美文欣赏：习惯成就生活 现在该养成的好习惯

 　　In his best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, Sean Covey states, “We become what we repeatedly do,” and this advice isn’t just for teens. In other words, our habits make us who we are.

　　在畅销书《杰出青少年的七个习惯》中，肖恩·柯维认为“我们反复做的事情造就了我们”，而这一建议不止适用于青少年。换句话说，我们的习惯决定了我们成为什么样的人。

　　If we are repeatedly late to work or we cancel plans with friends regularly, our reputation begins to proceed us — and not in a positive way. The cultivation¹ of good habits is essential in order to be taken seriously, feel good about ourselves, and live a positive life. Here are a few good habits you should start right now:

　　如果我们总是上班迟到，或者经常取消与朋友的约会，我们必定会变得“臭名远扬”。若想受人尊敬、自我满足并过上积极的生活，那么培养良好习惯则显得至关重要。下面就是一些现在就该养成的好习惯：

　　Find a group of people with similar interests找到志同道合的圈子

　　Within this group, you will find people who will be able to relate to you like others cannot. You will cultivate lifelong relationships and find a sense of belonging.

　　在这样一个圈子里，你会发现和自己志同道合的人。你将收获终生友谊并能找到归属感。

　　Let go of distraction²

　　杜绝分心

　　Give your attention to whatever’s in front of you. Stay in the moment and your relationships will benefit, as well as your peace of mind. Letting go of distractions³ will increase your mindfulness, which can lead to less stress and a more positive outlook.

　　将注意力专注到当下的事情上。活在当下不仅让人际关系受益，也有助于思绪的平和宁静。杜绝干扰可以提高专注力，进而减轻压力并激发更加乐观的心态。

　　Floss

　　用牙线清洁牙齿

　　Daily. Flossing is linked not only to healthy teeth, but to heart health as well. Fight gum disease, increase the potential to keep your teeth for life, and potentially lower your risk of heart disease, all while cultivating a good habit.

　　每天都用牙线清洁，不仅有利于牙齿健康，也对心脏健康有好处。养成这个好习惯可以预防龈疾病，延长牙齿寿命并降低患心脏病的几率。

　　Multitask less

　　减少同时处理多个任务

　　Put the phone and tablet away. Turn the television off. Devote your attention to the task at hand. Multitasking can lead to spotty work or half-done assignments or duties, so you are more effective if you focus on one thing at a time.

　　收起手机和平板，关掉电视。把注意力转移到手中的任务上。同时应付多个任务会使工作质量打折扣，或者任务变成半吊子。所以，如果你能一次只专注一件事的话，效率会提高不少。

　　Spend time with yourself

　　花时间独处

　　You need a little alone time. It allows you to relax and let go of your daily struggle. Being alone also gives you time to reflect without distraction.

　　你需要一点独处时间。这会让你放轻松并释放白天的辛苦。独处还能让你有时间不受干扰地进行反思。

　　Create a visual representation of motivation设立可视化激励提示

　　Usually referred to as a vision board, placing your goals and dreams on a poster board or the like can keep you focused. That visual representation helps remind you to keep pushing forward and striving toward your greatest good.

　　这个一般是指提示板，在提示板上写下目标与梦想有利于保持专注。可视化提示能提醒你不断前进、不断努力做到最好。

　　Set some goals

　　确定目标

　　And make sure they are obtainable. It’s important to have both short-term and long-term goals. For example, if you want to eat healthier, set a goal for one healthy meal per week for a month. Then increase it to two healthy meals and so on. If you do this, before you know it, you’ll be eating well and feeling great.

　　并要确保这些目标是能够实现的。同时设定短期和长期目标很重要。举个例子，如果你希望饮食更健康，那就每周或每月计划吃一顿健康饮食，然后逐渐增加到两顿，以此类推。如果你这么做，那么不知不觉就会吃得更好、精神更佳了。

　　Journal regularly

　　定期写日记

　　This is one of the easiest ways to get those feelings and thoughts out of you and onto paper. Writing in a journal on a regular basis can keep you on track with your goals and release tension.

　　要把情感和想法倾诉到纸上，这是最容易的一个办法了。定期写日记能让你随时温习目标并放松紧张状态。

　　Find a morning or evening routine and stick to it定一个早/晚例行事务并坚持下去

　　Choose 20 to 30 minutes, either in the morning or at night, where you can create a little routine you can stick to. Meditate⁴, write in your journal, read something inspiring, or use this time to focus on your passions.

　　早上还是晚上都可以，腾20-30分钟做一项自己能够坚持的例行事务，比如冥想、写日记、读励志文字或利用这段时间专注自己的爱好。

　　Strive to learn something new every day

　　努力做到每天学点新知识

　　If you are a writer, learn a new word and find a way to use it. If you read, look up some info about an author you admire. Research some news about another country. Learning helps you stay open minded and connected to the world around you.

　　如果你是个作家，那就学一个新词并想办法运用它；如果你爱阅读，那就搜一搜自己喜欢的某个作家；去了解其他国家的新闻。学习能使你保持思维开阔并和周围的世界保持密切。

　　Let go of comparison

　　不去攀比

　　It doesn’t matter if the person beside you in yoga class can contort their body in ways you can’t. If you stop comparing yourself to others, you’re more apt to be happy with who you are. Rather than compare your progress or success to those around you, seek to improve on your own accomplishments⁵.

　　瑜伽班坐你旁边的那个人可以伸展自如，而你却做不到，这又怎样呢？如果停止与他人攀比，你就能更愉悦地接纳本真的自我。与其拿自己的进步或成功跟周围的人作比较，倒不如努力提高自己的成就呢。

　　Save some money, even if it’s just a little哪怕很少，也要存点钱

　　Just five dollars a week will add up before you know it. Saving money constitutes discipline, which is necessary in all areas of life. Take out cash to spend for the week so you don’t have to touch your bank account. If you give yourself an ‘allowance,’ you’ll become more responsible with your income.

　　一个星期存5块钱也能在不知不觉间变多起来。省钱需要自律，而自律则是生活各方面都必需的品质。把这个星期要用的钱取出来，这样你就不必再用银行卡了。如果你试着给自己“零花钱”，或许就会变得不再随便花钱了。

　　Strive to be on time

　　努力做到准时

　　Arriving at your destination on time (or even better — early) shows that you care about other people’s time. This doesn’t just apply to work either. Show up on time for family events and outings with your friends.

　　准时（或者最好提早）到达目的地可以显示出你很尊重他人的时间。这不仅适用于职场，也适用于家庭活动以及和朋友的约会。

 

1 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。

2 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

3 distractions   

n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 )；娱乐，消遣；心烦意乱；精神错乱

参考例句：

• I find it hard to work at home because there are too many distractions. 我发觉在家里工作很难，因为使人分心的事太多。
• There are too many distractions here to work properly. 这里叫人分心的事太多，使人无法好好工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 meditate   

v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想

参考例句：

• It is important to meditate on the meaning of life.思考人生的意义很重要。
• I was meditating,and reached a higher state of consciousness.我在冥想，并进入了一个更高的意识境界。

5 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》