Why You Should Stop Setting Goals (Yes, Really) | Emmanuel Acho | TED

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: 麗玲 辛

I do not suppose to know everything.

我並不期望我能無所不知。

And those closest to me, they might say, I don't really know much at all, but --

和我親近的人可能會說， 我懂的一點也不多，但——

One thing that I know to be true beyond the shadow of a doubt is this.

有一件事我很確定，

毫無懷疑，那就是：

The surest way to fail in life

在人生中，最肯定會失敗的方式

is to set a goal.

就是設定目標。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Now, unfortunately, I found this out through excruciating pain,

很不幸，我是經過 極大的痛苦才搞懂這件事，

but hopefully in the next nine minutes, I can convince you, too,

但我希望在接下來的 九分鐘能說服你

that this is true, without the pain.

真的是如此，且無須經歷痛苦。

Unless, of course, you consider listening to me painful.

當然，若你覺得聽我說話 很痛苦，那就沒辦法了。

OK.

好。

The year was 2011.

那年是 2011 年，

I was seeking to become a multimillionaire by the age of 21.

我試圖想在二十一歲 之前成為千萬富翁。

So how was I going to do this?

我要如何辦到？

It was simple.

很簡單。

I was going to leave college at the University of Texas

我要提早一年離開德州大學，

one year early.

I was going to leave after my junior year

我要在大三結束後離開，

and declare for the National Football League draft.

並宣佈參加國家美式 足球聯盟（NFL）選秀。

In order to do this, however,

然而，要參加選秀 就必須要提交履歷給 NFL。

you have to submit your resume to the NFL.

A resume in football,

美式足球的履歷。

it is your highlight tapes from your years playing prior.

也就是你之前玩 美式足球的精華片段。

So I submitted my football tape from my freshman,

所以我提交了我大一 到大三時的美式足球影片。

my sophomore and my junior year.

The NFL sent me back a letter.

NFL 回一封信給我。

It simply read,

寫得很簡單：

"Dear Emmanuel,

「親愛的伊曼紐爾，

you will not be drafted in the first three rounds."

你在前三輪都不會被球隊選中。」

Excuse you.

抱歉，你說啥？

I won't be drafted in the first three rounds?

我在前三輪不會被球隊選中？

So what did I do, TED audience?

所以，TED 觀眾們， 我怎麼做？很簡單，

It's simple.

我當天就設下一個目標。

I set a goal that day.

But you know what they say about goal-setting.

你們知道人家講如何設定目標的。

You've got to write it down, commit it to memory.

必須要把它寫下來，記下來。

So I highlighted the sheet of paper.

所以我在紙上畫了重點標記。

“Dear Emmanuel, you won’t be drafted in the first three rounds,”

「親愛的伊曼紐爾， 你在前三輪都不會被球隊選中。」

and I put it above my bed in my condo in Austin, Texas.

我把這張紙貼在我德州 奧斯汀的公寓床頭上。

Every morning I woke up, I looked at it.

每天早上起床，我都會去看它。

"Dear Emmanuel, you won't be drafted in the first three rounds."

「親愛的伊曼紐爾， 你在前三輪都不會被球隊選中。」

Every night before I went to sleep, I looked at it.

每天晚上睡覺前，我都會去看它。

「親愛的伊曼紐爾， 你在前三輪都不會被球隊選中。」

"Dear Emmanuel, you won't be drafted in the first three rounds."

我在大四那年發奮努力，

I worked tirelessly my senior year in college

with one goal in mind.

心中只有一個目標。

Be drafted in the first three rounds of the NFL draft.

要在 NFL 選秀的前三輪被選中。

Those are the most prestigious rounds after all.

畢竟那三輪是最有威望的。

6am workouts in college, study hall, class.

早上六點到大學鍛鍊、

自修室、上課，我一樣都沒少做，

I'm doing it all, with one goal in mind.

心中只有一個目標。

Well, fast forward one year later,

向後快轉一年，

我到了 NFL 聯合訓練營。

I'm at the NFL Combine.

The NFL Combine, it is the job interview.

NFL 聯合訓練營就像是工作面試。

I'm in front of 32 billionaires.

我在三十二位億萬富翁面前。

他們若不是世界上最富裕的人， 也是美國最富裕的人。

32 of the richest men in America,

if not the richest men in the world.

They are the owners of every NFL team.

他們是每一支 NFL 球隊的老闆。

I'm running the 40-yard dash.

我在做四十碼衝刺測試，

The 40-yard dash is one of the testing metrics you use at the NFL Combine

這個測驗是 NFL 聯合訓練營 使用的測試指標之一，

with millions of dollars on the line.

結果會牽涉到數百萬美金。

The faster you run, the higher you get drafted.

你跑得越快，

你被選中的機率就越高。

I take my mark.

我站在起跑點，

I proceed to run.

我開始跑。

I hear pop, pop, pop.

我聽見啪、啪、啪。

I keep running.

我繼續跑，我想是我的腳跟 在發出啪、啪、啪的聲響。

I think my heels are clicking.

Pop, pop, pop.

I clutch my quad, I fall to the ground.

我抓住我的大腿，摔倒在地。

It was my quad being torn off the bone.

是我的股四頭肌 從骨頭上被扯了下來。

(Audience: Oh!)

觀眾：喔！

I ripped my quad off the bone,

我的股四頭肌從骨頭上撕裂， 我痛苦地倒在地上，

I’m falling [to the] ground in agony

in front of these 32 billionaires.

這都發生在那三十二位 億萬富翁面前。

I didn't get drafted in the first three rounds of the NFL draft.

我沒有在 NFL 選秀會的 前三輸被選中。

I made a decision that day, in that moment,

在那一天，在那一刻， 我做了一個決定，

to stop setting goals.

不再設定目標。

My self-esteem, ruined.

我的自尊全毀了。

Self-efficacy, ruined.

自我效能感全毀了。

That last year of my life seemingly gone to waste

我前一年的時光似乎都浪費掉了， 就因為我設了一個目標，各位。

because I had one goal, y'all.

It was simple.

目標很簡單：在前三輪被選中。

Be drafted in the first three rounds.

Then I tore my quad, and it all fell apart.

然後我撕裂了股四頭肌， 一切就崩壞了。

What I failed to mention thus far is why I tore my quad.

到目前我還沒有提到， 我為何撕裂了我的股四頭肌。

Two days prior at the NFL Combine,

NFL 聯合訓練營的前兩天，

I weighed in at 240 pounds.

我的體重是兩百四十磅。

In the NFL, the bigger you are, the better.

在 NFL，越大隻越好。

但大家都知道，

But as you all know, weight,

it don't move all that fast.

重量會讓你移動沒那麼快。

So I cut 10 pounds within two days.

所以我在兩天內減了十磅。

I ran the 40-yard dash two days later at 230 pounds,

兩天後我參加四十碼衝刺 測試時的體重是兩百三十磅，

dehydrated, dieted for two days.

我處在脫水狀態，節食了兩天，

Why? Because I was so focused on my goal

為什麼？因為我太專注在我的目標上，

that I caused harm to myself.

結果傷了我自己。

It's not that goals don't add value.

並不是說目標不能增加價值。

It’s just that the risk of goal-setting,

而是說設定目標的風險，

it is greater than the potential reward.

大於可能得到的獎勵。

Think about it in your own life for a moment.

想一下你自己的人生。

Maybe you had the goal of being in a relationship.

也許你設了目標，要談戀愛，

So you ignore the toxic behavior.

所以你忽視了有害的行為。

Think about it in your own life.

想想你人生中類似的狀況。

See, one of my greatest accomplishments to date,

至今，我最偉大的成就之一，

being an NFL player,

成為 NFL 球員，因為最終 我還是在 NFL 待了四年，

because ultimately I did play for four years,

I view negatively

我卻對此抱持負面看法， 因為我並沒達到我的目標。

because I didn't hit my goal.

Maybe that's the same for some of you.

也許在座有些人也一樣。

也許你的目標是在一年內 要讀完多少本的書。

Maybe you have the goal of reading a certain amount of books in a year.

You've become a much more proficient reader, but you didn't hit your goal.

你變得更加熟練、擅長閱讀， 但你沒達到你的目標。

Maybe you had a goal of making a certain amount of money for your business.

也許你的目標是要為 你的事業賺進多少錢。

You are a thriving entrepreneur, but you didn't hit your goal.

你是個越做越好的企業家， 但你沒達到你的目標。

I left the NFL.

我離開了 NFL。

I became a content creator

我成了內容創作者，

where I would live a much more limitless life.

過著更沒有限制的生活。

I'll get to that more here in a moment.

我等下會再談這部分。

The question now is why in the world do we set goals?

現在要問的問題是： 我們到底幹嘛設定目標？

Well, first, let's define a goal.

首先，咱們先來定義什麼是目標。

A goal, by definition, it is the end

根據定義，目標就是 付出努力要邁向的盡頭。

towards which effort is aimed.

But why would I start something with the end in mind?

但為什麼我在開始做一件事時，

腦中要想著盡頭？

In working on my master’s degree in sports psychology,

我在攻讀運動心理學碩士學位時，

I focused on goal-setting, I wrote my final thesis on it,

焦點放在研究目標設定， 最後論文也與它有關，

and I realized we set goals for three primary reasons.

我發現，我們設定 目標的主要理由有三。

The first.

第一，

We've been indoctrinated with this belief that we have to set a goal to achieve.

我們被灌輸了一種信念，相信 我們必須要設定目標才能成事。

There's a popularized study, which has since been debunked,

有一篇廣為流傳的研究， 後來被揭發是假造的，

which said the person who writes their goals down

該研究說，把目標寫下來 並銘記在心的人

and commits them to memory,

they will earn twice as much money as the person who doesn't.

賺到的錢會是沒這麼做的人的兩倍。

So what you want me to believe

所以這是要我相信

is the difference between one million dollars

一百萬美金和五十萬美金 之間的差別是這個？

and 500,000 dollars is this?

What you want me to believe

是要我相信

is the difference between 100,000 dollars and 50,000 dollars is simply this?

一百萬美金和五十萬美金 之間的差別就只是這個？

Can't be.

不可能的。

Now, these ideas aren't completely off-base.

這些想法並不是完全錯誤， 但問題非常簡單：

The problem is very simple.

They're misidentifying causation and correlation.

它們把因果關係和相關性搞混了。

當然，願意付出額外努力 去寫下目標的人

Surely there is a correlation

between the person who was willing to go the extra mile

and write their goal down

肯定也會在事業上願意付出額外努力。

and the person who's willing to go the extra mile in their business.

但，你能賺兩倍錢的原因並不是 因為你寫下了你的目標。

But no, the reason you're making twice as much money

is not because you wrote your goal down.

The second reason we set goals,

我們設定目標的第二個理由：

目標可以做為我們的指路明燈，

goals give us a North Star.

Motivation.

動機，

As if we'd just be wandering around life aimlessly

彷彿如果我們不設定目標， 就等同是在漫無目的地過人生。

if we didn't set a goal.

The final reason we set goals?

我們設定目標的第三個理由：

We have this insatiable desire for feedback.

我們強烈渴望得到回饋，愈多愈好。

And feedback,

而回饋，

it is a predecessor, is a necessary aspect of goal-setting.

它是目標設定的前提和必要面向。

Think about it in your own life.

想想你生活中的例子。

Did this Instagram post get as many likes as that Instagram post?

這篇 IG 貼文得到的讚數 有比那一篇多嗎？

Did this tweet get as many likes as my last tweet?

這則推文得到的讚數 有比我上一則推文多嗎？

How about this TikTok post?

這支抖音影片呢？被分享的 次數有比我上一支影片多嗎？

Did it get as many shares as my last?

We have this insatiable desire for feedback.

我們渴望回饋，總是貪得無厭。

我剛才說錯了一句話。

You know, I made a mistake earlier.

I said the surest way to fail in life is to set a goal.

我說在人生中最肯定 會失敗的方式就是設定目標。

But in all honesty,

但，坦白說，

the only way to fail in life is to set a goal.

人生中唯一會失敗的方式 就是設定目標。

Think about anything you've ever failed at.

想想你曾經在比如戀愛、職業、 學業方面失敗過的任何事。

Maybe relationally, occupationally, educationally.

That marriage, it ended in divorce.

婚姻以離婚收場。

You didn't get into that college that you wanted to.

沒有考上本來想讀的大學。

You didn't pass the MCAT, you didn't pass the LSAT,

醫學院／法學院的入學考試 沒通過，不論是什麼，

whatever the case may be,

it was all tethered to a goal.

全都和目標綁在一起。

It's not just that the surest way to fail in life is to set a goal.

設定目標不是人生中 最肯定會失敗的方式，

The only way to fail in life is to set a goal.

而是唯一會失敗的方式。

So what do I suggest we do instead?

那我建議我們要改成 怎麼做才好？如下：

Here it is.

You have an objective with no limitations.

要有無限制的方針。

Now I know what you're thinking, Acho, that's semantics.

我知道你在想：「阿喬， 那只是在玩語義學。」

No, this small difference will have a huge impact in your life.

不，這小小的差別 對你的人生會有很大的影響。

Objective: effort aimed in a direction.

方針：朝這個方向付出努力。

A goal: the end towards which energy is aimed.

目標：朝這個盡頭投入能量。

Your objective, it should be subjective.

你的方針應該要是主觀的。

It should be subject to people's interpretation.

它應該會是由人來詮釋的。

這麼一來，你就不會失敗。

That way you do not fail.

The theme of this conference is Possibilities.

這場大會的主題是「可能性」。

You all have spent money, left your homes, maybe children,

各位都已經花了錢、 離開了家，也許還有孩子，

because somewhere deep down inside you,

因為你們內心深處

you subscribe to this notion of possibility.

是贊同「可能性」這個觀念的。

But you can't simultaneously subscribe to the notion of possibility

但你不可能同時贊同可能性的觀念，

while still being held captive by goal-setting.

又被目標設定給束縛著。

The laws of goal-setting completely undermine the freedom of possibility.

目標設定的法則完完全全 破壞了可能性的自由。

So if we're being honest with ourselves, we have to choose one.

所以如果我們對自己 誠實，就得二擇一。

Because possibility is limitless.

因為可能性是沒有限制的。

But goal-setting, oh, it’s fixated on an end.

但目標設定則著眼於一個盡頭。

If you want to have a 10-million dollar business,

如果你想要擁有千萬美金的 事業，你會設定那個目標。

you'll set that goal.

And you might do just that.

你可能也會做到，

Have a 10-million dollar business.

擁有一個千萬美金的事業。恭喜。

Congratulations.

You'll work towards a 10-million dollar business.

你努力達成千萬美金的事業。 但如果本來可以做更大呢？

But what if it could have been more?

If you want to run a mile without stopping,

如果你想連續跑完一英里，

you’ll work towards it, and you might do just that.

你會朝這個目標努力，且可能會做到，

Having never known if you could have run a marathon.

卻永遠不會知道 你能否跑完一場馬拉松。

What does it look like practically?

實際上的無限制方針是什麼樣子？

「金屬製品」的主音 吉他手柯克‧哈米特

Kirk Hammett, lead guitarist for Metallica,

he never had the goal of winning eight Grammys.

從來沒有設定目標， 要贏得八座葛萊美獎。

He never had the goal of selling 125 million records,

從來沒有設定目標，要賣出 一億兩千五百萬張唱片，

never had the goal of being a rock star.

從來沒有設定目標，要成搖滾巨星。

He simply said, and I quote,

他只是說，以下是引述：

"I just want to play my guitar a little bit better every day."

「我只是想要每天 都把吉他彈得更好一點。」

Close quote.

引述結束。

See, because with that, there is no end.

因為這樣，所以沒有盡頭。

A goal, by its definition, it is focused on an ending,

根據定義，目標的焦點是在結尾，

which means inherently a goal is limiting.

意即，目標的本質就是有限制的。

It's not that goals in and of themselves have no value,

並不是說目標本身就沒有價值。

it's just, what about the damage you have done to yourself,

只是說，也要考量一下 你可能會傷害到你自己、

your self-esteem, your self-efficacy,

你的自尊、你的自我效能感、

the way in which you view yourself when you look at yourself?

你怎麼看待自己的方式， 這些傷害又該怎麼辦？

What about that damage?

I'm not saying don't achieve.

我不是說不要去達成什麼，

I'm saying achieve limitlessly.

而是要不受限地去達成。

I'm saying believe in the reason you were all sitting in here today

我的意思是，要相信 各位今天在這裡的理由，

because you believe in possibility.

因為各位相信可能性。

Let go of the captivity of goal-setting

擺脫目標設定的束縛，

and achieve all you actually have to achieve.

去達成所有你要達成的一切。

So what is my objective with no limitations?

那麼，我的無限制方針是什麼？

Very simply put,

簡單來說，就是成為電視產業史上

to be considered one of the most creative people

the television industry has ever seen.

最有創意的人之一。

Because if I would have achieved my goal

因為如果我達成了我原本的目標，

of being drafted in the first three rounds of the NFL draft,

在 NFL 選秀的前三輪被選中，

我就不可能達成這件事：

I never would have achieved this.

Winning a Primetime Emmy Award and sharing that moment with my mom.

贏得黃金時段艾美獎， 並和我母親分享那一刻。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

But just as importantly,

但，同等重要的是，

if I would have achieved my goal

如果我達成了原本的目標， 在 NFL 選秀的前三輸被選中了，

of being drafted in the first three rounds of the NFL draft,

今天我就不會站在大家面前。

I wouldn't be standing in front of you all today.

Why?

為什麼？

Because if you hear nothing else,

因為，如果你其他別的都沒聽到，

truly, if you hear nothing else,

說真的，如果你其他別的都沒聽到，

hear this.

也要聽到這點，

I'm begging each and every one of you to hear this.

我求在座的各位把這點聽進去：

The goal that you achieve,

你所達成的目標，

it's actually the penalty that you receive

其實是你得到的處罰，

for having set that goal in the first place.

處罰你一開始設定了那個目標。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause and cheers)

（掌聲及歡呼）