A great career or business requires hard work. A healthy body needs exercise and foods you don't necessarily like.

一個偉大的事業或企業需要努力，一個健康的身體需要你不一定會喜歡的鍛鍊和食物。

Meaningful relationships need vulnerability and compromises.

有意義的關係需要示弱和妥協。

In fact, anything worthwhile often requires that you do what you don't want to do.

事實上，任何有價值的事物常常需要你去做不想做的事情。

And that can be hard.

而這是件困難的事。

But it doesn't have to be.

但它不需要是困難的。

I used to take my thoughts very seriously.

我以前會將我的想法看得很重。

Whenever one of them popped into my head, I'd immediately identify with it and perceive it as the “truth.”

每當一個想法浮上腦海，我會立刻將其理解為「真理」。

If a thought told me I was tired and bored, I'd immediately look for a way out.

如果一個想法告訴我我又累又無聊，我會馬上找一個擺脫的方法。

But I've since learned that I am not my thoughts and that my mind is nothing more than a suggestion box.

但自從我曉得我的想法並不是我自己本身，而我的思緒只不過是個意見箱。

Because of that, I don't take my thoughts as seriously as I used to.

有鑑於此，我不再像以前那樣看重我的想法。

And that, in turn, has made a huge difference in my subsequent behavior and the results I get.

而也因為這一點，已使我接下來的行為和所得到的結果有了巨大的不同。

These days, when my mind tells me I'm restless and should do something else, I simply thank it for the suggestion and then get back to the task at hand.

近日，當我的思緒告訴我我焦躁不安，應該要做點其他事情時，我僅僅感謝它的建議，隨即回去做手邊的工作。

It's never the discomfort that stops you; it's how you perceive the discomfort.

從來就不是不適使你停滯；而是你如何看待這個不適。

Your beliefs determine your response, and what you choose to believe is within your control.

你的信念決定你的回應，而你選擇要相信的事物是在你的掌握之中的。

You can assign whatever meaning you want to discomfort.

你可以給不適賦予任何你想要的意義。

I used to believe it was a signal that I should stop.

我以前相信不適是個我應該停下來的信號。

These days, I believe it's a signal that I should keep going.

如今，我認為這是我應該要繼續下去的信號。

I've decided that anytime I feel discomfort, that just means I've stepped into my mental gym, and that it's time for my mental resistance training.

我已經決定每當我感到不適，那只是意味著我踏入了精神健身房，而此時正是進行我的精神抵抗力訓練的時候。

Willpower is a lot like muscle power. The more you exercise it, the stronger it will get.

意志力和肌力極度相似。你越鍛鍊它，它就會越強壯。

If you practice it for an extended period of time, you can change your behavior around completely.

如果你長時間實踐下去，你就能徹底改變你既有的行為。

You'll be able to do what others dread doing and to stay away from things that others can't resist doing.

你將能做其他人不敢做的事，並且遠離其他人無法抗拒去做的事。

That level of self-control is exactly what's needed to become a remarkable person and create extraordinary results.

那種程度的自我控制正是成為傑出人才所需，且會創造出絕佳的結果。

So, how do you get started?

所以，你該如何開始呢？

The best way to practice mental resistance training is through voluntary hardship.

實施精神抵抗力訓練的最佳方式是透過自願性的受苦。

Here are a few examples: Underdress for cold weather.

以下有一些例子：天冷穿少一點。

Turn off the air conditioning in your house or car.

待在屋內或車裡的時候關掉冷氣。

Take cold showers. Occasional fasting.

洗冷水澡。偶爾禁食。

Drink only water. Sleep without a pillow.

只喝水。睡覺不用枕頭。

High-intensity exercise. These are just a few ideas to help you come up with your personal mental resistance training.

從事高強度的運動。這些只是一些想法，有助於你想到該怎麼進行。

The important thing is that you choose one and commit to it.

你個人的精神抵抗力訓練。重要的是你從中選擇一個然後真的去做。

And just like in a physical gym, you don't want to use the heaviest weights right away.

而就像進去健身房一樣，你不會想在一開始就使用最重的重量做訓練。

There's no point getting overwhelmed or injured.

承受不住或受傷是完全沒意義的。

So, start small and then get a little bit every day.

所以，從輕巧的開始，接著每天增加一點點。

If your willpower muscle is weak right now, it's perfectly fine to start by making your bed each morning.

如果你的意志肌力現在很弱，藉由每天早上整理床鋪作為開始是再好不過的。

Or reading one page in a book.

或是讀一頁書。

Or flossing one tooth.

或者清潔一個牙縫。

If you're thinking to yourself right now: “I'm not the kind of person who practices voluntary discomfort,” be very mindful of the fact that this is the same voice you want to take control over.

如果你現在對自己想：「我不是會實踐自願性不適的那種人」，你要很小心，因為事實上，這個聲音和你想拿回主控權的聲音是同一個。

Don't take it as literal truth. Remember — it's just a suggestion.

別將它視為字面上的真理。記住—這只是個建議。

And it's entirely within your power what you do with that suggestion.

而該如何處置這個建議，完全掌握在你手中。

If you choose to take action despite what your mind is telling you, it holds no power over you.

如果你不理會思緒告訴你的建議而選擇行動，它就沒有駕馭你的力量。

You can decide to perceive discomfort as mental resistance training from this moment forward.

你可以決定從此刻將不適視為精神抵抗力訓練。

And each time you push through the resistance, you'll notice that you'll get a little bit stronger.

而你每挺過這個抵抗一次，你會發現你變得更強壯一點。

If you stick to the practice consistently, with time, it'll become second nature to do what you don't want to do.

如果你持續保持這樣的訓練，隨著時間的過去，做你不想做的事情會變成你的第二天性。

You'll become a relentless action-taker.

你會成為一個堅定不移的行動派。

And that's when you can turn your most desired goals into reality.

而這正是你能將大部分想達成的目標轉為現實之際。