Why have you been so successful in reaching some of your goals, but not others? If you aren't sure, you are far from alone in your confusion. It turns out that even brilliant, highly accomplished people are pretty lousy when it comes to understanding why they succeed or fail. The intuitive answer — that you are born predisposed to certain talents and lacking in others — is really just one small piece of the puzzle. In fact, decades of research on achievement suggests that successful people reach their goals not simply because of who they are, but more often because of what they do.

为什么你能成功达到目标，其他人却不能？如果你不知道答案，那么对此困惑的还远远不止你一个人。事实上，即使是智商过人的成功人士在思考他们成功或失败的原因时，也无法给出答案。直观的答案真的就是拼图游戏的一小块，你的才能是与生俱来的，而其他人没有。实际上，多年来对成功的研究表明成功人士之所以能够达到目标不是因为他们是谁，更重要的通常是他们都做些什么。

1. Get specific. When you set yourself a goal, try to be as specific as possible. "Lose 5 pounds" is a better goal than "lose some weight," because it gives you a clear idea of what success looks like. Knowing exactly what you want to achieve keeps you motivated until you get there. Also, think about the specific actions that need to be taken to reach your goal. Just promising you'll "eat less" or "sleep more" is too vague — be clear and precise. "I'll be in bed by 10pm on weeknights" leaves no room for doubt about what you need to do, and whether or not you've actually done it.

1，目标具体。如果你给自己设定一个目标，尽量具体些。“减5磅”比“减些体重”的目标好，因为你清楚最后要达到什么样的结果。明确知道你要达到的目标，这样你就有动力达成它。另外，要达到目标，你要想想都需要哪些具体的行动。如果只是希望自己“少吃点”或者“多睡点”，这样的目标都太模糊了，要把目标定得更清晰更明确些。“我这周每天晚上10点睡觉”，无论你实际上是否按时睡觉了，这个目标都会让你没有犹豫的时间。

2. Seize the moment to act on your goals. Given how busy most of us are, and how many goals we are juggling at once, it's not surprising that we routinely miss opportunities to act on a goal because we simply fail to notice them. Did you really have no time to work out today? No chance at any point to return that phone call? Achieving your goal means grabbing hold of these opportunities before they slip through your fingers.

2，抓住时机朝着目标行动。不管我们有多忙，我们一次有多少目标要去实现，我们一直都在错过实现目标的机会，这不足为奇，因为我们根本就没在乎这些目标。你今天真的没有时间朝着目标行动吗？根本没时间回一通电话？实现这些目标，你就要在机会溜走前抓住他们。

To seize the moment, decide when and where you will take each action you want to take, in advance. Again, be as specific as possible (e.g., "If it's Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, I'll work out for 30 minutes before work.") Studies show that this kind of planning will help your brain to detect and seize the opportunity when it arises, increasing your chances of success by roughly 300%.

要抓住机会，你首先要想清楚什么时候以及在哪里采取每一步行动。再次说明，目标越详细越好（比如，星期一、星期三还是星期五，我要在工作前做30分钟）。研究表明这种计划能帮助你的大脑在机会出现的时候发现和抓住他们，这样你成功的机会就增加了大概300%。

3. Know exactly how far you have left to go. Achieving any goal also requires honest and regular monitoring of your progress — if not by others, then by you yourself. If you don't know how well you are doing, you can't adjust your behavior or your strategies accordingly. Check your progress frequently — weekly, or even daily, depending on the goal.

3，清楚你还要做哪些努力才能达成目标。达成任何目标都需要诚实，而且要经常检查你已经取得的进步，如果其他人不能帮你检查，你可以自己做。如果你不清楚自己做的到底怎样，那么你就不能及时调整你的行为或战术。经常检查你取得的进步，可以根据目标的具体情况每周或每天检查一次。

4. Be a realistic optimist. When you are setting a goal, by all means engage in lots of positive thinking about how likely you are to achieve it. Believing in your ability to succeed is enormously helpful for creating and sustaining your motivation. But whatever you do, don't underestimate how difficult it will be to reach your goal. Most goals worth achieving require time, planning, effort, and persistence. Studies show that thinking things will come to you easily and effortlessly leaves you ill-prepared for the journey ahead, and significantly increases the odds of failure.

4，做一个现实的乐观主义者。在你设定了目标以后，你要实现它需要很多积极的思考。相信自己能够成功，这对产生并维持你的动力有很大帮助。但是不管你做什么，不要低估了你要达成的目标的难度。许多目标的达成值得你花费时间、计划、努力和耐力。研究表明如果你认为不费力气目标自然而然就能达到，那么你对以后的路就毫无准备，失败的几率会大大增加。

5. Focus on getting better, rather than being good. Believing you have the ability to reach your goals is important, but so is believing you can get the ability. Many of us believe that our intelligence, our personality, and our physical aptitudes are fixed — that no matter what we do, we won't improve. As a result, we focus on goals that are all about proving ourselves, rather than developing and acquiring new skills.

5，努力做的更好，比好还要再好。你相信自己有能力达成目标，这点很重要，但相信你能获得这个能力也同样重要。许多人认为我们的智商、个性和物理能力是天生不变的，无论我们做什么，我们都不能改进。结果，我们将注意力都集中在改善我们自己，而忽略了发展和获取新的技能。

Fortunately, decades of research suggest that the belief in fixed ability is completely wrong — abilities of all kinds are profoundly malleable. Embracing the fact that you can change will allow you to make better choices, and reach your fullest potential. People whose goals are about getting better, rather than being good, take difficulty in stride, and appreciate the journey as much as the destination.

幸运的是，几十年的研究表明相信能力是天生的不能改变的，这完全是错误的。所有的能力都有着非常大的可塑性。接受你能改变的事实，这样你会有更好的选择，可以将你的深层次潜力完全释放出来。人们的目标都是要做的更好，而不只是满足于好。从容地面对困难，与享受目标一样享受奋斗的过程。

6. Have grit. Grit is a willingness to commit to long-term goals, and to persist in the face of difficulty. Studies show that gritty people obtain more education in their lifetime, and earn higher college GPAs. Grit predicts which cadets will stick out their first grueling year at West Point. In fact, grit even predicts which round contestants will make it to at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

6，要有意志力。意志力是承诺达成长期目标的一种意愿，在困难面前持之以恒。研究表明拥有意志力的人在人生中会接受更多的教育，拿到更高的大学文凭。意志力预示着西点军校的学员能成功渡过艰苦的第一年。事实上，意志力甚至预示着决赛选手会在斯克利蒲斯全美拼字比赛中成功摘冠。

The good news is, if you aren't particularly gritty now, there is something you can do about it. People who lack grit more often than not believe that they just don't have the innate abilities successful people have. If that describes your own thinking .... well, there's no way to put this nicely: you are wrong. As I mentioned earlier, effort, planning, persistence, and good strategies are what it really takes to succeed. Embracing this knowledge will not only help you see yourself and your goals more accurately, but also do wonders for your grit.

好消息是，如果你没有很强的意志力，那么你还可以这样做。缺乏意志力的人往往不相信他们不具备成功人士的天生能力。如果这是你真实的想法..........好吧，没有其他方法来表述的更好些：你的想法是错误的。如我之前提到的，努力、计划、坚持还有好的战术，这些都是通往成功的重要因素。记住这点，你不仅能看清你自己并帮助你准确地定位自己的目标，还能为你的意志力创造奇迹。

7. Build your willpower muscle. Your self-control "muscle" is just like the other muscles in your body — when it doesn't get much exercise, it becomes weaker over time. But when you give it regular workouts by putting it to good use, it will grow stronger and stronger, and better able to help you successfully reach your goals.

翻译 closure_uid_uo2lgx="911">7，锻炼你的毅力翻译 closure_uid_uo2lgx="912">肌肉。翻译 closure_uid_uo2lgx="913">你的自我翻译 closure_uid_uo2lgx="914">控制“翻译 closure_uid_uo2lgx="915">肌肉”翻译 closure_uid_uo2lgx="916">就像翻译 closure_uid_uo2lgx="917">你身体上的翻译 closure_uid_uo2lgx="918">其他肌肉一样翻译 closure_uid_uo2lgx="919">- 当翻译 closure_uid_uo2lgx="920">它没有得到足够的运动，时间长了就会变得无力。但是，如果你好好使用你的肌肉并经常锻炼它，它会变得越来越强壮，并能更好地帮助你成功地达到目标。

To build willpower, take on a challenge that requires you to do something you'd honestly rather not do. Give up high-fat snacks, do 100 sit-ups a day, stand up straight when you catch yourself slouching, try to learn a new skill. When you find yourself wanting to give in, give up, or just not bother — don't. Start with just one activity, and make a plan for how you will deal with troubles when they occur ("If I have a craving for a snack, I will eat one piece of fresh or three pieces of dried fruit.") It will be hard in the beginning, but it will get easier, and that's the whole point. As your strength grows, you can take on more challenges and step-up your self-control workout.

为了锻炼毅力，先接受挑战，这需要你去做一件你从心里不愿意做的事。放弃高脂肪零食，每天做100个仰卧起坐，当你发现自己无精打采时站直了，尝试学习新的技能。当你发现自己想退缩、想放弃、或者只是懒得找麻烦的时候- 千万不要这么做。从一个活动开始，当麻烦来临时做一个处理麻烦的方案（“如果我特别想吃零食，我会吃一片新鲜水果或三片干果。”）万事开头难，但你做了就会变得越来越容易，就是这个意思。随着你毅力的增加，你可以接受更多的挑战并加强你的自我控制锻炼。

8. Don't tempt fate. No matter how strong your willpower muscle becomes, it's important to always respect the fact that it is limited, and if you overtax it you will temporarily run out of steam. Don't try to take on two challenging tasks at once, if you can help it (like quitting smoking and dieting at the same time). And don't put yourself in harm's way — many people are overly-confident in their ability to resist temptation, and as a result they put themselves in situations where temptations abound. Successful people know not to make reaching a goal harder than it already is.

8，不要心存侥幸。不管你的毅力肌肉变得多强壮，重要的是要始终尊重肌肉的承受力是有限的事实，如果你给它的负担过重，你会暂时感到精疲力竭。不要试图同时接受两个具有挑战性的任务，除非你能做好（比如在同时戒烟和减肥）。另外不要伤害自己-很多人过度相信自己抵御诱惑的能力，因此他们处处让自己处在诱惑中。成功人士明白不要企图达到无法企及的目标。

9. Focus on what you will do, not what you won't do. Do you want to successfully lose weight, quit smoking, or put a lid on your bad temper? Then plan how you will replace bad habits with good ones, rather than focusing only on the bad habits themselves. Research on thought suppression (e.g., "Don't think about white bears!") has shown that trying to avoid a thought makes it even more active in your mind. The same holds true when it comes to behavior — by trying not to engage in a bad habit, our habits get strengthened rather than broken.

9，专注于你所做的，而不是你不会做的。你想成功减肥、戒烟、或者把你的坏脾气改掉吗？那么计划一下如何改掉你的坏习惯形成好习惯，而不要只是关注坏习惯本身。对思维抑制的研究（例如，“不要去想白熊！“）表明，设法避免一个想法会让这个想法在你的头脑中变得更加活跃。这同样对行为有效-尝试改掉坏习惯，我们的坏习惯没有改掉反而变得更强。

If you want change your ways, ask yourself, What will I do instead? For example, if you are trying to gain control of your temper and stop flying off the handle, you might make a plan like "If I am starting to feel angry, then I will take three deep breaths to calm down." By using deep breathing as a replacement for giving in to your anger, your bad habit will get worn away over time until it disappears completely.

如果你想改变你的习惯，问一下你自己，我该怎么做呢？例如，如果你想控制你的脾气并不再发火，你要做一个计划，如“如果我要发火，会做三个深呼吸让自己平静下来。”用深呼吸来代替对愤怒的让步，你的坏习惯会渐渐改掉，直到完全改掉。

It is my hope that, after reading about the nine things successful people do differently, you have gained some insight into all the things you have been doing right all along. Even more important, I hope are able to identify the mistakes that have derailed you, and use that knowledge to your advantage from now on. Remember, you don't need to become a different person to become a more successful one. It's never what you are, but what you do.

这是我的希望，通过阅读这九件成功人士做的事，你已经深刻体会了你做得正确的所有事情。更重要的，我希望你能够发现那些让你偏离的错误，并从现在开始让这些知识为你所用。记住，你并不需要为了更成功而成为一个不同的人。你是谁从来都不重要，重要的是你做什么。