譯文BY劉安娜20161007
原文作者：LEO BABAUTA（里奧·巴伯塔）
If you want to create a new exercise habit (for example), you might tell yourself something like this:
舉個栗子，如果你想養(yǎng)成運動的新習(xí)慣，你可能這樣告訴自己：
“This is going to be amazing, I’m going to get fit and look incredible and be super healthy!”
“太棒了！我將會身材特棒，看上去特美，整個人特健康！”
This is a story you’re telling yourself. It’s not real, but it has tremendous power to affect your feelings about your habit, and to change your action. You have a positive story about the habit, and it motivates you to take action.
這就是你講給自己聽的故事。并非現(xiàn)實，但會極大的影響你對這一習(xí)慣的感覺，從而改變你的行為。你給這個習(xí)慣設(shè)定一個積極的故事，它就能敦促你采取行動。
But perhaps the exercise you did one day was really tough, and you didn’t enjoy it. Your story might change, to something like, “Wow, that was super hard. It sucked!”
但也許你練了一天，覺得太難了，一點也不喜歡。你的故事可能就變成：“喔！這簡直太難了。糟透了！”
Now your story about the habit is not so good, and you’ll be less enthusiastic about doing the habit from now on.
這時你給這習(xí)慣設(shè)定的故事沒那么好了，從這以后，你養(yǎng)成習(xí)慣的熱情就會減退。
Maybe you also missed a couple of days of exercise because you got busy. Your story changes to, “Damn, I screwed up, I’m not as good at this habit as I thought, why am I not disciplined?”
也許你還因為忙錯過了幾天的鍛煉，故事就會變成，“艾瑪，我廢了。養(yǎng)成習(xí)慣沒有我尋思的那么容易啊，我為什么不能控計我記己？”
The story isn’t so good. Now you might actually try not think about the habit, and you are much more likely to skip the habit from now on.
這故事就整個都不好了。這時候，你也許試圖把養(yǎng)成習(xí)慣這事兒拋諸腦后，很可能從此再也不想了。
The story you tell yourself about your habit matters more than most people realize.
So the key is to shape the story, become your own habit storyteller, and create a story that will make you more likely to stick to the habit.
在養(yǎng)成一種習(xí)慣的過程中，你講的這些故事比大多數(shù)人以為的重要多了。所以關(guān)鍵是塑造這個故事，讓你把握住這種思想，利用這個故事讓你投入到習(xí)慣養(yǎng)成中去。
Telling a Good Story
講一個好故事
The truth is that none of these stories is actually true. They’re just narratives we have made up, in our minds, about what’s going on. The reality is what’s happening right now, and in an “ideal” world we would just drop the stories and be present with the moment, experiencing reality as it is.
事實是這些故事都不是真的。只是我們在腦子里想出來的對現(xiàn)實的解釋。正在發(fā)生的事兒才是現(xiàn)實，在理想世界里我們只要講講故事，同時就能體驗到相同的真實事件。
There’s no such thing as an ideal world, though. We tell stories. That’s what we do. So the key is to realize when you’re telling a negative story that’s going to make you quit the habit, and instead create a more helpful story.
不過理想世界是不存在的，我們講的也就是故事。我們就好這樣。重點是意識到你講消極故事將導(dǎo)致你養(yǎng)成習(xí)慣失敗，所以我們應(yīng)該講述更有用的故事。
Try this:
試試這個：
1. Ask yourself how you feel about the habit you’re creating.Are you psyched about it? Are you discouraged? Looking forward to it or dreading it? Feel strong about it or feel like you’re doing lousy? Is it a wonderful experience for you or are you ploughing through the suckiness? This is all an indicator of what story you’re telling yourself.
自問你對正培養(yǎng)的這習(xí)慣感覺如何。你是激動？還是沮喪？特期待還是很害怕？感覺良好還是糟糕透頂？體驗美妙還是步履維艱？這全都是你講給自己聽的那個故事的表征。
2. Start creating a better story by focusing on the things you love about the habit. You could focus on how much you hate the habit, or you could focus on what you love. It’s your choice. Find things to appreciate about the habit. Look at your successes and think, “Man, that’s awesome that I’ve done those things.”
講述一個更好的故事，能聚焦這個習(xí)慣里你愛的部分。你可以聚焦你討厭的部分，或者關(guān)注你愛的部分。你說了算。找出你喜歡這習(xí)慣的那些事兒，關(guān)注你取得的成就，想著，“艾瑪，我好牛逼哦?！?/p>
This is not to say that you should only think positive thoughts, or that you should ignore the negative. But if your story is on the balance more positive than negative, you’ll be more resilient. You’ll be able to handle the negative stuff with grace, because you have a positive feeling about the habit.
并不是說你只想著積極的想法，忽略消極的一面。但要是你的故事積極多過消極，你就會更有活力。因為你對照和習(xí)慣抱有一種正能量感覺，你就能從容地應(yīng)對消極想法。
If you resent doing the habit, or see it as a sacrifice, you’re more likely to blow the negative aspects up when they happen. But people with a strongly positive story will be likely to weather the storm of negative aspects of the habit.
如果你討厭這件事，或者覺得犧牲很大，你就更可能夸大消極方面的感受。但那些有著強烈積極意義故事的人就能安然度過習(xí)慣養(yǎng)成中的負(fù)能量風(fēng)暴。
The Positive Story Exercise
積極故事練習(xí)
Try to think about some of the following thoughts when you’re working on your habit:
努力培養(yǎng)一種習(xí)慣時試著想想以下這些想法：
1. This makes me feel strong/healthy/empowered (or some other positive trait).我感覺棒極了/很健康/充滿了活力（或其他一些積極的品質(zhì)）。
2. I am proud of doing this habit. 能持續(xù)做這個我覺得很驕傲。
3. I have had some great successes with this.我取得了一些很棒的成就。
4. I’m learning a lot with this habit.我學(xué)會了很多東西。
5. I’ve had good experiences with this habit. 我有一些美好的經(jīng)歷。
6. There are some exciting things about this that I’d like to share with people.我有些激動人心的收獲，真想和大家分享。
7. I can appreciate the little things about this habit.這件事里有很多我喜歡的部分。
8. There are things I genuinely love about this habit. 我發(fā)在肺腑的就愛這么干。
9. This can sometimes be a struggle but it’s definitely worth it. 這可能有點難，但絕對值得努力。
10. This habit is improving my life an multiple ways. 養(yǎng)成這個習(xí)慣能從各方面改善我的生活。
11. I’m lucky to be able to do this habit. 能做這件事我太幸運了。
12. There are things about this habit that I look forward to. 我很期待能做成。
13. I’ve missed doing this habit sometimes, but over the long run it doesn’t matter. 有時候我可能沒有堅持住，不過長遠來看這都無所謂。
14. Doing this habit makes me more resilient. 持續(xù)做這件事讓我活力四射。
15. When I’ve done this habit, I feel accomplished and satisfied. 養(yǎng)成這習(xí)慣讓我成就感爆棚，心滿意足。
16. I feel like a better person when I do this habit. 這習(xí)慣讓我成為更好的自己。
Just think about one of these each time you do the habit, or just after. And then try another one on the next time you do the habit.
每次你在重復(fù)習(xí)慣事件時想著其中的一條，或完事了想。下次重復(fù)習(xí)慣事件的時候再試試另外一條。
Slowly, with thoughts like these and others you might think of, you’ll start to have a more positive story about the habit.
隨著你反復(fù)想這些念頭，以及其他一些念頭，你就會開始講述一個關(guān)于這習(xí)慣的更積極的故事。
And that will make all the difference — not only will you want to stay with it longer, you’ll enjoy it more each time you do it.
從此一切都大不同了——不僅僅是你能更長久的保持這個習(xí)慣，而且你每次做習(xí)慣事件的時候都會感到身心愉悅。
——Thoughts——
——想法——
以前流行的概念是養(yǎng)成一個習(xí)慣需要21天，在我看來，給一個習(xí)慣設(shè)定截止日期不算特別明智，因為很容易在日期到達后覺得功成名就，然后就會把這新習(xí)慣拋諸腦后，就像期末考試結(jié)束后，誰還學(xué)習(xí)啊。除非像是朝夕日歷早起打卡的滾動程序，就是一個21天結(jié)束以后馬上自動開始了新的21天，所以相當(dāng)于習(xí)慣養(yǎng)成永遠不結(jié)束，只要做好每一天。
很多人，包括我記幾在內(nèi)，都有一些希望自己能養(yǎng)成的習(xí)慣，無論是早起，還是每周讀一本書，或者每天學(xué)英語，或者定期鍛煉，但習(xí)慣養(yǎng)成真的不是我們在腦子里想一想就能夢想成真的。唯一能改變現(xiàn)實的只有行動。
不過，我們所持有的想法確實可以很大程度的影響我們的行動。比如文章開頭說的，如果我們認(rèn)為自己通過鍛煉能更美、更健康，每次鍛煉的時候我們就一直這么告訴自己，將有助于我們克服鍛煉帶來的生理痛苦，尤其是很久不鍛煉、剛剛重頭開始的小伙伴，更需要這些故事來抗衡生理痛苦。我就是通過不斷提醒自己堅持鍛煉給我?guī)淼暮锰?，減肥成功以后我將成為一個美女（就是這么湊表臉），才能扛過每天的10公里橢圓機。把注意力從鍛煉本身帶來的消極故事（全身酸痛，像被牛踩過一樣）轉(zhuǎn)移到未來帶來的好處這個積極故事上。
除了修正我們對自己講的故事，有時我們可以通過欺騙自己來達到養(yǎng)成習(xí)慣的目的。比如說，我們希望自己能早起，但有時候真的不知道早起干嘛，這時候我們就需要提前給自己找一個借口，比如說，我明天需要早上5點半起，這樣我就可以把某本書讀完，這件事太重要了，必須明天早上做。這絕對有助于你聽見鬧鐘，并馬上起床。我今早就是這么干的，我說服自己，我需要今天早上讀完許榮哲的《小說課》（貳），and I did it!
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