VOA慢速英语2019 实现目标的方法

Ways to Achieve Your Goals

From VOA Learning¹ English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

这里是VOA慢速英语健康生活报道。

If you are like millions of people around the world, the New Year brings with it new goals.

如果你和全世界数百万人一样，那往往会在新年许下新的目标。

Perhaps you want to save money, lose weight or learn a new skill. You tell yourself, “This is the year I’m going to … (fill in the blank.”)

也许你想存钱、减肥或学习一项新技能。你告诉自已，“今年我要……（请在空白处填写）”。

But then you get busy.

但是之后你会忙个不停。

Your daily life -- as wonderful as it can be -- takes up all of your time. Before you know it, weeks, then months have gone by, and you are no closer to your goal.

你的日常生活——再美好不过的日常生活——占用了你的全部时间。在你发现之前，可能已经过去了几周甚至是几个月的时间，而此时你完全没有接近自已的目标。

Time, as they say, waits for no one.

常言道，时不待人。

Yet your goal remains² important. And achieving a goal, no matter how small, feels good. In addition, when we do not work on our goals, we may end up feeling guilty³ or not successful.

但是你的目标依然很重要。实现目标，无论那个目标有多小，都会让人感觉美好。另外，如果我们不为实现目标而努力，那我们可能会感到内疚或产生挫败感。

So, how can we find time to work on these larger life goals?

那我们如何找到实现远大人生目标的时间呢？

Well, many websites address this issue⁴, and they offer some of the same advice: If you want to achieve something, clearly identify it and write it down.

许多解决这一问题的网站给出了一些相同的建议：如果你想实现某个目标，那就要明确确定目标并写下来。

Identify specific⁵ goals

确定具体的目标

As you identify your goals, be specific. If a goal is too general, it may be hard to pursue⁶ let alone achieve it.

在你确定目标时，一定要具体。如果一个目标过于宽泛，那可能很难追求，更别提实现了。

Let’s say your goal is to get in better physical shape. That’s a fine idea -- but psychologists⁷ might say as a goal, it is too general.

假设你的目标是想要更好的身材。这个想法很好，但是心理学家可能会说，这个目标过于笼统了。

To make the goal more specific, you could sign up for a regular exercise class. So, whether you are dancing, doing yoga or kickboxing, you have a regular commitment⁸ every week. You could also say your goal is to lose a certain amount of weight in a certain amount of time.

而具体化这个目标，你可以报名定期健身课程。无论是舞蹈班、瑜伽班还是跆拳道班，你要每周定期参加。你还可以把目标定为在一定时间内减掉一定的体重。

Write your goals down

把目标写下来

Experts say writing down your goal is a very important step. It gets the goal out of your brain and into the real world.

专家表示，写下目标是非常重要的一步。这会让目标脱离大脑，步入现实世界。

Some psychologists suggest that writing a goal on paper is better than typing it on a device⁹ or saying it into your phone. Your brain receives information differently when it comes from handwriting. Writing things down seems to say to the brain, “I am important! Remember me!”

一些心理学家认为，将目标写在纸上要好于输入设备中或语音录入手机中。当信息来自手写时，你的大脑会以另一种方式来接收这一信息。将事情写下来似乎是在告诉大脑，“我很重要！记住我！”

Writing has another benefit¹⁰: You can post your goal somewhere as a reminder¹¹. As you sit down at your computer or pour your morning coffee, your goal stares you in the face and asks, “What are you going to do about me today?”

手写还有一个好处：你可以把目标贴在某个地方，以此来提醒自已。你坐在电脑前或早晨泡咖啡时，你的目标会凝视你，并问你：“你今天准备怎么实现我？”

Tell a friend

告知朋友

Telling someone your goal is also helpful.

将你的目标告诉其他人也会有帮助。

If someone else knows about your goals, you are held accountable for any progress or lack of progress. Your friend might ask, “So, how many pages of your novel have you written?” If you keep saying “none,” you might feel badly.

如果其他人知道你的目标，你就要为取得进步或没有进展负责。你的朋友可能会问，“你的小说写了多少页了？”如果你一直回答“没写”，那你可能会感觉很糟糕。

Now you feel a pressure to do it -- the pressure of your friend’s opinion of you. And that can be a big pressure! Many people do not want to let others down, especially friends and family.

现在，你感觉到了压力——这种压力来自你朋友对你的看法。这可能会成为巨大的压力！许多人不想让其他人失望，尤其是不想让朋友和家人失望。

Break down BIG goals into small ones

将大目标分解成小目标

Not all goals are created equal. Some can be quite big. And for those bigger goals, experts suggest breaking them down into smaller ones.

不是所有目标都一样。有些目标可能很大。就这些大目标而言，专家建议将它们分解成小目标。

So, let’s say you want to work for yourself. You love cooking. So, you decide to start your own company that supplies food for special events. Now, that is a very big goal. But it is made up of many smaller goals. So, identify them, write them down and set for yourself time limits.

假设你想为自已工作。你热爱烹饪。所以你决定开一家自已的公司，为特别活动供应食物。这是一个非常大的目标。但是这个大目标由许多小目标组成。你可以先确定目标，写下来，然后为自已设定时间限制。

These suggestions all help to make your goals real. If you simply think about your goals, they can easily get lost in your brain – which, after all, has a lot to do in a day.

这些建议都有助于让你的目标更为现实。如果你只是想想目标，那这些目标会很容易被你的大脑遗忘——毕竟每天都有很多事情要做。

Other experts remind us of another detail as we set our goals for the New Year: The goals may change. Or your life situation may change. Or you may change. So, it is a good idea to check in with yourself. Is this goal still what you want? Is your approach still working? If things are not proceeding¹² forward, perhaps you need to change something.

其他专家提醒我们，在制定新年目标时还要留意一个细节：这些目标可能会改变。或者你的生活状态会发生改变。又或者你会改变。因此，自行检查是个不错的方法。这个目标是你希望的吗？你的方法还有效吗？如果没有取得进展，那你可能需要做出改变。

One expert, Ryder Carroll, helps people organize their life’s goals by using a simple notebook. He suggests thinking about your goals not as a final destination, but rather as lighthouses guiding you along.

莱德·卡洛尔是帮助人们用普通的笔记本来管理目标的专家。他建议人们不要将目标看作最终目的地，而是将其视为指引你前行的灯塔。

It is the pursuit¹³ of your goals -- not the reaching of them -- that makes up the weeks, days and hours of our lives. So make sure to have fun along the way!

这是追求目标——而不是实现目标——这需要我们人生中数小时、数天甚至是数周的时间。所以一定要确保过程中享受乐趣！

blank – n. an empty space (as on a paper)

general – adj. relating to the main or major parts of something rather than the details : not specific

specific – adj. clearly and exactly presented or stated : precise¹⁴ or exact

accountable – adj. required to explain actions or decisions to someone

let others down – phrasal verb¹⁵ disappoint others : fail to deliver a promise

destination – n. a place to which a person is going or something is being sent

check in with yourself – phrasal verb a type of self-examination

pursuit – n. the act of chasing, following, or trying to obtain

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 guilty   

adj.犯罪的；有罪的；内疚的

参考例句：

• There wasn't enough evidence to prove him guilty.没有充分的证据证明他有罪。
• Really honest people are ofter made to feel guilty.真正老实的人常被弄得感到犯了罪似的。

4 issue   

n.出版，发行，（报刊等）期、号，论点，问题，结果， （水，血等的）流出；vt.使流出，放出，发行（钞票等），发布（命令），出版（书等）发给；vi.发行，流出，造成...结果，进行辩护，传下

参考例句：

• I bought the book the day after its issue.这书出版后的第一天，我就去买了它。
• I'll support her down the line on that issue.在那个问题上我将全力支持她。

5 specific   

adj.明确的；具体的；特定的

参考例句：

• The money is to be used for specific purposes.这笔钱有专门用途。
• We haven't fixed a specific date for our meeting.我们会议的具体日期还没有定下来。

6 pursue   

vt.继续，从事；追赶，追踪；追求

参考例句：

• He began to pursue an easy and comfortable life.他开始追求安逸舒适的生活。
• This is the path that we shall continue to pursue.这是我们要继续走的道路。

7 psychologists   

n.心理学研究者，心理学家( psychologist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• However, psychologists distinguish between'sound" and "noise".'sound" is measured physically in decibels. 然而，心理学家把声音与噪声做了区别，声音实际上可以用分贝来测量，而噪声却不能用同样的方法来测量。 来自中级百科部分
• Using a scientific way, these psychologists set up experiments. 这些心理学家利用科学的方式做了很多实验。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

8 commitment   

n.奉献，忠诚，辛劳，委托，实行，承担义务，赞助

参考例句：

• The builder had a commitment to finish the work on time.那个承建商答应过准时完工。
• He made a commitment to pay the rent on time.他保证按时付房租。

9 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。

10 benefit   

n.好处，益处，福利；vt.有益于，对…有益；vi.受益于

参考例句：

• The money is to be used for the benefit of the poor.这笔钱用来为穷人谋福利。
• He thought he would benefit from going to school.他认为上学对他有好处。

11 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

12 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

13 pursuit   

n.追赶，追求，职业，工作

参考例句：

• They set off at once along the lane in pursuit.他们立即出发沿着小巷追赶。
• Life,liberty,and the pursuit of happiness have been called the inalienable rights of man.生命、自由和追求幸福被称为人类不可剥夺的权利。

14 precise   

adj.精确的，恰好的，极清楚的

参考例句：

• At that precise moment, Miss Pulteney came into the office.就在那时，普尔特尼小姐走进了办公室。
• A scientist must be precise in making tests.科学家做试验必须精确。

15 verb   

n.[语]动词

参考例句：

• The sentence is formed from a verb and two nouns.这句子由一个动词和两个名词构成。
• These are the finite forms of a verb.这些是一个动词的限定形式。