Know When to Slam on the Brakes
懂得生活中何時(shí)該適可而止
As we all prepare for this holiday weekend, I want to share two bits of advice to my career-minded readers.
當(dāng)我們大家都在為這周的周末假期而做準(zhǔn)備時(shí),我想和我事業(yè)心很強(qiáng)的讀者分享一些建議。
As all you regular readers know, I have been an entrepreneur for 29 years. During my early years, I did not recognize the importance of finding balance between my career and family life. My desire to reach my goals was so powerful I worked 70+ hours a week. My relationships deteriorated, my marriage struggled, and my hair fell out.
作為本刊的固定讀者你們知道,我做企業(yè)已經(jīng)29年了。在早期,我并沒(méi)有認(rèn)識(shí)到,在職業(yè)生涯和家庭生活之間找到平衡的重要性。我如此強(qiáng)烈地渴望實(shí)現(xiàn)目標(biāo),以至我每周工作超過(guò)70小時(shí)。我的人際關(guān)系惡化,婚姻岌岌可危,而且我脫發(fā)。
As if those issues weren’t enough reasons to stop overworking, there were more. I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t enjoying the journey. Of course, the thrill that came from achieving my goals felt great, but that was short lived.
如果因?yàn)檫@些問(wèn)題,還不能構(gòu)成充足的理由來(lái)停止超負(fù)荷工作,那么還有更多麻煩。我不開心。我沒(méi)有好好享受旅程。當(dāng)然,達(dá)成目標(biāo)后的興奮激動(dòng)讓我感覺(jué)真的很棒,但這只是短暫的。
Take Sundays Off
星期天放假吧
As my career progressed I made it a priority to take Sundays off. I had always taken Sunday mornings off to go to church, but I often found myself working Sunday afternoons and evenings.
當(dāng)我的職業(yè)生涯發(fā)展到一定階段,我把星期天休息作為為一項(xiàng)優(yōu)先考慮的事項(xiàng)。我一直周日上午休息時(shí)去教堂,但我經(jīng)常發(fā)現(xiàn)自己周日下午和晚上還在繼續(xù)工作。
Sundays became the day when I would focus exclusively on my family, having fun and recharging my batteries. This decision increased my productivity because I felt sharper and more refreshed during the other six days. It improved my relationship with my wife and children, and it allowed me to better enjoy my journey.
星期天成了這樣,我將專注于我的家人,開心玩樂(lè)并給自己充電。這個(gè)決定使得我的生產(chǎn)率增加,因?yàn)樵诮酉聛?lái)的六天里我感到更敏捷、更精神煥發(fā)。它改善了我與我妻子和孩子們的關(guān)系,,它讓我更好的享受我的旅程。
One of the main reasons why Sundays are the best days to take off, beyond its Biblical significance, is that it is the one day when most people don’t expect you to be working. It’s the one day a week that most of us can go without responding to emails, text messages, phone calls, and other work-related business. We can fully shut down.
星期天是一個(gè)最好的休息日,除了有其圣經(jīng)的意義,其中一個(gè)主要原因在于,這一天,大多數(shù)人不期望你工作。每周有這么一天,我們大多數(shù)人可以不回復(fù)電子郵件,短信,電話,和其他與工作相關(guān)的業(yè)務(wù)。我們可以完全停工。
So my first word of advice is to take Sundays off. If your chosen career does not allow you to take Sundays off, then find another day each week to relax, refresh, and spend time with the people important to you.
所以我的第一個(gè)忠告是周日休息。如果你選擇的職業(yè)不允許你周日休息,然后每周另找一天休息放松,恢復(fù)精神,把時(shí)間花在對(duì)你重要的人身上。
Take Holiday Weekends Off
假期周末休假
This leads me into my second word of advice. Take holiday weekends off. Not only are these the best times to spend with those who are important to you but, like Sundays, they are times when people aren’t expecting you to be working. Holiday weekends are the few times each year when you can take off more than two days without having to be available to clients, business colleagues, and co-workers.
讓我來(lái)說(shuō)說(shuō)我的第二條忠告。周末式度假休息。不僅是因?yàn)樵谶@段美妙時(shí)光里,你有機(jī)會(huì)和那些對(duì)你來(lái)說(shuō)很重要的人一起度過(guò),而且就像星期天一樣,人們不期望你工作。周末式度假是每年幾次這樣的日子,你可以超過(guò)兩天不為客戶,業(yè)務(wù)同事和同事提供服務(wù)。
I used to work through holiday weekends thinking, “While everyone else is resting, I am going gain market share.” My mind was programmed to attack when my competitors were relaxing. While I still think this way, it is not as extreme.
我曾經(jīng)在周末式假期來(lái)一邊工作一邊考慮,“當(dāng)別人都在休息,我要獲得市場(chǎng)份額。”當(dāng)我的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手在放松,而我的頭腦在規(guī)劃行動(dòng)。我仍然懷揣這樣想法,它并不過(guò)分。
With my wife’s strong encouragement, I started taking off holiday weekends. By relaxing and enjoying time with my family over these extended weekends, it not only enhanced my relationships and brought more enjoyment into my life, but it also recharged my batteries and my work productivity improved.
在我妻子的強(qiáng)烈的鼓勵(lì)下,我開始度假日周末。在長(zhǎng)周末里,與我的家人一起放松和享受,它不僅增強(qiáng)了我的人際關(guān)系,給我的生活帶來(lái)了更多的喜悅,而且這段假期也讓我可以充電,我的工作效率提升了。
Through my journey, I have learned that I must take time off and that the best time to do that is when everyone else is taking time off. While one could argue I am giving up market share, and I might be, it’s okay. I’m willing to give up a little market share in order to enjoy my life better.
通過(guò)我的一路旅程,我知道我必須休假,而最好的休假時(shí)間是,其他人也同時(shí)正在休假。有人會(huì)說(shuō)我正在放棄市場(chǎng)份額,情況可能如此,但沒(méi)關(guān)系。我愿意放棄一點(diǎn)市場(chǎng)份額,為了更好地享受我的生活。
Recharge Your Battery
為你自己充電
Just like the Energizer Bunny, if you want to keep on going, your battery must be fully charged and the best way to maintain optimal power is to recharge it by taking time off regularly. When you are fully charged you will be able to tackle tough assignments with all the energy, stamina, and the mental focus you need.
就像勁量兔電池一樣,如果你想繼續(xù)前進(jìn),你的電池必須完全充電,而保持最優(yōu)功率的最好方法是讓它定期休息。當(dāng)完全充電時(shí),借助于所有的能量,耐力和全副精力你將能夠解決艱難的任務(wù)。
We all need sufficient down-time for rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation; time to play with family and friends; time to love and laugh and live.
我們都需要足夠的停機(jī)時(shí)間來(lái)休息、放松和恢復(fù)活力;需要時(shí)間和家人和朋友玩樂(lè),需要時(shí)間來(lái)愛(ài)來(lái)歡笑,來(lái)生活。
Find the Balance for You
為你自己找到平衡
Now with all this said, I feel I must make it clear as I did in 10 Tips for Balancing Your Career and Family that working 40 hours a week is the break-even point. In today’s world it is virtually impossible to get ahead financially working only 40 hours a week.
現(xiàn)在說(shuō)完這些以后,我覺(jué)得我必須弄清楚一件事,就像我在《平衡你的事業(yè)和家庭》一文中提到的10個(gè)小貼士,每周工作40小時(shí)是收支平衡點(diǎn)。在當(dāng)今世界,每周只工作40小時(shí),幾乎不可能獲得財(cái)務(wù)成功。
The key for each of us is finding the right balance between work and play. I have found that the right balance for me is working 50-55 hours a week. This allows me to pursue my goals while at the same time enjoy my journey.
對(duì)于我們每一個(gè)人來(lái)說(shuō),關(guān)鍵之處是在工作和娛樂(lè)之間找到良好的平衡。我發(fā)現(xiàn)我良好的平衡點(diǎn)是每周工作50 - 55小時(shí)。這允許我追求目標(biāo),同時(shí)享受自己的旅程。
So, let me encourage you to slam on the brakes tonight after work and enjoy your weekend.
所以,我鼓勵(lì)你今晚下班后好好調(diào)控一下,享受你的周末假期。