第2653期:Small steps to build long-lasting habits

It's day one of a healthier, smarter, better you. You're full of zest and good intentions. You woke up at 5am to run before work, you read a book in your lunchbreak, and you listened to an English podcast on your commute. Now, fast forward three months. Life is getting in the way, and you've slipped into old habits… snoozing your alarm and eating chocolate for breakfast. Sound familiar?这是一个更健康，更聪明的人之一，更好。 您充满了热情和良好的意愿。 您在凌晨5点醒来去上班前跑步，您在午餐时间读了一本书，然后听了通勤时的英语播客。 现在，快进了三个月。 生活陷入困境，您已经陷入了旧的习惯……打招呼闹钟，吃早餐时吃巧克力。 听起来很熟悉吗？ Don't be hard on yourself. It's unrealistic to rely on willpower alone. As James Clear, author of the bestselling book 'Atomic Habits', writes, "The problem isn't you. The problem is your system." Our habits come from goals, so start by getting really clear. Goals, according to George T Doran, should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. It's not enough to say, "I'll exercise more" – that's too vague! A SMART goal would be "I'm going to walk for 20 minutes in the evenings on weekdays." Now you have a clear action that you can stick to. 不要对自己很难。 独自依靠意志力是不现实的。 正如詹姆斯·凯尔（James Clear）所说的那样，畅销书《原子习惯》的作者写道：“问题不是你。问题是您的系统。” 我们的习惯来自目标，因此首先要变得非常清楚。 根据乔治·T多兰（George T Doran）的说法，目标应该很聪明：具体，可衡量，可实现，相关和时间限制。 这还不足以说：“我会锻炼更多” - 太模糊了！ 一个明智的目标是“我要在工作日的晚上步行20分钟。” 现在，您有一个明确的行动可以坚持。Once you're clear on your goals, you need to make the associated habits as automatic as possible. Try 'habit stacking', a technique popularised in the book 'Atomic Habits', which involves attaching a new habit onto something you already do regularly. For example, if you already make coffee every morning, use that moment to read your book for 20 minutes. That way, your new reading habit is now intertwined with something you're going to do anyway. Another key strategy is to reward yourself, to transform the habit from a chore into something pleasurable. If it's hard to get yourself to the gym, promise yourself that after each visit, you'll allow yourself a treat – a takeaway meal or an episode of your favourite TV show. 一旦明确了目标，就需要使相关习惯尽可能自动。 尝试“习惯堆积”，这是一种在书中普及的技术，它涉及将新习惯固定在您已经定期做的事情上。 例如，如果您每天早上已经煮咖啡，请使用那一刻阅读您的书20分钟。 这样，您的新阅读习惯现在与您要做的事情交织在一起。 另一个关键策略是奖励自己，将习惯从琐事转变为令人愉悦的东西。 如果很难让自己去健身房，请保证每次访问后，您就会允许自己一顿 - 外卖餐或您最喜欢的电视节目的一集。Even with our best intentions and a great system, stress and interruptions to your routine like social events can still make keeping habits feel like an uphill battle. If or when you have setbacks, accept it as part of the process. Life is full of spontaneity and uncertainty – one could argue that's what keeps it interesting! Use setbacks as a pause for reflection and review. What about your system is working? What's no longer serving you? Then, get back on track. 即使我们的最佳意图以及伟大的系统，对您的日常活动的压力和打扰仍然可以使保持习惯像是一场艰苦的战斗。 如果或当您有挫折时，请接受它作为过程的一部分。 生活充满了自发性和不确定性 - 有人可能会说这使它变得有趣！ 使用挫折作为暂停进行反思和审查。 那您的系统呢？ 什么不再为您服务？ 然后，回到正轨。