degree in mechanical engineering, reach a million subscribers on YouTube, learn animation,

機械工程的學位，在YouTube上達到一百萬的訂閱者，學習動畫。

and improve my writing.

並改善我的寫作。

And it's a surprisingly simple habit, one that's easy to overlook and underestimate:

而這是一個出乎意料的簡單習慣，一個容易被忽視和低估的習慣。

the power hour.

權力小時。

After I get up in the morning, for the first hour, before I do anything else, I find a

在我早上起床後的第一個小時，在我做其他事情之前，我發現一個

nice quiet place, without my phone and without anyone else around, and I work on the most

在一個安靜的好地方，沒有手機，周圍也沒有其他人，我就在這裡工作。

difficult and most impactful project in my life.

這是我生命中最困難和最有影響的項目。

In a world of shiny new apps and “scientifically-backed” hacks, the power hour looks quite plain, but

在一個閃亮的新應用程序和 "有科學依據的 "黑客的世界裡，動力小時看起來相當平淡，但

this very plainness, in my mind, is a virtue.

在我看來，這種平實是一種美德。

In the Tao Te Ching, a classic book of wisdom, Lao Tzu writes, “Trifles and dainties attract

在《道德經》這本經典的智慧書中，老子寫道："窈窕淑女，君子好逑。

the passing people, while the Tao goes unnoticed.

過往的人，而道卻不為人知。

When looked at, it is not much to see.”

當看的時候，沒有什麼可看的。"

And he also said, “The great Way is very plain, so the proud prefer the bypaths.”

他還說："大路很平坦，所以驕傲的人喜歡走小路。"

The power hour is not much to look at, but out of all the apps, tips, and tricks I've

功率小時並沒有什麼可看的，但在我所有的應用程序、技巧和竅門中，我已經

tried over the last few years, as a student, a working professional, and an entrepreneur,

在過去的幾年裡，作為一名學生、一名在職專業人士和一名企業家，我嘗試過。

nothing has been more effective for me than the power hour.

對我來說，沒有什麼比權力小時更有效。

I slice an hour out of each day and make actual progress towards my goals.

我每天都會抽出一個小時的時間，朝著我的目標取得實際進展。

And everyone has goals, but how many people actually act on them?

而且每個人都有目標，但有多少人真正為之行動？

Everyone wants to make a great journey—they want to make money, get their dream job, graduate

每個人都想有一個偉大的旅程--他們想賺錢，得到他們夢想的工作，畢業

with honours, invent something, create something, be someone.

獲得榮譽，發明一些東西，創造一些東西，成為一個人。

Everyone wants to arrive at a great destination, but how many people actually want to take

每個人都想到達一個偉大的目的地，但有多少人真正想把

a step towards that destination?

朝著這個目標邁出了一步？

How many people spend most of their time preparing to make a journey that they never embark on?

有多少人花了大部分的時間來準備做一個他們從未踏上的旅程？

How many of them look for the right clothes, the right bag, the right level of motivation,

有多少人在尋找合適的衣服，合適的包，合適的動力水準。

the right video, the right song, the right words, the right tools, or the right time?

正確的視頻、正確的歌曲、正確的文字、正確的工具，還是正確的時間？

Instead of looking for the right time to be productive, the power hour forces me to be

與其尋找合適的時間來提高工作效率，權力小時迫使我成為

productive at the right time.

在適當的時候有成效。

Do I have a lot of things to think about?

我有很多事情要考慮嗎？

Well I'll think about them after my hour is over.

好吧，我將在我的一小時結束後考慮他們。

Do I have lots of relationships to maintain?

我有很多關係需要維護嗎？

I'll deal with them after.

我將在之後處理他們。

Do I have multiple projects to work on?

我有多個項目要做嗎？

I'll get started on the most important one during my hour.

我將在這一小時內開始處理最重要的一個問題。

Do I procrastinate?

我有拖延症嗎？

One hour is easy enough to do each day, and I can relax after.

每天做一個小時是很容易的，做完後我可以放鬆。

Do I get tired in the evenings?

我在晚上會感到疲倦嗎？

I'll schedule my power hour first thing in the morning, when I have the most energy.

我會把我的動力時間安排在早上第一件事，那是我精力最旺盛的時候。

The power hour solves the greatest obstacle to productivity: inaction.

動力小時解決了生產力的最大障礙：不作為。

The mind finds clever ways to not take action, and the mind's most clever secret is productive

心靈找到了不採取行動的巧妙方法，而心靈最巧妙的祕密是有成效的

procrastination.

拖延症。

It doesn't tell itself that it's being inactive.

它不會告訴自己，它是不活躍的。

Rather, it finds things that are pseudo-productive to do and takes pleasure in doing them.

相反，它找到了可以做的假性生產的事情，並以做這些事情為樂。

The mind wants to clean the house before working.

心裡想在工作前把房子打掃乾淨。

Or it wants to manage its to-do list.

或者它想管理它的待辦事項清單。

Or it wants to organize its computer or Notion folders.

或者它想組織其電腦或Notion文件夾。

It wants to make templates and spreadsheets.

它想製作模板和電子表格。

It wants to answer e-mails.

它想回答電子郵件。

It wants to set up a new app or calendar.

它想設置一個新的應用程序或日曆。

It wants to do a little reading before working.

它想在工作前做一下閱讀。

It wants to find the right music.

它想找到合適的音樂。

It wants get the desk set up properly with all the right tools.

它希望用所有正確的工具把桌子設置好。

It wants to find a productivity video to watch first.

它想先找到一個生產力視頻來觀看。

But the mind can create an infinite number of tasks and problems for itself.

但心靈可以為自己創造出無限多的任務和問題。

How many folders should there be on my desktop?

我的桌面上應該有多少個文件夾？

How should those folders be named?

這些文件夾應該如何命名？

How should I organize them within each other?

我應該如何在彼此之間組織它們？

What should each folder contain?

每個文件夾應該包含什麼？

How should I tag each folder?

我應該如何標記每個文件夾？

And this can go on forever, with anything.

而這可以一直持續下去，任何事情都是如此。

The mind loves to productively procrastinate.

心靈喜歡有成效的拖延。

It gets the pleasure of working without having to actually do any.

它得到了工作的樂趣，而不需要實際做任何事情。

The mind loves to sit around sharpening its axe, but it never wants to hack at the tree.

心靈喜歡坐著磨斧頭，但它從來沒有想去砍樹。

The power hour is a commitment to take the axe as it is and start chopping.

權力小時是一種承諾，要照單全收，開始砍伐。

The sharpening of the axe, the gathering of other tools, working on other things around

磨斧頭，收集其他工具，圍繞其他事情開展工作

the house, can all take place after.

的房子，都可以在之後進行。

But for this first hour, I'll do nothing but chop at the tree.

但在這第一個小時裡，我什麼都不做，只在樹上砍。

I'll go directly to the most pressing problem in my life, and I'll find the most difficult,

我會直接去找我生活中最緊迫的問題，我會找到最困難的問題。

most impactful action that might solve it, and I'll do that.

最有影響力的行動，可能會解決這個問題，我就會這樣做。

Steve Jobs famously said that “focusing [was] about saying no.”

史蒂夫-喬布斯有句名言："專注[是]關於說不"。

The first hour of my day is sacred, solitary, reverent, unadorned, and above all, it's

我一天中的第一個小時是神聖的、孤獨的、敬畏的、不加修飾的，最重要的是，它是

about saying no.

關於說不。

There are no incense, or special teas, or meditations, or cold showers, or quick body

沒有香，或特殊的茶，或冥想，或冷水浴，或快速的身體

workouts.

鍛鍊身體。

No millionaire or billionaire morning routines that never actually amount to anything.

沒有百萬富翁或億萬富翁的晨間例行公事，從來沒有實際意義的東西。

No productive distractions.

沒有生產性的分心。

No productive procrastination.

沒有生產性的拖延。

Just me, my axe, and the tree.

只有我，我的斧頭，和那棵樹。