The Action Habit: Put Everything Into the First Step
「5步行动习惯」—— 一切的一切，都从你迈出的第一步开始！
壹心理翻译社 ◎ 荣誉出品
来源 | Zen Habits
翻译 | 赫宁
校编 | 搬那度
The things that stop us from taking action are all-too-familiar:
我们都很熟悉那些让我们没法开始行动的内因：
Feeling overwhelmed
感觉好像要被需要做的事情给吞没了
Fear
恐惧
Not knowing where to start
不知道从何入手
A habit of procrastinating and doing easier things
习惯把要做的事拖延下去，转而去做一些更容易的事
It’s easy to get into a mode of inaction, but building the Action Habit can be a lot more difficult. The reason is that the feedback loops in our lives are set up the wrong way: it’s easier to put things off than to act, it’s easier to seek comfort than to push into discomfort, fear and stress.
我们很容易就会选择不采取行动；相比之下，建立“行动习惯”却往往要困难得多。这是因为我们生活中的反馈循环的设置方向错了：我们认为拖延相比行动更容易；寻找舒适相比面对不适、恐惧和压力也更为容易。
So how do we start taking action in our lives: changing fundamental health and productivity habits, getting out and looking for a job, putting our creativity out there in the world, taking steps to finally work on that project you’ve been wanting to start?
如果要改善自己的生活，我们可能要改进我们的基本健康状态，或者培养一些高效能的习惯，或者动手开始寻找自己心仪的工作，或者把自身的创造力呈现在世人面前，或者开始着手那个搁置已久、“终于真的要开始了”的项目……
只是…… 生活中有那么多的事情要做，我们该怎样开始采取行动呢？
The answer lies in a simple method for creating the Action Habit:
其实答案是一个很简单却行之有效的方法，就是实行这个5步行动习惯：
Pick one positive action
选一个积极有益的行动
Make it tiny and easy
把行动分解成“小到简单易行”的任务
Set up positive feedback
建立起积极反馈模式
Put everything you have into it
投入你的全部心力去做
Repeat
重复上面4个步骤
This might sound too simplistic for some people, and you might be tempted to skip this and go read something else. This is a mistake — try this method and see if you can create the Action Habit today.
你可能会想：“这太简单了，没什么新意，真的不想看下去了，不如去看别的吧。”那你就真的错了，也永远地错过了 —— 看看下面的具体方法，你可能会发现跟你想的不一样哦。试试看，也许真的从今天起你就拥有了让你有超强执行力的“行动习惯”呢。
– 01 –
Pick One Positive Action
选一个积极有益的行动
Yes, I know that you have a thousand things you want to do, in all areas of your life. But thinking about all the things you need to do can be stressful and overwhelming, and lead to inaction. You can’t do it all right now!
嗯，我知道在你生活的方方面面，你想做的实在太多了。但如果你总在想你有多少事需要做只能让你觉得压力重重，不堪重负，反而让你放弃了希望，不如不做。毕竟，你不可能立刻去做所有的事！
Instead, focus on something you can do right now.
那么，就把精力集中在你马上就能做的事上。
But how do you choose among all the things you want to do? Try this:
可是，想做的事情那么多，该怎么选一个马上就能做的事呢？试试这样做：
Make a list of the main things you want to do. Feel free to make a second list of the smaller tasks and errands you need to get to as well. Don’t get stuck on this step — if you are overwhelmed by this, just think of the biggest things you need to get done.
将你想做的主要事项列入一个清单，有需要的话，可以同时把那些需要完成的较小任务或差事列入第二个清单。千万不要在这一步就被卡住了：如果你觉得无法抉择，不知所措，那就把焦点放在最重要的待办事项就可以了。
Mark the top 3 things on your list — what feel most important to you right now? If you can’t decide, ask someone else to decide for you.
把清单上三个最重要的事项标记出来——对你而言，哪些事现在最重要？如果你决定不了，那么就请你身边的某个人帮你决定一下吧。
Pick the No. 1 thing in your top 3. If it’s too hard to choose, make a random choice — it’s better to make a slightly less-than-optimal choice than to get stuck in indecision.
在这三大重要事项中，选出排名第一的这一项。如果太难决定哪个更重要，就随机选一个吧——做一个比最佳方案稍微逊色的决定，总比做不出决定要好得多。
Once you have your No. 1 thing you want to get done (let’s say, “Write a book” or “Get in shape”), then you need to pick one small action you can get done on this project in the next few minutes.
一旦选定了你最想完成的那件事（比如说，“写一本书”或者“锻炼塑身”），你就要选出这个项目中一个可以在接下来的几分钟内完成的小行动。
What about the other projects or tasks on your list? You’ll get to those later, but worrying about everything all at once is counterproductive. Pick one thing on the list, and get moving with it. After that, you can re-evaluate and pick the next thing on your list to get moving on. In this way, you’re getting in the habit of taking action rather than getting stuck.
“那我的清单上那些其他想做的事和需要完成的小任务怎么办？”以后会有机会处理的——如果你同一时间担心起所有的事，只会使你离目标越来越远。在你的清单上选一件事，专注而全力地推进这件事。达到目标取得小胜利之后，对你的清单再重新评估整理下，然后选择清单上的下一件事，全力以赴。依此反复，你开始形成了凡事行动的习惯，而不是停滞不前，思前想后。
– 02 –
Make It Tiny & Easy
把行动分解成“小到简单易行”的任务
Now that you have something you want to focus on, ask yourself, “What tiny action can I take right now?”
现在你已经找到了想要集中精力解决的某件事了，这个时候，请问自己一个问题：“对于这件事，哪些小行动是我马上就可以做的呢？”
For “Write a book” it could be as simple as “Open a document and write down a few ideas.” For “Get in shape,” you might choose something like, “Go out for a short walk,” “Do a few pushups,” or “Send an email to my sister to go for a run tomorrow.”
比如，如果你想写一本书，一个简单的任务就是“打开电脑写下几个想法”。如果你想锻炼塑身，你可能会“出去散一小会儿步”，“做几个俯卧撑”，或者“发个邮件给我姐姐，约她明天一起去跑步”之类的。
You don’t have to do the whole project right now. Just one tiny step. Once you get into the Action Habit, you’ll be able to do the other steps later. But for now, just focus on one tiny step. This is how you create the habit.
你不必马上开始着手完成整个项目，只要迈出很小很小的一步就行了。只要你开始执行“行动习惯”，之后你就一定能做到其他那些小步骤。但是现在呢，请你就只倾注全力在这一个小步骤上。这是你养成行动习惯的关键所在。
Make it as ridiculously easy as possible, so that you can’t really say no.
记得设定的小目标一定要尽可能的简单，哪怕简单到令人不可置信，这样你就没有任何借口犯懒了。
Are you tempted to put it off? Then make it even easier — 30 seconds of working out is so easy that anyone can do it.
坚持不住了？又想要放一边不做了？那就调整得再简单一点 —— 比如：“锻炼30秒”。相信这么简单的事，什么人都可以做到了吧。
Thirty seconds of working out is not going to get you in shape, but the Action Habit is about removing barriers and getting moving.
锻炼30秒，当然不能让你塑身成功，但是养成“行动习惯”的目的，就是扫除各种障碍，坚持行动的过程。
– 03 –
Set Up Positive Feedback
建立起积极反馈模式
If you get one or two people into an accountability team, you’ll make it much more likely that you’ll succeed. That’s because with accountability, you get negative feedback for not doing the actions (a bit of embarrassment) and positive feedback for doing the actions (a bit of pride in your accomplishment).
如果有一两个人可以跟你组成“督促小组”，你会让自己更有可能成功地完成你的计划。有了这个督促小组，当你懒癌复发，推三阻四的时候，你会听到小伙伴们警钟一样的负面反馈，提醒你的目标和懒下去的坏处（总会有点不好意思吧）；而当你坚持行动的时候，你又会听到小伙伴们积极肯定的反馈（也会为自己的成就感到稍微自豪一点吧）。
It’s simple:
其实组建一个督促小组，建立起这样的积极反馈模式很简单：
Ask one or two friends to be on your team. This is as easy as sending an email or text message.
找一两个朋友加入你的小组。这也不难哦，发个邮件或者发个短信说下你的想法。
Tell each other what tiny steps you’re going to do today towards important long-term goals.
告诉他们，你为了完成一个非常重要的长期目标，要在今天完成哪些小目标。
Check in at the end of the day, or when you’re done with your three tiny actions.
在这一天结束的时候，或者当三个小行动都完成的时候，就跟小组汇报一下这些小行动的情况。
If you’d rather not have a team, then simply put up a list on your wall (or somewhere very visible) of your three top tiny actions for this morning, and allow yourself to check them off once they’re done. It’s rewarding to be able to check the off.
如果你不想建个小组，想靠自己的努力来实现，那也可以。你只需要在你的墙上（或任何很容易看得到的地方）贴上一个列表，列出你要在今天上午完成的三个最重要的小行动，完成一个就划掉一个。每次划掉的时候就像又拿到了一个奖，有没有？！
Positive feedback means you’re going to enjoy taking the tiny actions, rather than seeking comfort in putting them off.
有了积极肯定的反馈，你就会享受完成小行动的过程，而不是陶醉在拖延所带来的舒适中。
– 04 –
Put Your Entire Being Into It
投入你的全部心力去做
Once you have your accountability set up, and a tiny action chosen, then it’s time to take action!
一旦你已经组建了你的督促小组，选定了一个小目标，那么就是该行动的时候了！
Now put your entire self into starting the action.
现在，请你用尽所有的力气去开始行动。
All you have to do is start.
注意：你唯一需要做的就是开！始！行！动！
Act as if your life depends on it.
你要全力以赴，就好像只有你完成了这个小目标，你才能活下去；
Act as if nothing were more important than keeping your word to yourself.
你要全力以赴，就好像世界上最重要的事就是自己对自己承诺的事要说到做到；
Act as if this one tiny action were the entire universe.
你要全力以赴，就好像整个浩瀚的宇宙就只有这一个小小的行动。
All you have to do is get moving — open a document, start an email, write one item on a list, put on your running shoes. Devote yourself single-mindedly to starting this tiny movement.
现在要做的就是行动起来 —— 打开文档、写一封电子邮件、在清单中列出一项任务、穿上你的跑步鞋，把所有的精力都集中在开始这一个小小的行动上。
– 05 –
Repeat, to Create the Habit
重复这些步骤，直到变成了你自己的习惯
Doing your first tiny action is amazing. Now focus your entire being on the next tiny action. This is how you create the Action Habit: by doing it repeatedly.
第一个小目标就这样做完了，简直太不可思议了！现在，尽你所能开始下一个小目标吧。这就是养成“行动习惯”的小秘密：重复、重复、再重复去做。
If you’ve taken a tiny action on an important project, congratulate yourself! Check it off your list, report it to your accountability team, feel gratitude that you got moving. Now ask yourself what is the next small step you can take on this project. Can you take it right now? One small step at a time, you’re getting some momentum on this project.
如果你已经完成了一个重要项目中的一小步，恭喜你！在你的清单中划掉这一步，再向你的督促小组报告一下，然后感恩自己终于采取了行动。接下来你要想一想：在这个项目中，下一小步可以做什么呢？可以现在马上开始做吗？每一次实现一小步，你就能在这个项目上得到一点动力，向成功前进。
Or perhaps there’s nothing else you can do right now. Look at your Top 3 list, and see if there’s another project you can take a tiny action on right now.
也许，对于这个项目，现在真的没有什么马上就能开始做的。那就再看下你清单上排名最重要的前三件事，有没有另外一个项目里的小行动是现在就可以马上开始做的。
If not, maybe one of your other important items. Or maybe you take action on your smaller tasks (though don’t let yourself use this as a way to put off the hard stuff). Do the hard stuff first if you can, but you need to get to the small stuff sometimes. The trick is, you’re turning the hard stuff into the small easy stuff.
要是也没有，就从其他重要的事当中选一个开始。或者，也可以在你列出的其他小任务里选一个开始行动起来 （但是千万不要用这个方法来把难一些的事拖延掉）。如果可能的话，尽量把有些难度的事情放在前面去做，只是有时你还是需要先完成一些小任务才行。其实窍门就是：你把这些看起来难得不想去做的大事都变成了一个个没什么难度的小任务。
Just repeat this method, re-evaluating your list once a day or so, taking tiny actions all day long, with breaks in between. This is how you form the Action Habit, and it will be incredible.
总之，就是要不断重复这个方法，差不多每天再重新评估调整下你清单上列出的事项和任务，每一天都坚持去完成这些小目标，每完成一个小目标就休息调整一下。这样，“行动习惯”就会在这个过程中悄然成为了你的一部分，而它给你的生活带来的改变，将让你惊喜之极！
英文原作：The Action Habit: Put Everything Into the First Step (Zen Habits)
译者简介：赫宁，壹心理翻译社 | 译员。心理学常年粉丝，想一边宅着一边传播些光和热的女银。
