Kai-fu Lee: How to Design your 2015 annual plan

Two months ago, the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, visited Beijing and made more than 30 minutes of lectures and questions and answers in Chinese at Tsinghua University, which impressed everyone. Not only in the domestic media, many mainstream American media use "surprise Canary" to describe his Chinese ability.

I remember about 4 years ago, Mark invited me to the Silicon Valley face book headquarters to speak, the impression that he can only introduce a few words in Chinese, many years later, his Chinese has progressed rapidly.

In recent years, Mark has a personal annual plan every year. Last year, he wrote a "Thank You Card" every day, so that he can always keep the heart of Thanksgiving. The year before last, he stipulated that every day must meet a new friend, expand the field of life. 2012, long-term investment in the management of his work, the return to write a program plan, so that they do not forget the original intention.

In 2010, Mark's annual plan was to learn Chinese well. This time his speech in Tsinghua University, although certainly through the well-packaged public relations, but he not only in Chinese to answer all the questions, but also can use Chinese to tell jokes, let the audience roar, it is not easy. Mark's own efforts and perseverance deserve encouragement and emulation. Therefore, if you can plan your annual plan well, it will have an unexpected impact on your life. I've also done a lot of New Year's resolutions, and here are some tips to share:

　　1 just choose a workable target.

People's habit is that when asked too much, one of which can not be done, it is possible to give up altogether. It's better to pick a workable but difficult thing to do, especially for the first time. People always need to rely on some small positive sense of accomplishment, slowly build confidence.

　　2 Smart principles for setting goals

Specific specific

Measurable measurable. For example, instead of targeting "doing more good deeds", this is not specific enough and cannot be measured, but it can be changed into a monthly volunteer work for the nursing home.

Attainable can be achieved, for example, can not book next year will earn 100 million yuan, must be achievable goals.

Result-based value results-oriented, not just process. For example, a 1-month weight loss of 1 kilograms is not just a daily morning meal, or a TOEFL score of 50, rather than just taking time to memorize words every day.

Time-based have time to complete the plan in a certain period of time

　　3 picking important, but not urgent, things

We often choose to do urgent things first, such as exams tomorrow, will take the time to prepare, do not rely on the annual plan to supervise themselves. But in life there are too many important but not urgent things, the annual plan must choose the impact of life, or important things, such as health, the future, accumulated knowledge, interpersonal development-related plans.

To learn English well is a typical example, from the perspective of life learning, it is very important to learn English, but there is no urgency. In particular, after leaving the campus, if not foreign businessmen, or work in the use of English, it may be lax, very regrettable.

Taking Mark as an example, learning Chinese is a big challenge for old Americans. If Mark has been reading Chinese for four years and can speak on stage, is it better for Chinese people who have studied English for more than 10 years to learn English well?

I encourage young people to start with the reading of English news, on the one hand, to broaden their horizons and enhance their English skills. Don't waste your time on repetitive news, there are lots of great English websites and books in the world. I also suggest spending half the time on the internet to read English-related information, or have a plan to read English books extensively. If you want to learn English and increase your knowledge at the same time, you can look at these English websites: Business Insider, Quora, Buzzfeed, Khan Academy, Linkedin, Techcrunch, Pando Daily, WSJ. D, can also search the internet Ted English speech, the history of the famous English speech, the famous graduation speech and so on.

In addition, I share an annual plan to expand my relationships. Many years ago, I transferred from China to Microsoft Headquarters, in order to expand the social circle, I plan to know more new friends, although not like Mark a day to know one, but I set myself weekly and a new friend to eat, or tea. Where to find so many people to eat? I teach you my secret: every time I have dinner with a new friend, I have to pay attention to what his friends are you want to know, and you must ask him to introduce a friend to you before dinner to increase your social circle.

Why expand your social circle? In fact, there is a lot of life, not by the best friends of the "strong" relationship, but to maintain your hundreds of "weak" relationship, if you can master more contacts, can also bring more opportunities. How to meet new people? You can ask a friend to introduce new technology, product management, investment in the field of the leader, so that both can meet the latest friends, but also to broaden new knowledge, expand New Horizons.

　4. Summary

People always have inertia, like nest in their own comfort circle, want to grow, must change. When you make an annual plan and take it seriously for a while, you'll find that any new goal can become a part of life, and it doesn't have to be done deliberately. If you want to change, start with yourself.

Kai-fu Lee: How to Design your 2015 annual plan