12個讓你永遠銘記或後悔的教訓
Sticking your neck out and taking charge of your career is no trivial matter. Whether that’s switching careers, going back to school, or walking away from a j-o-b to start your own business, it takes a lot of guts.
冒險接管自己的事業是非同小可的。不管是改變職業方向、迴歸校園，還是放棄常規工作開始自己創業，都需要很大的勇氣。
But guts will only get you so far. Once you build up the nerve and make the leap, you’re no more than 5% of the way there. You still have to succeed in your new endeavor, and trying to succeed is when your worst fears (the ones that made you hesitate in the first place) will come true.
但勇氣只能讓你走這麼遠。一旦你下定了決心並開始行動，你就又前進了5%。在新的努力下，你還是要取得成功。當你最嚴重的擔憂（讓你最初猶豫的事情）出現時，嘗試克服它。
I’m going to assume you’re like me and don’t have a brilliant mentor, a rich uncle, or some other person who is going to show you the ropes and explain each step you need to take to take charge of your career.
假設你和我一樣，沒有傑出的導師，沒有富裕的叔叔，也沒有其他能給你引路併爲你解釋管理事業所需的每一步的人。
You see, it’s been almost 20 years since I last had a boss. I went from working in a surf shop to striking out on my own, eventually starting TalentSmart (with a partner) before I’d finished grad school.
你看，自從我上一次有老闆已經過去20年了。我從一個衝浪器材店出來開始單幹，最終在研究生畢業之前創立了TalentSmart公司（和一個同伴一起）。
When I set out on my own, I had all the gumption and appetite for risk that I needed to take charge of my career. At the time I thought that was all I needed to succeed.
當我開始管理自己的事業時，我有對自己事業負責的進取心和風險容量。那時候我以爲這就是成功所需要的全部。
It wasn’t. I also needed guidance. Without it, I learned some difficult (and often painful) lessons along the way.
其實並不是，我還需要指導。沒有了指導，我一路上吸取了許多困難（也很痛苦）的教訓。
I’d like to share some of my biggest lessons learned with you so that they can help you as you take charge of your career (in whatever form that takes). As I look back on these lessons, I realize that they’re really great reminders for us all.
我想分享一些最實用的經驗給你們，以便於日後你們在管理自己的事業時能得到幫助（不管是任何形式）。當我回首這些經驗時，我意識到它們對我們來說是非常好的提醒。
1. Confidence Must Come First
1. 首先要自信
Successful people often exude confidence—it’s obvious that they believe in themselves and what they’re doing. It isn’t their success that makes them confident, however. The confidence was there first.
成功的人往往散發出自信——很明顯他們相信自己，也相信自己在做的事情。不是他們的成功讓他們自信，相反，他們先有自信。
Think about it:
想想看：
1. Doubt breeds would anyone believe in you, your ideas, or your abilities if you didn’t believe in them yourself?
1. 懷疑導致懷疑。如果連你自己都不相信的話，爲什麼別人要相信你、你的想法，或是你的能力？
2. It takes confidence to reach for new challenges. People who are fearful or insecure tend to stay within their comfort zones. But comfort zones rarely expand on their own. That’s why people who lack confidence get stuck in dead-end jobs and let valuable opportunities pass them by.
2. 迎接新的挑戰需要信心。恐懼或不安的人傾向於待在他們的舒適區。但舒適區往往不會自己擴大。這就是爲什麼缺乏自信的人會被困在沒有前途的工作中，讓有價值的機會與他們擦肩而過。
3. Unconfident people often feel at the mercy of external essful people aren’t deterred by obstacles, which is how they rise up in the first place.
3. 不自信的人經常感覺被外部環境所擺佈。成功的人不會被困難阻礙，這也是他們如何在最初開始的。
Confidence is a crucial building block in a successful career, and embracing it fully will take you places you never thought possible. No one is stopping you from what you want to accomplish but yourself. It’s time to remove any barriers created by self-doubt.
信心是成功事業中一個非常重要的模塊，完全接納它會讓你到達從未想過的地方。除了你自己，沒有人會阻止你去實現自己想要的事情。是時候移除自我懷疑所製造的障礙了。
2. You’re Living The Life That You’ve Created
2. 你在過自己創造的生活
You are not a victim of circumstance. No one can force you to make decisions and take actions that run contrary to your values and aspirations. The circumstances you’re living in today are your own—you created them. Likewise, your future is entirely up to you. If you’re feeling stuck, it’s probably because you’re afraid to take the risks necessary to achieve your goals and live your dreams.
你不是環境的受害者。沒有人能強迫你對違反自己價值觀和願望的事情做決定或採取行動。你今天所生活的環境是你自己的——你創造了他們。同樣地，你的未來也完全由你決定。如果你感覺陷入了困境，很可能是因爲你害怕爲了實現目標和夢想所必須要冒的險。
When it’s time to take action, remember that it’s always better to be at the bottom of the ladder you want to climb than at the top of one you don’t.
該採取行動的時候，記住一件事：待在想要攀登的梯子底部要好過待在不想攀登的梯子頂部。
3. Being Busy Does Not Equal Being Productive
3. 忙碌並不等於高效
Look at everyone around you. They all seem so busy—running from meeting to meeting and firing off emails. Yet how many of them are really producing, really succeeding at a high level?
看看你身邊的每一個人。他們都看起來很忙碌——不停地開會、發郵件。但是他們之中有多少人真正高效地工作並取得成功呢？
Success doesn’t come from movement and activity. It comes from focus—from ensuring that your time is used efficiently and productively. You get the same number of hours in the day as everyone else. Use yours wisely. After all, you’re the product of your output, not your effort. Make certain your efforts are dedicated to tasks that get results.
成功不是來源於移動和行動，它來源於專注——確保你的時間被有效利用。每個人每天都擁有相同的時間，明智點使用吧。畢竟，是最後的結果造就了你，而不是努力。確保你的努力是專注於工作的，並且取得了成果。
4. You’re Only As Good As Those You associate With
4. 你只是和那些你交往的人一樣好
You should strive to surround yourself with people who inspire you, people who make you want to be better. And you probably do. But what about the people who drag you down? Why do you allow them to be a part of your life? Anyone who makes you feel worthless, anxious, or uninspired is wasting your time and, quite possibly, making you more like them. Life is too short to associate with people like this. Cut them loose.
你應該努力與能激勵你、能讓你變得更好的人在一起。你可能確實是這樣做的。但是那些拖累你的人呢？爲什麼要讓他們成爲你生活的一部分？任何讓你感覺自己沒有價值、焦慮或者不受鼓舞的人都是在浪費你的時間，並且很可能讓你變得更像他們。生命短暫，不要和這些人在一起，離開他們吧。
5. Don’t Say Yes Unless You Really Want To
5. 別輕易答應，除非你真的想這麼做
Research conducted at the University of California in San Francisco shows that the more difficulty that you have saying no, the more likely you are to experience stress, burnout, and even depression, all of which make it difficult to take charge of your career. Saying no is indeed a major challenge for many people. “No” is a powerful word that you should not be afraid to wield. When it’s time to say no, avoid phrases like “I don’t think I can” or “I’m not certain.” Saying no to a new commitment honors your existing commitments and gives you the opportunity to successfully fulfill them.
舊金山加州大學發佈的研究顯示，越難說“不”，越有可能經歷壓力、倦怠、甚至是沮喪，這些都讓你很難照顧到自己的事業。說“不”對於很多人來說的確是一個挑戰。“不”是一個很強大的詞，不要害怕去使用它。該說“不”時，避免“我不認爲我可以”或者“我不確定”這樣的語句。對新的承諾說“不”可以兌現已有的承諾，也給了你成功完成它們的機會。6.
Squash Your Negative Self-Talk
6. 捏碎你消極的自我對話
When you’re taking charge of your career, you won’t always have a cheerleader in your corner. This magnifies the effects of self-doubt. The more you ruminate on negative thoughts, the more power you give them. Most of our negative thoughts are just that—thoughts, not facts. When you find yourself believing the negative and pessimistic things your inner voice says, it’s time to stop and write them down. Literally stop what you’re doing and write down what you’re thinking. Once you’ve taken a moment to slow down the negative momentum of your thoughts, you will be more rational and clear-headed in evaluating their veracity.
當你負責自己的事業時，不會總有一個拉拉隊長在角落爲你加油。這放大了自我懷疑的影響。你越是沉湎於消極的想法，他們就會越強大。我們大多數消極的想法都只是想法，並不是現實。當你發現自己相信內心深處消極悲觀的聲音時，是時候停止並把它們寫下來了。停止你正在做的事，把你的想法寫下來。一旦你用片刻的時間去減緩思想的消極勢頭，你就會更加理性、清醒地評估它們的真實性。
7. Avoid Asking “What If?”
7. 避免問“如果...將會怎樣？”
“What if?” statements throw fuel on the fire of stress and worry, which are detrimental to reaching your goals. Things can go in a million different directions, and the more time you spend worrying about the possibilities, the less time you’ll spend taking action and staying productive. Asking “what if?” will only take you to a place you don’t want—or need—to go. Of course, scenario planning is a necessary and effective planning technique. The key distinction here is to recognize the difference between worry and strategic thinking about your future.
“如果...將會怎樣？”語句無異於在壓力和擔憂的火上澆油，不利於達成你的目標。事情可能有成千上萬種發展方向，你花費越多的時間去擔心各種可能性，採取行動和保持高效工作的時間就越少。問“如果...將會怎樣？”只會把你帶到自己不想去或沒有必要去的地方。當然，情景規劃是必要且有效的規劃技術。區別的關鍵是意識到擔心和思考未來戰略之間的不同。
8. Schedule Exercise And Sleep
8. 安排好運動和睡眠
I can’t say enough about the importance of quality sleep. When you sleep your brain removes toxic proteins from its neurons that are by-products of neural activity when you’re awake. Unfortunately, your brain can remove them adequately only while you’re asleep. So when you don’t get enough sleep, the toxic proteins remain in your brain cells, wreaking havoc by impairing your ability to think—something no amount of caffeine can fix.
充足的睡眠是非常重要的。當你睡着時，大腦從神經元中去除毒蛋白，也就是你清醒時神經活動的副產品。不幸的是，你的大腦只能在你睡着時才能充分清理他們。所以當你沒有充足的睡眠時，毒蛋白停留在你的腦細胞中，通過影響你的思考能力來造成嚴重破壞，這是再多的咖啡因也無法修復的。
Your self-control, attention, and memory are all reduced when you don’t get enough—or the right kind—of sleep. Sleep deprivation raises stress hormone levels on its own, even without a stressor present, which are a major productivity killer. Ambition often makes you feel as if you must sacrifice sleep to stay productive, but sleep deprivation diminishes your productivity so much throughout the day that you’re better off sleeping.
如果沒有充足或者正確的睡眠，你的自制力、注意力、以及記憶力都會下降。即使沒有壓力，睡眠不足也會導致應激激素水平上升，這是高效率的最大殺手。野心往往讓你覺得必須犧牲睡眠來保持生產力，但睡眠不足能大大減弱你一整天的生產力，所以最好還是睡覺吧。
A study conducted at the Eastern Ontario Research Institute found that people who exercised twice a week for 10 weeks felt more competent socially, academically, and athletically. They also rated their body image and self-esteem higher. Best of all, rather than the physical changes in their bodies being responsible for the uptick in confidence, it was the immediate, endorphin-fueled positivity from exercise that made all the difference. Schedule your exercise to make certain it happens, or the days will just slip away.
東部安大略省研究所的一項研究發現，那些10周以來每週運動兩次的人感覺到在社會、學術和運動方面更加有幹勁。同時他們認爲這些人的身體形象和自尊心都更強。最重要的是，運動時內啡肽的刺激直接造成了差異，而不是身體上爲了增加信心而產生的物理變化。安排你的運動並確保它能進行，否則時間會白白浪費。
9. Seek Out Small Victories
9. 尋找小勝利
Small victories can seem unimportant when you’re really after something big, but small victories build new androgen receptors in the areas of the brain responsible for reward and motivation. This increase in androgen receptors increases the influence of testosterone, which further increases your confidence and your eagerness to tackle future challenges. When you have a series of small victories, the boost in your confidence can last for months.
當你真的在追求大事的時候，小勝利似乎是不重要的，但小勝利會在大腦負責獎賞和激勵的區域建立新的激素受體。雄激素受體的增加會增加睾丸激素的影響，進而增加你的信心和熱心來應對未來的挑戰。當你有一系列小勝利時，信心增加會持續數月之久。
10. Don’t Seek Perfection
10. 不要追求完美
Don’t set perfection as your target. It doesn’t exist. Human beings, by our very nature, are fallible. When perfection is your goal, you’re always left with a nagging sense of failure that makes you want to give up or reduce your effort. You end up spending your time lamenting what you failed to accomplish and what you should have done differently instead of moving forward excited about what you’ve achieved and what you will accomplish in the future.
別把完美定爲你的任務。完美是不存在的。人類本質上是不可靠的。當完美是你的目標時，總是會留下揮之不去的失敗感，這讓你想放棄或減少努力。最後你花時間感慨你未能完成的事，你應該做的不同，而不是爲已經完成的、未來將要完成的事情感到興奮。
11. Focus On Solutions
11. 專注於解決辦法
Where you focus your attention determines your emotional state. When you fixate on the problems that you’re facing, you create and prolong negative emotions which hinder your ability to reach your goals. When you focus on the actions you’ll take to better yourself and your circumstances, you create a sense of personal efficacy that produces positive emotions and improves performance.
在哪裏集中注意力決定了你的情緒狀態。當你注視你所面臨的問題時，你創造和延長了負面情緒，它會阻礙你達到目標的能力。當你專注於將要採取的行動時，爲了更好的自己以及周圍環境，你會創造生產積極情緒的個人功效感，它會提升你的表現。
12. Forgive Yourself
12. 原諒自己
When you slip up, it is critical that you forgive yourself and move on. Don’t ignore how the mistake makes you feel; just don’t wallow in it. Instead, shift your attention to what you’re going to do to improve yourself in the future.
當你跌倒時，關鍵是要原諒自己並繼續前進。別忽視了你對錯誤的感覺，只是不要沉湎於它。相反，將注意力轉移到將要做的事情上，在未來提升自己。
Failure can erode your self-confidence and make it hard to believe you’ll achieve a better outcome in the future. Most of the time, failure results from taking risks and trying to achieve something that isn’t easy. Success lies in your ability to rise in the face of failure, and you can’t do this when you’re living in the past. Anything worth achieving is going to require you to take some risks, and you can’t allow failure to stop you from believing in your ability to succeed. When you live in the past, that is exactly what happens, and your past becomes your present, preventing you from moving forward.
失敗會侵蝕你的自信，讓你很難相信自己在未來會取得更好的結果。大多數時候，失敗來源於冒險以及實現困難的事。成功存在於你面對失敗時個人能力的上升，如果你只是活在過去是不能做到的。任何值得實現的事都需要你承擔一些風險，你不能讓失敗阻止你相信自己成功的能力。當你活在過去，這樣的事就會發生，你的過去變成了你的現在，阻止你前進。
Bringing It All Together
綜上所述
I hope these lessons are as useful to you as they have been to me over the years. As I write them, I’m reminded of their power and my desire to use them every day.
我希望這些經驗教訓對你們來說是有用的，因爲這麼多年來它們一直對我有幫助。當我寫下這些內容時，我想起了他們的力量以及每天都用到它們的願望。
