部分，就应该在完成第一份草稿的一、两天内写完第二份草稿，千万不要「等一下」。只要先解决最讨厌的部分，拖延的症头就会不药而愈了。
Good Habit#3–Expect Obstacles
好习惯之三：未雨绸缪，为突发状况提早作准备
Good academic writers are good project managers.They must be to balance their other work with the urgent work of planning,researching,writing,and finishing an academic paper.Like all good managers,they are able to multi-task,to do the daily tasks of researching and writing at the same time they methodically complete the overview tasks,such as organizing material and keeping track of where they are in a project.Keeping these juggled balls in the air is a developed skill:the habit of looking ahead to anticipate and avoid potential obstacles to completing a paper on time.
优秀的学者一定是杰出的项目经理，他们能妥善安排时间，让自己在被期限追赶的研究、实验、假设、论证、发表论文和私人生活间游刃有余，如同项目经理般日理万机，一边进行着论文写作，另一边还能继续分析、统整数据，确保进度不落后。其实这样得心应手掌握全局的能力是可以培养的：只要养成凡事先规划的习惯，预想可能发生的突发状况，就能不急不徐地避开障碍，持续工作，准时交稿。
Anyone who has ridden a bicycle or motorcycle knows the importance of a rider keeping his eyes down the road to more easily maintain balance and smoothly adjust the path of the two-wheeler to the obstacles ahead.The same is true of writers in lengthy research-and-writing projects.You must keep“pedaling”(or in the case of motorcycles,keep a hand on the throttle)while you scan ahead for obstacles.What sort of obstacles?A suspect source that proves unfruitful.A holiday schedule that blocks access to research materials.A personal agenda item that disrupts the work.
就像骑单车或摩托车，眼睛直视前方能让你清楚地看到路面上的石头或坑洞，适时地调整方向、避开障碍，保持车身平稳及行车顺畅。进行冗长的论文写作如同踩着单车踏板〈若是骑摩托车则是不断转动把手催油门〉往目的地前进，若你能防患于未然，就能让自己安全抵达终点。发生了什么事会让你在写作时分心？预想的假设无法成立？假日图书馆没开不能查资料借书？还是有无法拒绝的重要聚会？