Number one, lazy innovation.

第一，懒惰与创新。

 

There's a common saying that necessity is the mother of innovation. Every new invention aims to satisfy some kind of need. People needed to see without wearing glasses, so someone invented contacts. People needed to communicate with friends and family from far far away, so someone invented phones. I say the word need pretty loosely, more often than not these inventions don't really change our lives. It's not a life-or-death situation if we don't have a TV or a recliner chair. People want these inventions because they make their lives easier. Now the more you have, the less work you have to do. For example, plenty of people live their whole lives without a microwave. There are lots of other ways to cook your food but who wants to expend¹ the effort if they don't have to. Wouldn't you rather just press a button and wait two minutes? Of course my point is that laziness and innovation go hand in hand, and not just because customers are lazy. Inventors are often the laziest people out there. We'll just look at Benjamin Franklin. He famously called himself the laziest man in the world. He said he would invent things simply to save himself a little bit of time and effort. He was tired of working so hard when he went swimming, so he invented flippers. He only created bifocals because he was too lazy to switch between different pairs of glasses. Lazy people make fantastic inventors since they're always looking for the fastest and most efficient way to get things done. Their laziness motivates them to find creative solutions. They'll improve, streamline² and automate³ so they can spend less time doing things that they don't like. You can and should use your laziness the same way. When you're unwilling⁴ to do something, start looking for ways to save time. Not only is it more fun but you'll also find yourself more motivated to succeed. Think of it like driving to work in the morning. Now your normal route may only take you thirty minutes, but there's nothing you hate more than sitting in traffic, so you discover a shortcut⁵. You realize if you cut down a few side streets that you can completely skip the usual congestion⁶. Even if you only end up saving, say five minutes, your commute⁷ will feel significantly shorter and more exciting. Finding a workaround also gives you a unique sense of accomplishment⁸. It feels good to know that you're working smarter and not harder. So the next time you're not in the mood to work, use that laziness to your advantage.

俗话说，需求是创新之母。任何新创造都是为满足某种需要。人们想不带眼镜就能看清东西，所以有人就发明了隐形眼镜。人们想要和远方的朋友与家人保持联系，于是有人就发明了电话。其实这种需求不是硬性的，很多时候些发明没有真正改变我们的生活。没有电视看没有躺椅坐，并不是什么生死攸关的大事。人们需要这些发明是为了想让自己的生活更简单。拥有的越多，需要的工作就越少。比如说，许多人生活中从来不使用微波炉。虽然有许烹饪食物的办法，但是有谁愿意花费不必要的精力去做饭呢。难道你不愿意就只是按一下按钮然后等上2分钟就能吃饭了？当然，我的意思是懒惰和创新是并驾齐驱的，并不仅仅因为消费者懒惰就出现发明了。发明创造的人往往就是那些最懒的人。就拿本杰明•富兰克林来说吧。他总是称自己为世界上最懒的人。他说想要发明一些简单的东西，以便节省时间和精力。他觉得游泳太累，简直受够了，于是他就发明了蛙鞋。就因为他懒得换眼镜戴，是便发明了双光眼镜。懒惰的人中会诞生绝妙的发明家，因为他们总是想把事情以最快最有效的方式做好。这种懒惰促使他们发现创造性的解决办法。他们可能会把事物改善、简化再令其自动化这样在不喜欢的事情上就会花更少的时间。你也可以，也应该把你的懒惰用在这方面。要是有不愿意做的事情，那就寻找一些节省时间的办法。这不但十分有趣，而且你还会发自己对做成一件事更有动力了。想想早上开车上班的情况。可能在一般情况下，你去上班需要30分钟，没什么比堵在路更让人心烦了,因此你发现了一条捷径。你会发现，如果不走几条小道，可以完全避开日常交通高峰。即使最后只能节省5分钟，那也会让你下班感觉更短，而且也令你很兴奋。发现一个变通办法，同样会让你拥有独一无二的成就感。工作上更聪明更不需埋头苦干的人，自我感觉更好。所以，下次当你在工作上闹情绪的候，使用这种懒惰回归最佳状态。

 

Number two, listen to your thoughts.

第二，倾听自己的想法。

 

Even when you're avoiding your responsibilities, your mind is actively⁹ thinking about them. You may discover you have a hard time enjoying whatever you're distracting yourself with. Your mind is too focused on your laziness to prioritize anything else. You end up feeling irritated and guilty because as much as you want to forget, well you can't. People are laziest when they're in denial. Imagine you have a paper due next week. In the back of your mind you know it's gonna be a ton of work. You still have to gather sources, find quotes, write your thesis, you know, the list goes on and on. Yet here you are spending hours on social media. You convince yourself you still have plenty of time, but your gut¹⁰ is telling you otherwise. Whenever you continue thinking about one thing, it means it's time to get started. Not tomorrow, not in a few hours, right now. Because this thought isn't just popping up out of nowhere. It's the productive part of your brain telling you the right thing to do. So don't try to block it out with TV or video games. You can use the same trick when you have a completely packed to-do list. If you're struggling to figure out what to do first, tackle the task that you can't stop thinking about. The longer you try to ignore it, the more frustrated¹¹ you're gonna feel. You'll never feel satisfied until you get that big-ticket item out of your head.

即使当你在逃避责任的时候，思绪还是停在这上面。你或许会发现，不管如何转移注意，总是不能放下心来，好好享受。你的思绪集中在了懒惰上，别的什么事都做不了。最终你会以愤怒和自责而收场，因为你想尽力忘掉，但却忘不掉。当一个人自欺欺人的时候，就是他最懒的时候。想象一下，下周你要交一篇论文。你的潜意识告诉你，这将是一项繁重的工作。你需要找论点、搜集资料、写正文，你懂的，工作清单里一项又一项。可这时，你已经在社交软件上花了好几个小时了。你可能会说服自己，依旧有很多时间的，但是本能告诉你，这不是真的。当你不停地思考一件事情的时候其实就是该做这件事的时候了。不是明天，也不是几个小时后，而就是当下。因为这可不是凭空冒出来的想法。这是大脑中积极的想法在告诉你，去做该做的事情。所以不要用电视和游戏去打马虎眼。当你的待办日程排得满满的时，也可以用同样的小妙招。如果你苦于挑不出先着手的事情，那就从不停思考的那件事开始吧。你越是忽略它，你的挫败感就越强。除非你让这些令人头大的事情不再烦你，否则你永远不会感到满意。

 

Number three, the power of reliability¹².

第三，依靠别人的力量。

 

Even if you're great about setting new goals, you may have a hard time following through. You might make a to-do list and lay out specific concrete steps but what stops you from bailing¹⁴ at the last minute? Let's say you want to start working out. You research exercises, you buy gym clothes and you even get a gym membership. Yet you never actually show up. You end up watching TV or playing video games because, well, you can. If you decide to skip the gym for the tenth time, you're not affecting anyone but yourself. There's no one there to hold you accountable. You should use reliability to motivate yourself to do things that you normally wouldn't. So the next time you plan on going to the gym, ask one of your friends to meet you there. That way someone else will be counting on you to show up. They'll expect you to follow through, so if you don't you won't get off scot-free like you did before. Reliability is effective for a number of reasons, but trust is a big one. You show up because you don't want to blow off your friend. You invited them to the gym so you can't just bail¹³ because you're feeling lazy. Sitting around watching Netflix is a pretty terrible reason to damage a friendship. Reliability also motivates you because you want your friend to think highly of you. You want them to see you as someone who takes their goals seriously. So when you're on your own it's easier to fail because no one has to know about it. Your friends and family won't have a different opinion of you if you don't go. But now your friend will see firsthand whether you're following through or not. So you show up to make sure you leave a good impression. For the same reason you're more likely to actually try while you're there. You can't just leave after five minutes or sit on your phone the whole time. Sitting there watching your friend do what they're supposed to do will motivate you to follow suit. Finally, reliability can make things more fun. It gives you someone to talk to which relieves anxiety and stress. Your friend might also be more experienced so they can help you get the most out of whatever you're doing. If you're struggling to find motivation on your own, hey, there's no shame in calling for backup. The simple fact that someone else is involved will jumpstart your work ethic¹⁵.

虽然你设定新目标的能力挺强的，但是实践起来可能会费些事。你或许会制定一张待办事项清单，然后列出具体步骤，但是，在最后一刻是什么让你前功尽弃呢？就比如说你想开始运动。你开始一心扑到运动上，买健身服，甚至成为健身房的会员。可实际上你从未在健身房露面。到最后还是以看电视或玩戏收场，因为这很简单。如果你第10次想去健身房的想法被打消了，除了自己，你不会影响到任何人。不会有人对你负责管你的。你应该将依靠别人来督促己做一些不太想做的事。下一次要去健身房的时候，让你的朋友在健身房等你。这样就会有人希望你出现在健身房了。你的朋友们会希望你坚持下来，如果你不这么做，也不会像之前那样可以为自己开脱。依靠别人在许多方面是很有效，但是信任更有效。你不想放自己朋友的鸽子，所以你就得出现。你邀请朋友们去健身房，所以不能因为懒惰，就溜之大吉。坐在一边看网飞上的电影，这样会破坏友谊，简直太糟糕了。依赖你的朋友同样也会激励着你，因为你想让他们对你刮目相看。你想让他们觉得自己是一对目标十分认真的人。因此，当你一个人的时候很容易失败，因为没有人知道此事。你的朋友和家人看不到你没有坚持，不会有什么不同意见。但现在，你的朋友就在旁边盯着你，看看你是否能坚持下去。所以你就得坚持去，才能给朋友留下一个好印象。出于同样的原因，当你在健身房的时候你会想去尝试一些运动。而不是呆5分钟就走，或是坐在那里一直玩手机。坐在那里看你的朋友运动，他们做的运动会激励你去跟着做。最后总结：依靠别人可以让事情更有趣。而且朋友还可以聊天，缓解一下焦虑和压力。或许你的朋友阅历更丰富，他们可以帮你在现在做的事情上得到最好的结果。如果你为无法激励自己而发愁，嘿，那就大胆拿起电话给你的朋友团打过去。事实显而易见，当有人参与其中，就让你产生一种对于他人的道德责任。

 

Number four, undermine your fears.

第四，战胜恐惧。

 

Sometimes our laziness isn't really laziness. You might procrastinate¹⁶ or avoid doing something because well you're worried about what will happen when you try. You might have set your expectations way too high. You might feel an overwhelming amount of pressure to succeed. This can make even the smallest chores feel like huge responsibilities. You end up running away because you can't fail at something that you never actually do. Now to avoid this kind of laziness, check your expectations at the door. In other words, when you start a project, you only have one job and that's to start. Don't be afraid of making something terrible, just begin working on the first thing that pops into your mind. This gets you past that initial roadblock. Every project is way less intimidating¹⁷ when you're already halfway¹⁸ done. This is the same reason that teachers encourage their students to write rough drafts. You make something rough and imperfect to get an idea of where you're headed. Yeah it won't be very good because it's not supposed to be. There aren't any expectations or pressure, but you'll find that things seem a lot more doable afterwards. So when you're feeling lazy, don't be afraid to get a little messy. Improving something bad's a whole lot easier than making something perfect from scratch.

有时候我们的懒惰不是真正的懒惰。你可能会在做一些事情上犹豫不决、尽量避开这是因为你担心尝试之后可能会发生的事情。你也许会把期望值设的太高。你可能会被成功的压力压得喘不过气来。这么想即使最简单的杂物事也会感觉到巨大的责任。最终也会逃之夭夭，因为压根不去尝试的事情，永远不会失败。现在为了避免这种懒惰，把自己的期望设定在眼前。换句话说，当你开始一项计划，你是需要做一项工作，这就是开始。不要害怕将事情搞砸，就做你脑中浮现的第一件事情。这会让你跨越第一个障碍。那你已经做到一半的时候，何计划都不再令人生畏。所以出于同样的原因，老师会鼓励学生们写草稿。你会把脑中的想法通过粗略和大致的工作表现出来。当然不需要写得相当出色因为本来就还需要润色。这不需要期望，也没有压力，但事后会发现，一切变得更容易了。当你感觉懒惰的时候，要害怕把事情搞乱。相比从零开始做一件完美的事情，把一件不太出色的事情做好简单太多了。

 

Number five, dress for productivity.

第五，着装让自己更高效。

 

Where are you the laziest? Well if you're like most people you probably feel lethargic¹⁹ whenever you're trying to work or study in your room. And your clothes maybe the biggest reason why. Now everyone knows it's a whole lot more comfortable to work in sweatpants or pajamas²⁰. If you're gonna spend all day doing something that you don't want to, you might as well be comfy, right? The truth is your clothes can directly affect your habits. This is one of the biggest reasons why so many companies make their employees dress up for work, even if they aren't interacting with customers. Your brain naturally associates your habits with your environment. Think about studying in your room versus²¹ studying in the library, the latter is way more efficient, because your brain doesn't see your room as a workspace. So when you're in your room, your brain unconsciously thinks about relaxation²² and sleep, because that's what it's used to doing. But the library puts you in a different mental space, this new environment primes your brain to work and think harder than it would anywhere else. Clothes work the exact same way. What are you usually doing when you wear sweatpants? Chances are you aren't taking tests or going to meetings, you're probably playing video games or watching TV. So that's what your brain thinks about when you're wearing them. The lazier your clothes are, the lazier you'll feel. To overcome this kind of laziness, change into clothes that help you focus. Don't worry, you don't have to wear a suit and tie. You should choose something you wouldn't mind wearing out into the world. This is an especially helpful tip for students and people who work from home. Yeah it's tempting²³ to lounge around all day in your comfiest outfit²⁴, but you need to tell your brain when it's time to shift gears. A change of clothing is an easy and effective way to do just that.

哪里让你最懒散？如果你像大多数人一样，那么在自己房间尝试工作和学习的时候最昏昏欲睡。而你的穿着可能是最大的原因。大家都知道穿着运动裤或睡衣工作起来最舒服了。如果你打算一整天做一件自己不想做的事情，那还不如让自己舒舒服服地做，对吧？事实上，你的着装直接影响到了你的习惯。这就是许多公司让员穿装上班的最主要原因，哪怕是是不去拜访客户，也得穿工装。你的大脑会自然地把你的行为和周围环境联系起来。想想在卧室里学习和在图书学习，后者肯定更有效率，因为你的大脑不认为你的卧室是一个工作环境。所以当你在卧室的时候，你的大脑就会无意识地想到放松或睡觉，因为这就是通常的习惯。但是图书馆创造了一种不同的心理环境，相比其他环境，这种新环境会促使你大脑想工作，想更努力。工作装同样是这个道理。你穿运动裤的时候通常都会干什么？你可能不是去参加考试或是开会，更可能的是玩游戏，或者看电视。所以你穿上这样的衣服大脑就会想这些事情。越懒散的衣服穿在身上，越懒散的感觉就伴随你。要想克服这种懒惰，你就要换一套衣服，来帮助集中精力。不过也不要担心，你也必要穿西装打领带。你可以穿一些自己觉得适合外出穿的衣服。这对于学生和在家工作的人是一个特别好的建议。没错，穿着最舒服的衣服悠哉一天，这的确很诱人，但是你需要告诉自己的大脑什么时候应该转变态度。通过换一套衣服来转变，即简单又有效。

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