Number one, lazy innovation.
第一，懒惰与革新。
Theres 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 dont really change our lives. Its not a life-or-death situation if we dont 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 dont have to. Wouldnt 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. Well 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 theyre always looking for the fastest and most efficient way to get things done. Their laziness motivates them to find creative solutions. Theyll improve, streamline2 and automate3 so they can spend less time doing things that they dont like. You can and should use your laziness the same way. When youre unwilling4 to do something, start looking for ways to save time. Not only is it more fun but youll 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 theres 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 youre working smarter and not harder. So the next time youre not in the mood to work, use that laziness to your advantage.
俗话说，需要是革新之母。任何新创造都是为满足某种需要。大家想不带眼镜就能看清东西，所以有人就创造了隐形眼镜。大家想要和远方的朋友与家人维持联系，于是有人就创造了电话。其实这种需要不是硬性的，有时候些创造没真的改变大家的生活。没电视看没躺椅坐，并非什么生死攸关的大事。大家需要这类创造是为了想让我们的生活更简单。拥有些越多，需要的工作就越少。譬如说，很多生活活中从来不用微波炉。虽然有许烹饪食物的方法，但有哪个想花费非必须的精力去做饭呢。难道你不想就只不过按一下按钮然后等上2分钟就可以吃饭了？当然，我的意思是懒惰和革新是并驾齐驱的，并不只由于买家懒惰就出现创造了。创造创造的人总是就是那些最懒的人。就拿本杰明富兰克林来讲吧。他一直称自己为世界上最懒的人。他说想要创造一些简单的东西，以便节省时间和精力。他感觉游泳太累，简直受够了，于是他就创造了蛙鞋。就由于他懒得换眼镜戴，是便创造了双光眼镜。懒惰的人中会诞生绝妙的创造家，由于他们一直想把事情以最快效果最好的方法做好。这种懒惰促进他们发现创造性的解决方法。他们或许会把事物改变、简化再令其智能化如此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。如果有不想做的事情，那就探寻一些节省时间的方法。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状况。可能在通常情况下，你去上班需要30分钟，没什么比堵在路更叫人心烦了,因此你发现了一条捷径。你会发现，假如不走几条小道，可以完全避开平时交通高峰。即便最后只能节省5分钟，那也会叫你下班感觉更短，而且也令你非常开心。发现一个变通方法，同样会叫你拥有与众不同的收获感。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，用这种懒惰回归最好状况。
Number two, listen to your thoughts.
第二，倾听我们的想法。
Even when youre avoiding your responsibilities, your mind is actively9 thinking about them. You may discover you have a hard time enjoying whatever youre 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 cant. People are laziest when theyre in denial. Imagine you have a paper due next week. In the back of your mind you know its 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 its time to get started. Not tomorrow, not in a few hours, right now. Because this thought isnt just popping up out of nowhere. Its the productive part of your brain telling you the right thing to do. So dont 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 youre struggling to figure out what to do first, tackle the task that you cant sTOP thinking about. The longer you try to ignore it, the more frustrated11 youre gonna feel. Youll never feel satisfied until you get that big-ticket item out of your head.
即便当你在逃避责任的时候，思绪还是停在这上面。你可能会发现，不管怎么样转移注意，一直不可以放手心来，好好享受。你的思绪集中在了懒惰上，别的啥事都做不了。最后你会以愤怒和自责而结束，由于你想尽力忘掉，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。你的潜意识对你说，这将是一项繁重的工作。你需要找论点、搜筹资料、写正文，你懂的，工作清单里一项又一项。可这个时候，你已经在社交软件上花了好几个小时了。你或许会说服自己，依然有不少时间的，但本能对你说，这不是真的。当你不停地考虑一件事情的时候其实就是该做这件事的时候了。不是明天，更不是几个小时后，而就是当下。由于这可不是凭空冒出来的想法。这是大脑中积极的想法在对你说，去做该做的事情。所以不要用电视和游戏去打粗心眼。当你的待办日程排得满满的时，也可以用同样的小技巧。假如你苦于挑不出先着手的事情，那就从不停考虑的那件事开始吧。你越是忽视它，你的挫败感就越强。除非你让这类让人头大的事情不再烦你，不然你从来不会感到认可。
Number three, the power of reliability12.
第三，依赖其他人的力量。
Even if youre 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? Lets 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, youre not affecting anyone but yourself. Theres no one there to hold you accountable. You should use reliability to motivate yourself to do things that you normally wouldnt. 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. Theyll expect you to follow through, so if you dont you wont 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 dont want to blow off your friend. You invited them to the gym so you cant just bail13 because youre 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 youre on your own its easier to fail because no one has to know about it. Your friends and family wont have a different opinion of you if you dont go. But now your friend will see firsthand whether youre following through or not. So you show up to make sure you leave a good impression. For the same reason youre more likely to actually try while youre there. You cant just leave after five minutes or sit on your phone the whole time. Sitting there watching your friend do what theyre 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 youre doing. If youre struggling to find motivation on your own, hey, theres no shame in calling for backup. The simple fact that someone else is involved will jumpstart your work ethic15.
虽然你设定新目的的能力挺强的，但实践起来或许会费些事。你可能会拟定一张待办事情清单，然后列出具体步骤，但，在最后一刻是什么叫你前功尽弃呢？就譬如说你想开始运动。你开始一心扑到运动上，买健身服，甚至成为健身俱乐部的会员。可事实上你从未在健身俱乐部露面。到最后还是以看电视或玩戏结束，由于这非常简单。假如你第10次想去健身俱乐部的想法被打消了，除去自己，你不会干扰到其他人。不会有人对你负责管你的。你应该将依赖其他人来督促己做一些不太想做的事。下一次要去健身俱乐部的时候，叫你的朋友在健身俱乐部等你。如此就会有人期望你出目前健身俱乐部了。你的朋友们会期望你坚持下来，假如你不这么做，也不会像之前那样可以为自己开脱。依赖其他人在很多方面是非常有效，但信赖更有效。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俱乐部，所以不可以由于懒惰，就溜之大吉。坐在一边看网飞上的电影，如此会破坏友谊，简直太糟糕了。依靠你的朋友同样也会勉励着你，由于你想让他们对你刮目相看。你想让他们感觉自己是一对目的十分认真的人。因此，当你自己的时候比较容易失败，由于无人了解此事。你的朋友和家人看不到你没坚持，不会有哪些不认可见。但目前，你的朋友就在旁边盯着你，看你是不是能坚持下去。所以你就得坚持去，才能给朋友留下一个好印象。出于同样是什么原因，当你在健身俱乐部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，他们做的运动会勉励你去跟着做。最后总结：依赖其他人可以让事情更有趣。而且朋友还可以聊天，缓解一下焦虑和重压。可能你的朋友阅历更丰富，他们可以助你在目前做的事情上得到最好的结果。假如你为没办法勉励自己而发愁，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，就叫你产生一种对于别人的道德责任。
Number four, undermine your fears.
第四，战胜恐惧。
Sometimes our laziness isnt really laziness. You might procrastinate16 or avoid doing something because well youre 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 cant 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 thats to start. Dont 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 youre 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 youre headed. Yeah it wont be very good because its not supposed to be. There arent any expectations or pressure, but youll find that things seem a lot more doable afterwards. So when youre feeling lazy, dont be afraid to get a little messy. Improving something bads a whole lot easier than making something perfect from scratch.
有时大家的懒惰不是真的的懒惰。你或许会在做一些事情上优柔寡断、尽可能避开这是由于你担忧尝试之后或许会发生的事情。你或许会把期望值设的太高。你或许会被成功的重压压得喘不过气来。这么想即便最简单的杂物事也会感觉到巨大的责任。最后也会逃之夭夭，由于压根不去尝试的事情，从来不会失败。目前为了防止这种懒惰，把我们的期望设定在眼前。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。这会叫你跨越第一个障碍。那你已经做到一半的时候，何计划都不再让人生畏。所以出于同样是什么原因，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。当然无需写得相当出色由于本来就还需要润色。这无需期望，也没重压，但事后会发现，所有变得更容易了。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 youre like most people you probably feel lethargic19 whenever youre trying to work or study in your room. And your clothes maybe the biggest reason why. Now everyone knows its a whole lot more comfortable to work in sweatpants or pajamas20. If youre gonna spend all day doing something that you dont 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 arent 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 doesnt see your room as a workspace. So when youre in your room, your brain unconsciously thinks about relaxation22 and sleep, because thats what its 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 arent taking tests or going to meetings, youre probably playing video games or watching TV. So thats what your brain thinks about when youre wearing them. The lazier your clothes are, the lazier youll feel. To overcome this kind of laziness, change into clothes that help you focus. Dont worry, you dont have to wear a suit and tie. You should choose something you wouldnt mind wearing out into the world. This is an especially helpful tip for students and people who work from home. Yeah its tempting23 to lounge around all day in your comfiest outfit24, but you need to tell your brain when its time to shift gears. A change of clothing is an easy and effective way to do just that.
哪儿叫你最懒散？假如你像大部分人一样，那样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是什么原因。大伙都了解穿着运动裤或睡衣工作起来最舒服了。假如你计划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。这就是很多公司让员穿装上班的最重要原因，就算是是不去拜访顾客，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，后者一定更有效率，由于你的大脑不觉得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，由于这就是一般的习惯。但图书馆创造了一种不一样的心理环境，相比其他环境，这种新环境会促进你大脑想工作，想更努力。工作装同样是这个道理。你穿运动裤的时候一般都会做什么？你可能不是去参加考试或是开会，更可能的是打游戏，或者看电视。所以你穿上如此的衣服大脑就会想这类事情。越懒散的衣服穿在身上，越懒散的感觉就随着你。要想克服这种懒惰，你就要换一套衣服，来帮助集中精力。不过也不要担忧，你也必要穿西服打领带。你可以穿一些自己感觉合适外出穿的衣服。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，这的确非常诱惑，但你需要告诉我们的大脑什么时间应该转变态度。通过换一套衣服来转变，即简单又有效。
