Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits. “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny,” the maxim goes.

從根本上來講，我們的個(gè)性是塑成習(xí)慣的成分之一。有一句箴言講到：“播下一個(gè)想法，收獲一個(gè)行動(dòng);播下一個(gè)行動(dòng)，收獲一個(gè)習(xí)慣;播下一個(gè)習(xí)慣，收獲一個(gè)性格;播下一個(gè)性格，收獲一份命運(yùn)。”

Habits are powerful factors in our lives. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character and produce our effectiveness or ineffectiveness.

習(xí)慣是我們生活中有力的因素。因?yàn)榱?xí)慣的持續(xù)性，人們常常不能意識到它們。于是，每一天，我們的習(xí)慣總在彰顯著我們的性格，我們是否有效率也源自習(xí)慣。

As Horace Mann, the great educator, once said, “Habits are like a cable. We weave a strand of it everyday and soon it cannot be broken.” I personally do not agree with the last part of his expression. I know habits can be learned and unlearned. But I also know it isn’t a quick fix. It involves a process and a tremendous commitment.

正如偉大的教育學(xué)家霍瑞斯·曼曾經(jīng)說的那樣：“習(xí)慣猶如一根纜繩。我們每日為其編織一股，不久它便不容易斷裂。”我個(gè)人不認(rèn)同他最后一段的表達(dá)。我知曉有些習(xí)慣是后天習(xí)得的，而有些則是不學(xué)就有的。可我也明白習(xí)慣無法速成，它是一段涉及鄭重承諾的過程。

Those of us who watched the lunar voyage of Apollo 11 were transfixed as we saw the first men walk on the moon and return to earth. But to get there, those astronauts literally had to break out of the tremendous gravity pull of the earth. More energy was spent in the first few minutes of lift, in the first few miles of travel, than was used over the next several days to travel half a million miles.

我們之中見證過阿波羅11號登月的人，當(dāng)看到人類在月球上跨出第一步并返回地球時(shí)，瞠目結(jié)舌。但為了抵達(dá)月球，毫不夸張地說，這些宇航員得掙脫地球?qū)ζ錁O大的地心引力。在升起的頭幾分鐘、太空旅程的頭幾英里中，宇航員耗費(fèi)的能量要遠(yuǎn)大于之后幾天五十萬英里旅程中的能量。

Habits, too, have tremendous gravity pull more than most people realize or would admit. Breaking deeply imbedded habitual tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness, or selfishness that violate basic principles of human effectiveness involves more than a little willpower and a few minor changes in our lives. “Lift off” takes a tremendous effort, but once we break out of the gravity pull, our freedom takes on a whole new dimension.

習(xí)慣也具有極強(qiáng)的牽引力，比大多數(shù)人意識到或承認(rèn)的還來得多。對于一些根深蒂固的習(xí)慣，像是拖延癥、不耐煩、挑剔或自私，它們違反了人類效率的基本原則。而要戒掉這些陋習(xí)，僅靠那一丁點(diǎn)的意志力和生活中極小的改變，是無濟(jì)于事的。“起飛時(shí)分”要付出巨大努力，而一旦我們掙脫地心引力，我們享有的自由便會(huì)展現(xiàn)出一個(gè)全新的維度。

Like any natural force, gravity pull can work with us or against us. The gravity pull of some of our habits may currently be keeping us from going where we want to go. But it is also gravity pull that keeps our world together, that keeps the planets in their orbits and our universe in order. It is a powerful force, and if we use it effectively, we can use the gravity pull of habit to create the cohesiveness and order necessary to establish effectiveness in our lives.

與其他自然力一樣，地心引力對我們而言，是助力，亦可是對抗力。我們一些習(xí)慣所具有的引力也許正在妨礙我們抵達(dá)目的地。然而同時(shí)也是地心引力將世界凝聚，使各大行星在軌道上運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)，讓我們的宇宙井然有序。引力是很強(qiáng)大的，我們倘若能有效運(yùn)用它，便可用習(xí)慣的引力來創(chuàng)建凝聚力和秩序，使我們的生活有效率。