The Unexpected Key to Boosting Your Productivity | The Way We Work, a TED series

I've always secretly wanted to be a machine.

翻译人员: Yip Yan Yeung 校对人员: sylvia feng

我一直默默想变成一台机器。

I felt like if I was a machine,

我想，如果我是一台机器，

I'd never let things fall through the cracks,

我就不会不小心忽视一些事，

I wouldn't forget things,

我就不会忘事，

and I'd do everything I needed to do on time every time.

我就会按时完成每一件该做的事。

I knew there were people out there that were like this,

我知道有些人就是这样的，

and I wanted to know what makes them tick.

我想知道他们是怎么做到的。

[The Way We Work]

[我们工作的方式]

So a few years ago, I started a newsletter called Super Organizers,

几年前，我做了一个 新闻稿系列，名叫《超级组织者》，

where I profiled 50 of the top performers in a variety of fields.

其中刊载了各个行业中的 50 位优秀员工的故事。

I've talked to managers who track everything they do in a day

我和一位经理聊过， 他/她会以 15 分钟为单位

in 15-minute increments.

记录下一天中做的每一件事。

I've talked to investors

我和一位投资者聊过，

who keep spreadsheets of every single person they’ve ever met,

他/她会在表格中记录下 碰到的每一个人，

我和一位 CEO 聊过， 他/她的日程表基本上就是空的，

and CEOs who keep their calendars basically empty

and rarely ever do meetings, ever.

从来不开会。

I've also experimented with a lot of hacks myself

我也在自己身上试过很多诀窍，

to try to get me closer to my ideal.

让我更接近理想状态。

I've taped my mouth shut while I'm sleeping

我试过在睡觉的时候 用胶带把嘴贴上，

and stared at a sunlamp to increase my energy levels.

盯着太阳灯看，增强我的精力。

I visualized my compassionate self

我画下了心目中的自己，

尝试了各种各样 挑战人体化学的营养品。

and tried all sorts of supplements to hack my body chemistry.

有些我试过的东西确实有效， 有些没什么用处。

Sometimes the things I try work, and sometimes they don’t.

有些真的有点离谱。

Sometimes they're just kind of ridiculous.

但我想与你分享 在我探索的过程中

But I want to share with you the best trick I've learned

学到的最有用的诀窍。

in all of my exploring.

The ideal of being a machine is actually a trap.

成为一台机器的愿望 其实就是个陷阱。

It gets in the way of our productivity because it makes us blind

它会影响我们的工作效率， 因为这会让我们无法看清

to the roots of our actual problems.

真正问题的根源。

We are not machines, we’re emotional beings.

我们不是机器， 我们是有情感的生物。

And learning to skillfully recognize and work with our emotions

学会巧妙地识别情绪、 与情绪和谐相处，

is the only way to actually be productive day-to-day.

才是我们每天真正 保持工作效率的唯一方式。

Guilt, shame, fear,

愧疚、羞耻、恐惧，

so often they're at the base of what's going on for us

它们总是会以我们无法理解的方式

潜伏于我们经历的深处。

in ways that we barely understand.

我们工作效率问题的背后

What's underneath our productivity problems

不单单是需要一个新工具或者系统，

isn't just a need for a new tool or system,

而是我们情感生活上的问题。

but something going on in our emotional lives.

意识到并观察情绪对我们产生的影响

And being aware of and observing how our emotions can affect us

会为我们带来许多灵活性和自由，

can open up a lot of flexibility and freedom

让我们在面临阻碍时向前迈进。

to make progress when we'd otherwise be stuck.

我发现世界上工作效率最高的人，

I found that the most productive people in the world,

那些最像机器的人， 其实都对这点了然于胸，

the ones who are most machine-like, actually recognize this

and they often do three things to work with it.

为此，他们会做到这三点。

他们知道，遇到问题时，

They're aware when they have a problem,

要不偏不倚地观察发生了什么情况，

they observe what's going on without judgment

这样他们就可以理解这个问题，

so they can understand it,

再不断采取不同的系统、团队、

and they keep experimenting with systems or teams,

mindsets and tools until it changes.

思维或者工具进行试验， 直到情况发生了改变。

This might sound simple, and it is,

听起来很简单，确实很简单，

but it's actually very hard to do because at each stage we get blocked

但操作起来其实很难， 因为在我们卡住的每一个阶段，

and twisted up by the shame, guilt, fear and doubt --

都会被羞耻、愧疚、 害怕、怀疑笼罩，

the things that get in the way of seeing things clearly.

它们都在阻碍我们看清情况。

To do this well requires a level of emotional mastery

要做好这一点需要有 高超的情绪掌控技巧，

that is very difficult to practice.

但很难操练。

我来讲一讲这点， 给你看看它有什么用处。

So let me walk you through it and show you how it can work.

意识是第一步。

Awareness is the first step.

意思是了解你工作效率中存在的问题。

That means being aware of problems in your productivity.

But that's harder than it seems.

但是看起来容易，做起来难。

No matter what the issue is,

无论问题是什么，

it's much easier to ignore it

忽视它、

and hope that it goes away than to admit that something's wrong.

希望它就这么消失了 比承认出了问题要简单得多。

We feel like we should be able to just do better.

我们觉得，做得再好一点就完事了。

We feel like, well, that's the job, I should just suck it up.

我们觉得，好吧， 这就是工作嘛，忍忍就得了。

Whatever the problems that you're encountering in your productivity,

无论你的工作效率出现了什么问题，

you might not think about them that often because it's pretty painful.

你都会选择根本不去想它， 通常是因为思考这个问题太痛苦了。

But there's magic in becoming aware of the problems

但是意识到这些一般注意不到的问题

that we're ordinarily not aware of.

有一个神奇之处。

The most productive people have regular practices

工作效率最高的人都有一些习惯，

that they use to maintain that awareness.

他们会用这些习惯性行为 保持对问题的意识。

Sometimes it's journaling, sometimes it's mindfulness,

可能是写日记， 可能是正念练习，

sometimes it's just a walk, sometimes it's therapy.

可能只是散散步， 可能是某种治疗。

But everyone has something.

但每个人都会有这么个习惯。

Here's an example from my own life.

举一个我自己生活中的例子。

I have a ton of trouble staying on top of my inbox.

我在处理邮件这一问题上 有很大的困难。

I'm the CEO of a start-up,

我是一家初创企业的 CEO，

and so this was really hard for me to admit at first.

一开始要让我承认 这个问题真的很难。

It seemed like an indictment of me and my ability to be successful

就像是在控诉我本人， 控诉我没有成功的能力，

if my inbox was a mess.

因为我的收件箱乱七八糟。

But last year, after a lot of reflection,

但在去年，反思了很多以后，

I realized that I had to face the fact

我发现，我必须面对一个事实：

that the backlog was causing problems throughout my company.

积压的工作给公司 上下都造成了问题。

我一意识到这个问题， 就开始了第二步：观察。

Once I was aware of the problem, I could start the next step: observation.

当我进入了观察阶段，

When I moved into the observation stage,

我想尽可能不加评判地观察

I wanted to see with as little judgment as possible

到底是什么让我 的收件箱堆积成山。

what usually leads to my inbox being crowded.

Observing without judgment was really difficult for me.

不加评判地观察 对我来说真的很难。

My sense of doubt and fear came up.

怀疑、恐惧的感觉涌上心头。

I thought: Should I really need to do this?

我想：我真的得这么做吗？

I really felt like I should just be able to get through my inbox

我真的觉得自己可以畅通无阻地

看完收件箱里所有的邮件。

without any problems.

但当我真的开始观察时，

But once I got beneath that,

我发现了一些意料之外的东西。

I began to notice something really surprising.

其实有很多时候 我都可以处理完所有邮件。

There were actually many periods where I was on top of my inbox.

It's just that every couple of weeks there would be a shift

只是每隔几周 情况就会突然恶化一下，

where it would just turn into a giant mess.

然后一团乱麻。

And it had a very specific trigger,

恶化会由某个特定的契机引发，

要么是一封我不太想处理的邮件，

either a single email I really didn't want to deal with

要么是生活太忙了，

or a really busy period in my life

where I couldn't look at my inbox for a day or two.

有一两天没空看一眼收件箱。

出现这种情况的时候，

邮件就会堆积起来， 让我感觉很羞耻。

And when this happened,

emails would start to pile up, and I’d start to feel shame.

我会逃避去看收件箱， 于是邮件只会越堆越多。

I'd avoid my inbox and the pile would just get way worse.

就是个恶性循环。

It was a vicious cycle.

我看到这种情况时，

Once I saw this,

发现有一个逻辑缺口可以介入。

I realized that there was a logical place to intervene.

我真正需要做的是拦住那个

What I really needed to do was to catch myself

每隔几周

收件箱由整洁到混乱的瞬间。

right at the point every couple of weeks

where my clean inbox was turning into a mess.

如果我能做到这一点，

And if I could do that, I knew I could keep it clean the rest of the time.

我知道其余时间 我都能让收件箱保持整洁。

于是我们就来到了下一步：试验。

This brings us to the next step: experimentation.

工作效率高的人一旦发现了问题，

Once productive people have recognized a problem

客观地观察它的情况，

and observed its contours without judgment,

他们就会尝试新的解决方法， 看看哪个方法会奏效。

they try new solutions to find out what works.

这也是个很容易让人纠结的阶段。

Again, this can be really easy to get twisted up about.

我们都先入为主地认为 哪些东西该去尝试，

We're all filled with preconceptions about what's in and out of bounds

哪些不该尝试，

于是我们真的会 由于这些预设束手束脚。

to experiment with,

and we're really boxed in by those preconceptions.

我们不想被人觉得很傻或者很弱。

We don't want to look silly or weak.

But if we allow ourselves to find what works for us,

但如果我们让自己 去寻找适合自己的方式，

we often find things that no one else would.

我们通常都会找到一些 别人不会发现的东西。

I tried a lot of different experiments to deal with my inbox problems.

为了解决我的收件箱问题， 我试过很多方法。

I tried going to a new coffee shop

每当我需要集中精力 浏览一些邮件时，

every time I needed to power through some emails.

我会去一家没去过的咖啡店。

I tried talking about it with my business partner

我试过和我的商业伙伴 聊一聊这个问题，

和公司里的同事聊一聊， 试图降低我对此的羞耻感。

and other people at my company to try to lower my sense of shame about it.

我试过一口气看完邮件策略，

I tried a one-touch email strategy,

一天只查两次邮件。

I tried only checking my email twice a day.

但这些方式都没有 彻底解决我的问题。

But none of these really solved the problem completely.

所以我继续寻找， 产生了一个深刻的认识。

So I kept going and I had a big insight.

我发现，也许我可以利用 我不想让人失望的欲望

I figured out I might be able to use my own desire not to let people down

处理完收件箱里的邮件。

to help me get through my inbox.

我有幸和我的商业伙伴 平摊买了一个虚拟助手，

I'm lucky enough to split a virtual assistant with my business partner,

所以我在想，我是不是可以每周

so I wondered, what if I put an hour on my calendar a few times a week

让助手照顾我几次。

where they would babysit me.

在这一个小时刚开始的时候，

At the beginning of the hour,

助手可以给我发消息， 问我收件箱里有多少封邮件。

they'd message me and ask me how many emails I had in my inbox.

在这一个小时结束的时候，

And at the end of the hour,

助手会再给我发一次消息， 问我处理了多少封邮件。

they'd message me again to ask how many I'd gotten done.

我用了我的虚拟助手， 但是你可以拜托生活中的任何人。

I used my virtual assistant, but you could use anyone in your life.

你的家人、朋友， 他们也许有类似的困扰，

A family member or friend who struggles with something similar

那你就可以和他们进行“交易”。

收发消息只会花上几秒钟。

and propose a trade.

It literally takes a couple of seconds to message back and forth.

我刚开始这么想的时候， 第一反应就是感到羞耻。

When I started to consider this, my immediate reaction was shame.

我觉得我不需要一个保姆 才能好好工作。

I felt like I should not need a babysitter to do my work.

我害怕开口提出这种要求。

And I dreaded the conversation where I had to ask for this kind of thing.

我害怕向任何人承认这一点。

这一切看起来都太蠢了， 但我还是决定要试一试。

I also dreaded admitting it to anyone else.

It all seemed very silly, but I decided to try it anyway.

结果每周的几次小互动

And it turns out just that little interaction a few times a week

给我带来了巨大改变。

makes a gigantic difference for me.

收到助手给我的消息， 我就会开始认真处理邮件，

Getting a message from my assistant keeps me on task on my email

避免堆积一堆邮件，

and prevents the piles from being created,

在其余时间要保持邮箱的整洁 对我来说就很容易了。

which makes it really easy for me to keep my inbox clean at every other time.

此时此刻的我已经 让邮箱一直保持整洁

And now I'm sitting here almost a year later with a clean inbox

快一年了。

有可能这个方法对你来说没有用， 但对我来说确实有用。

on a consistent basis.

This may not work for you, but it does work for me.

You might find that other approaches are better,

你可能会觉得其他方法更好用，

like transferring your emails to your to-do list

比如把你的邮件放入待办事项，

或者严格执行一次性看完的策略，

or making sure you’re following a one-touch inbox strategy

or maybe even examining why you need to get through your inbox

甚至可以是先搞明白到底为什么

必须处理完收件箱里的邮件。

in the first place.

但找到答案的唯一方法就是试一试。

But the only way to find that out is to try it.

我在探索的过程中发现

What I've realized in all of my exploring

我其实从未想变成一台机器。

is that I actually didn't really ever want to be a machine.

我只是因为自己不是一台机器 而感到内疚、羞耻。

I just felt guilty and ashamed for not being one.

And once I started to work with that, everything changed for me.

我一调整这个心态就豁然开朗了。

We think productivity is about software, notebooks and to-do lists

我们总是把工作效率和软件、 笔记本、待办事项、

frameworks, calendars, schedules and inboxes.

框架、日历、日程表 和收件箱联系在一起。

And it is all of those things,

工作效率确实包含了这些东西，

but it's also about our brains and our bodies.

但它也和我们的大脑、身体有关。

It's about our emotions and how they guide us

它和我们的情绪有关， 和情绪如何指引我们，

and sometimes get in our way.

有时阻碍我们有关。

If you turn over the rock of productivity, you can find a lot hiding underneath.

如果你翻到工作效率的另一面， 你会发现底下藏着很多东西。

Identifying what's there is the best productivity hack I know.

搞清楚那里有什么就是我所知的 提高生产力的最佳诀窍。