Atomic Habits: One Percent Better (Part 1)

HSK 3 · 464 characters · Atomic Habits

A famous book's big idea: tiny daily improvements quietly add up to a whole new you.

有yǒu一本yī běn很hěn有名yǒu míng的de书shū，叫jiào《原子yuán zǐ习惯xí guàn》，作者zuò zhě是shì一位yī wèi美国měi guó作家zuò jiā。There is a very famous book called "Atomic Habits," written by an American author.这zhè本běn书shū讲jiǎng的de道理dào li很hěn简单jiǎn dān：每天měi tiān进步jìn bù一点点yī diǎn diǎn，就能jiù néng改变gǎi biàn你的nǐ de一生yī shēng。Its idea is simple: improve a tiny bit every day, and you can change your whole life.什么shén me叫jiào“一点点yī diǎn diǎn”？就是jiù shì百分之bǎi fēn zhī一yī。How tiny is "a tiny bit"? Just one percent.百分之bǎi fēn zhī一yī太tài小xiǎo了le，小xiǎo到dào你nǐ几乎jī hū看不见kàn bù jiàn。One percent is so small you can barely see it.今天jīn tiān多duō读dú一yī页yè书shū，明天míng tiān多duō走zǒu几jǐ步bù路lù，谁shéi会huì注意zhù yì呢ne？Read one extra page today, walk a few extra steps tomorrow — who would even notice?

可是kě shì时间shí jiān会huì把bǎ小小的xiǎo xiǎo de进步jìn bù变成biàn chéng大大dà dà的de不同bù tóng。But time turns tiny improvements into a huge difference.每天měi tiān进步jìn bù百分之bǎi fēn zhī一yī，一yī年nián以后yǐ hòu，你nǐ会huì变成biàn chéng另一个人lìng yī gè rén。Improve one percent a day, and a year later you'll be a different person.坏huài习惯xí guàn也是yě shì一样yī yàng的de。Bad habits work exactly the same way.每天měi tiān晚wǎn睡shuì一点yī diǎn，每天měi tiān多duō吃chī一点yī diǎn，一yī年nián以后yǐ hòu，问题wèn tí就jiù大dà了le。Sleep a little later each night, eat a little more each day, and in a year the problem is big.时间shí jiān就像jiù xiàng水shuǐ：你nǐ给gěi它tā什么shén me，它tā就jiù让ràng什么shén me长大zhǎng dà。Time is like water: whatever you feed it, it grows.

小李xiǎo lǐ在zài一家yī jiā公司gōng sī上班shàng bān，是shì一个yī ge很hěn普通pǔ tōng的de年轻人nián qīng rén。Xiao Li works at a company — a very ordinary young man.他tā每天měi tiān下班xià bān以后yǐ hòu学xué二十èr shí分钟fēn zhōng英语Yīng yǔ。Every day after work, he studies English for twenty minutes.三个sān gè月yuè过去guò qù了le，他tā觉得jué de自己zì jǐ没有什么méi yǒu shén me变化biàn huà，想xiǎng放弃fàng qì。Three months passed, he felt nothing had changed, and he wanted to quit.朋友péng you对duì他说tā shuō：“你nǐ听说tīng shuō过guò竹子zhú zi吗ma？”A friend said to him, "Have you ever heard about bamboo?"

“竹子zhú zi前qián几年jǐ nián一直yī zhí在地下zài dì xià生根shēng gēn，你nǐ在zài地上dì shang什么shén me也yě看不见kàn bù jiàn。”"For its first years, bamboo grows roots underground — above ground you see nothing at all."“可是kě shì有一天yǒu yī tiān，它tā会huì突然tū rán长得zhǎng de很快hěn kuài，很快hěn kuài就jiù比bǐ人rén高gāo了le。”"But one day it suddenly shoots up, and soon it's taller than a person."结果jié guǒ总是zǒng shì来得lái de比bǐ努力nǔ lì晚wǎn。Results always arrive later than the effort.你nǐ觉得jué de没有méi yǒu用yòng的de那些nà xiē日子rì zi，其实qí shí都dōu在地下zài dì xià生根shēng gēn。The days that feel useless are actually growing roots underground.小李xiǎo lǐ听了tīng le，决定jué dìng再zài等一等děng yī děng。Xiao Li listened, and decided to wait a little longer.

那么nà me，目标mù biāo重要zhòng yào吗ma？So then — do goals matter?这zhè本běn书shū说shuō：目标mù biāo是shì方向fāng xiàng，系统xì tǒng是shì路lù。The book says: a goal is the direction, a system is the road.只有zhǐ yǒu方向fāng xiàng，没有méi yǒu路lù，你nǐ哪儿nǎr也yě去qù不了bù liǎo。With only a direction and no road, you can't get anywhere.赢yíng的de人rén和hé输shū的de人rén，常常cháng cháng有yǒu一样yī yàng的de目标mù biāo。Winners and losers often have exactly the same goals.每个měi gè学生xué sheng都dōu想xiǎng考kǎo好hǎo，每个měi gè运动员yùn dòng yuán都dōu想xiǎng赢yíng。Every student wants good grades; every athlete wants to win.最后zuì hòu谁shéi能néng做到zuò dào？不是bù shì目标mù biāo决定jué dìng的de，是shì每天měi tiān做的zuò de事shì决定jué dìng的de。Who succeeds in the end? Not the goal — the things you do every day decide it.

所以suǒ yǐ，别bié只zhǐ问wèn自己zì jǐ“我wǒ想要xiǎng yào什么shén me”，要yào问wèn“我wǒ每天měi tiān做zuò什么shén me”。So don't only ask "what do I want" — ask "what do I do every day."一yī年nián以后yǐ hòu，小李xiǎo lǐ真的zhēn de可以kě yǐ用yòng英语Yīng yǔ开会kāi huì了le。A year later, Xiao Li really could hold meetings in English.改变gǎi biàn不是bù shì一天yī tiān发生fā shēng的de，但是dàn shì它tā每天měi tiān都dōu在zài发生fā shēng。Change doesn't happen in one day — but it is happening every single day.