养成新的(好)习惯，改掉旧的(坏)习惯

Odds are, you are trying to break a bad habit or institute a good one right now. As a species, we are impressively committed to self-improvement, and most of us believe that habits are an effective means to that end.

很有可能，你现在正试图改掉一个坏习惯或养成一个好习惯。作为一个物种，我们致力于自我完善，令人印象深刻，我们大多数人相信习惯是达到这一目标的有效手段。

Habits -- actions performed with little conscious thought and often unwittingly triggered by external cues -- are powerful influences on behavior and can be our greatest allies for positive change. But because they are so difficult to break, habits are also frequent saboteurs of personal progress.

习惯——在很少有意识思考的情况下采取的行动，往往是由外部暗示无意中引发的——对行为有强大的影响，可以成为我们做出积极改变的最大盟友。但是因为它们很难改掉，习惯也经常破坏个人进步。

"Habit is a good servant but a bad master" is how author Gretchen Rubin summed it up in her book "Better Than Before: Mastering the Habit of Our Everyday Lives." Hers was one of three recent books I read back-to-back on the subject of habit formation; the others were Charles Duhigg's "The Power of Habit" and Jeremy Dean's "Making Habits, Breaking Habits." Together, they helped me understand more deeply the importance of habit control, how to choose a habit to begin or end, and the mechanics of sticking with it.

“习惯是一个好仆人，但是是一个坏主人”，这是作家Gretchen Rubin在她的书《比以前更好:掌握我们日常生活的习惯》中总结的。她的书是我最近连续读过的三本关于习惯形成的书之一;其他两本分别是查尔斯·杜希格的《习惯的力量》和杰里米·迪恩的《养成习惯，打破习惯》。他们一起帮助我更深刻地理解了控制习惯的重要性，如何开始或结束一个习惯，以及坚持它的机制。

The first thing to know, each book explained, is that a lot of our daily actions are so rote, they are automatic. "All our life ... is but a mass of habits," philosopher and psychologist William James wrote, though a 2006 study put the amount of habitual daily action at 40%. Still, that's a lot of mindless behavior.

每本书都解释说，首先要知道的是，我们每天的许多行为都是生搬硬套的，是自动的。“一辈子……哲学家和心理学家威廉·詹姆斯写道：“我们所有的生活…不过是一大堆习惯。”尽管2006年的一项研究表明日常习惯行为的数量为40%。尽管如此，这还是有很多愚蠢的行为。

Room to grow

成长的空间

The first thing to identify for yourself is the habit you want to work on, whether it's starting a new (good) one or ending an old (bad) one. That's a minor distinction, by the way. Eating healthier is eating less junk. Exercising more is being less sedentary. One is often the inverse of another.

首先要确定的是你想要养成的习惯，无论是开始一个新的(好的)习惯还是结束一个旧的(坏的)习惯。顺便说一下，这是一个很小的区别。健康饮食就是少吃垃圾食品。多运动就是少坐着。一个经常与另一个相反。

We know what many of the most common areas of improvement are, at least when it comes to making resolutions. People want to lose weight, eat better, be more mindful, spend money more wisely, sleep better and improve relationships. By eliminating bad habits and starting new ones, you can succeed in most of these areas.

我们知道许多最常见的改进领域是什么，至少在制定决议时是这样。人们想要减肥、吃得更好、更用心、更明智地花钱、睡得更好、改善人际关系。通过改掉坏习惯，开始新的习惯，你可以在这些方面取得成功。

Repeal and replace your behavior

废除并替换你的行为

The consensus among these books is that the most effective way to adopt a habit is to replace a bad one with a better one. Dean's metaphor is to think of habits as well-worn rivers of action that flow out of the predictable path of your routine. Often, the most effective way to stop it flowing in harmful directions is not by damming it but by diverting it. For example, many people stop smoking by chewing gum.

这些书中的共识是，养成习惯的最有效方法是用更好的习惯代替坏习惯。迪恩的比喻是把习惯看作是从你日常生活中可预测的路径流出的久经考验的行动之河。通常情况下，阻止它向有害方向流动的最有效的方法不是筑坝，而是改变它的方向。例如，许多人通过嚼口香糖来戒烟。

The wonderful thing about triggers

触发物的奇妙之处

We like to think we have free will in every situation, but many of our actions are predictably triggered by external situations. And if those events are part of your daily or weekly routine, our Pavlovian tendencies become ingrained. Pajamas are on: Time to floss and brush. Cup of coffee in hand: Time to dunk a doughnut. Beer finished: Let's have a cigarette. But triggers can also be feelings, such as stress or boredom.

关于触发物的奇妙之处我们喜欢认为我们在任何情况下都有自由意志，但我们的许多行动都是由外部情况可预见地触发的。如果这些事件是你每天或每周例行公事的一部分，我们的巴甫洛夫倾向就会根深蒂固。睡衣穿上了：是时候用牙线和刷牙了。手里拿着一杯咖啡：是时候泡个甜甜圈了。啤酒喝完了：我们抽根烟吧。但触发因素也可能是感觉，如压力或无聊。