I looked at other people and thought, “Wow, that person's going on to do great things.”

我會看著他們，心裡想著：「哇，這個人未來一定能成大事。」

But as I grew older, I realized that's not necessarily the case.

但隨著年齡增長，我發現事情未必如此。

A few people I know who are intelligent and have a strong work ethic have gone on to do notable things, while many others are doing fine.

我認識的幾位聰明人都十分敬業，也都完成了不少顯著的成就，而其他人也都發展得不錯。

Unfortunately, there are some that drift along, unsure about what to do.

不幸的是，還是有些人苟且渡日，不確定自己想做什麼。

I then realized that there are a lot of factors when it comes to success, whether it means having a fulfilling career, having great relationships, or staying healthy.

我才發現，影響成功的因素有很多，不論成功的定義是擁有事業上的成就、美滿的愛情，還是健康的身心。

Yes, smarts are part of it, and so is work ethic.

聰明才智與勤奮敬業確實很重要沒錯。

But there's more at play than just these two factors.

但影響成功的因素不只這兩個。

Here are seven reasons why you might not be finding success even if you're smart and hardworking.

以下 7 點是即便你夠聰明、夠勤奮，卻可能仍無法成功的原因。

It's easy to stick to people you've known for a long time.

我們很容易安於自己熟悉已久的交友圈。

You know each other's histories and can laugh at inside jokes together.

我們了解對方的過往，以及只有我們自己聽得懂的梗。

The problem with old friends, though, is that the same ideas are recycled over and over again, and you don't get to learn new perspectives outside of your bubble.

但老朋友的問題就在於，同樣的想法會重複循環，你便無法接觸到這個圈圈外的新觀點。

It can be tough to reach out at first to new people, but starting small can help.

一開始要認識新朋友可能有點困難，但一步一步慢慢來會有幫助的。

Aim for a low goal initially, such as introducing yourself to one person a week.

可以先從小一點的目標著手，像是每週主動去認識一個人。

Being in the same environment for a long time makes it hard to adapt to something new.

長時間待在一樣的環境會讓我們很難去適應新事物。

The good news is that change presents a chance for opportunities and innovation.

不過好處是，改變意味著機會與創新。

Instead of resisting changes, see how you can make the best of them.

與其抗拒改變，不如好好利用改變帶來的機會。

Maybe you can cater to a growing businesses' need or see a different perspective.

或許你能因此迎合成長型企業的需求，或找到不同的前景。

Be open to new concepts and curious about the world around you.

要以開放的心胸去面對新穎的概念，並對這個世界保有好奇心。

Smart people often choose the safe route.

聰明的人往往喜歡打安全牌。

They might follow the same path as their peers or choose a career because it's considered acceptable by their peers.

他們可能會跟著同輩們走一樣的路，或選擇一個在他們眼裡被視為「合適」的職業。

While this guarantees a degree of security, it can be mundane.

雖然這是保險的作法，但這麼做已陷入世俗的眼光中。

I hear so often from smart people that they find their jobs unfulfilling and that they want to do something else, but are afraid to do so.

我太常聽到聰明的人認為自己的工作沒辦法滿足他們、認為自己有別的事想做，卻害怕行動。

If you're thinking about branching out into unfamiliar territory, consider what your life will be like decades from now if you opt not to pursue something.

如果你在考慮要不要跨足其他不熟悉的領域，想想自己若選擇不付諸行動，未來幾十年的日子會變得如何。

Will you regret it, or will you be happy with your decision?

你會後悔，還是感到開心？

People that worked hard in school are used to being at the top and told how much potential they show.

在學校用功讀書的人習慣當班上的前幾名，也習慣了別人告訴他們自己有多少天賦。

This seems good initially, but there are some negative side effects.

這在一開始看似是好事，但這是有壞處的。

I've heard people claim they deserve something because of their intelligence or where they went to school.

我聽過有人認為以自己的聰明才智或學歷，他們覺得自己「應該得到」某種待遇。

They expect things to pan out automatically because of their credentials.

他們單憑那張畢業證書，就認為每件事情應該要自然而然地順利進行。

Sadly, though, life doesn't work like that.

但很可惜，這世界並不是這麼運作的。

In the real world, you don't get results based on the work you put in.

在現實世界裡，你得到的結果並不來自於你付出多少。

You get results based on the combination of hard work, strategic thinking, and some luck involved.

你得到的結果來自於你的付出加上策略思考能力，以及運氣。

You can increase that last factor by working on the first two.

而後者是可以透過前面兩個因素的努力而被提升的。

One thing I hear often from high achievers is that they hate wasting time.

我常常聽高成就的人說：他們討厭浪費時間。

Smart people are all too aware of the value of their time, as time and effort spent on one thing means that they could potentially be missing out on something else.

聰明人都太在乎時間的價值，認為自己花時間精力在某件事情上，可能就等於流失了花在另一件事情上的時間。

While this is a strong attribute, it also means chasing the next big thing and not following through.

雖然這是個突出的特質，這也代表他們會不斷地追求下一個專案，卻都無法堅持下去。

Starting out in any field or endeavor is tough, and getting through the initial obstacles requires patience.

在任何領域中有所嘗試是很困難的，而要突破一開始的阻礙需要耐心。

Focusing effort on one goal yields much better results in the long run than going after one thing, getting bored, and then going after something new.

比起三分鐘熱度，專心把心力放在同一個目標上得出的結果好太多了。

Being smart and working hard can open up numerous doors.

聰明、勤奮這兩種特質可以開啟無限多可能性。

Unfortunately, having too many options can be as restricting as having few choices.

不幸的是，擁有太多選擇所帶來的限制，就如擁有太少選擇一樣。

An abundance of choices makes it difficult to decide what to do.

選擇太多會讓人無法思考或下定決心自己想做什麼。

As a result, it's tempting to jump around and “see what suits you”.

因此，這讓人不禁想多方嘗試看看什麼才是「適合自己的」。

I knew someone who attended numerous graduate school programs, one after another.

我認識一個人，她一個接一個地唸了一堆研究所課程。

Over ten years later, she still can't figure out what to do.

十年多過去了，她還是不知道自己想做什麼。

Rather than dabbling in many endeavors, I suggest testing things out first.

與其對每件事都有所涉略，我建議還是先試驗一下比較好。

Talk to other people and do the research before making a big decision.

可以先跟其他人聊聊，並在做重大決定前先做點研究。

So that you know whether or not an option suits your personality and lifestyle.

好讓你知道這個決定是否符合你的個性和生活模式。

Surprisingly, smart people can underestimate their own abilities.

令人意外地，聰明人有時候會低估自己的能力。

They are their own worst critic, causing them to believe that they can't accomplish as much as they can.

他們最不擅長評估自己的能力，導致他們認為自己能完成的事比想像中少。

Smart people have high standards when it comes to their work.

聰明人在工作上有著極高的標準。

Whenever they work on a project, they tend to scrutinize and second-guess the final product.

他們在進行一項專案時，容易過於細查並懷疑最終的成果。

This seems like a good thing on the surface, but it's often more debilitating than helpful.

這表面上看似是好事，但其實它弊多利少。

Perfectionism can hinder people from progressing forward in their goals or starting on anything in the first place.

完美主義會阻礙人們達成目標，或讓他們連開始著手一件事都不願意。

So instead of letting fears of “what if” or “I'm not good enough” keep you back from something new, think of how you want your life to look like years from now.

所以與其讓「如果...怎麼辦」或「我怕自己不夠好」的想法阻礙你嘗試新事物，試著想想好幾年後，心目中的可欲未來是什麼樣子。

Getting started beats waiting for something to happen anytime.

任何行動，都勝過被動的等待。

What will you do today to get closer to your success?

今天的你會做什麼讓自己離成功更近一些？

What are some things that have been holding you back?

是什麼原因讓你遲遲不敢行動？