Because, guess what?

但你猜怎麼著？

I was already late for class.

我上課已經遲到了。

I had this uncanny ability to almost always⏤and I mean always⏤hand in my essays and my projects literally minutes right before the deadline.

我有一種不可思議的能力，幾乎總是（沒錯，總是）在截止時間前幾分鐘才交出我的論文或專案作業。

This was definitely not something that I was proud of.

這絕對不是讓我驕傲的事情。

We all have amazing things that we tell ourselves that we're going to go outside and do,

我們都有一些告訴自己應該要出去做的偉大事情，

but for the most part, we have trouble finding the motivation and the inspiration to actually go out there and do them.

但在大多數情況下，我們都難以找到讓自己實際去做這些事的動機或靈感。

And I'm sure you can relate to this.

我相信你能夠體會這一點。

What finally helped me was this little trick that I learned from a mentor of mine.

最終幫助我的是我從一位導師身上學到的小技巧。

It's called the "3... 2... 1", and it's actually very simple and very effective.

它被稱為 3... 2... 1... 訣竅，其實非常簡單且有效。

The next time you're confronted with a task that you don't want to do, even by the slightest bit, you start counting down from 3.

當你下一次面對一項你不想做的任務時，即使只有最輕微的不想，你可以開始從 3 倒數。

You go 3... 2... 1, and once you hit 1, you stop whatever you're doing and then finish that task.

倒數 3... 2... 1，到 1 的時候，就停止手邊正在做的事情，然後完成那項任務。

The only rules are that whatever it is has to be something that's possible and it has to be something that you can do right then and right there at the moment.

唯一的規則是，無論它是什麼，都必須是一件可能完成，而且必須是你在那一刻當下就可以做的事情。

Let's say, for example, you just came home and you notice that the trash bin is full.

假設你剛到家，發現垃圾桶滿了。

"Oh, man, I should go and take out the trash. You know what? I'll do it after I check my email."

「老天，我該去倒垃圾了。你知道怎麼著？我收個電郵後再去倒。」

Wait, stop.

等等，停下。

Take out the trash, 3... 2... 1, and you have to drop your phone, stand up, and you have to take out the trash.

倒垃圾，3... 2... 1，然後你就得放下手機、站起來，然後去倒垃圾。

Now the key to this trick is to make it into a habit.

這個訣竅的關鍵是讓它成為習慣。

They say that it takes about 21 days to form a habit.

人們都說要形成一項習慣需要大約 21 天的時間。

However, in my personal experience, it didn't take any longer than about a week and a half for this trick to settle in.

然而，就我個人經驗，讓這個訣竅變成習慣耗費不超過一週半的時間。

The key is to apply it to just about every single annoying task that you find throughout the day.

關鍵是把它應用在你一天當中覺得煩人的每一項任務。

"Oh, the dishes are piling up. Well, 3... 2... 1, go and wash the dishes."

「喔，碗盤堆積如山了，好，3... 2... 1，去洗碗。」

"Oh, the dog looks hungry. 3... 2... 1, go feed the dog."

「哦，狗狗看起來餓了，3... 2... 1，去餵狗。」

"Should I brush my teeth? 3... 2... 1, go and brush your teeth."

「我應該去刷牙嗎？3... 2... 1，去刷牙。」

"Ooh, I'm kind of hungry right now, too. 3... 2... 1, go cook yourself a meal."

「喔，我現在有點餓了，3... 2... 1，去為自己做一頓飯。」

After doing this for a while, you'll find that you're met with less resistance every time you count down from 3.

這樣做一段時間後，你會發現你每一次從 3 倒數時，遇到的抗拒感更少了。

And it's at this point that you've unlocked the true potential behind this trick.

而正個階段正是你解鎖這個訣竅真正潛力的時候。

The point of this trick was not to give you a way to take out the trash or always hand in your homework on time.

這個訣竅的重點並不是提供你倒垃圾或是永遠準時交作業的方法。

Yes, that is gonna be helpful, but the true potential behind this trick is to give you the ability to build positive new habits.

沒錯，那會有幫助，但這個訣竅背後的真正潛力是讓你有能力建構正向的新習慣。

Let's say that you've been trying to go to the gym for a while now.

假設你想去健身房有好一陣子的時間了。

You know all of the positive benefits.

你知道所有好處。

You know logically that it is the right thingto do.

你在邏輯上也知道這是正確的事情。

Yet you've never found the motivation to actually go out there and do it.

然而，你從來沒有找到實際去做這件事的動力。

Now all you have to do is say, "Sign up for a gym membership online, 3... 2... 1 ," and you'll go and do it.

而現在你只需要說：「在網路上註冊健身房會員，3... 2... 1。」然後你就會去做了。

And then immediately afterwards you can say, "Get dressed and go to the gym, 3... 2... 1 ," and you'll go and do it.

然後你緊接著可以說：「穿上衣服，去健身房，3... 2... 1。」然後你就會去做了。

The key here is to make sure that the "3... 2... 1" is ingrained enough in your mind so that when you do say it, no matter what it is that you've challenged yourself to do, you will do it.

這裡的關鍵是要確保 3... 2... 1 在你腦海中根深蒂固，所以當你說出來時，無論你挑戰自己做什麼事，你都會做到。

And the same thing can be applied for quitting negative habits⏤things like smoking or drinking.

而同樣的事情也可以適用於戒掉菸、酒等壞習慣。

If you've ingrained the "3... 2... 1" strongly enough in your brain, you can resist those temptations.

假設 3... 2... 1 已經深植在你腦中，你就可以抗拒這些誘惑。

But the biggest and the hardest thing that you have to do in order to make this trick work is to take that first step today, and then start implementing the "3... 2... 1" trick into your lifestyle.

要讓這個訣竅奏效最艱鉅的任務是，今天就踏出第一步，然後開始把 3... 2... 1 融入你的生活。

I challenge you to think of something right now that you have to do.

我挑戰你現在就想一件你必須做的事。

Something on your to-do list that you've been pushing aside.

一件在你待辦清單上一陣子但一直被推到一邊的事。

3... 2... 1.

3... 2... 1。

Go and do it.

去做吧！