Happiness tip: do something every day
A few days ago, I observed that it's often easier for me to do something every day than to do it some days. I post to my blog six days a week. I take notes every day. I write in my one-sentence journal every day. Many people have told me that they find it easier to exercise when they exercise every day.
几天前,我发现每天坚持做某件事比隔几天去做更容易。我每周在博客发帖6次。每天做笔记。每天写一句话日记。许多人告诉我每天锻炼更容易坚持下来。
If I try to do something four days a week, I spend a lot of time arguing with myself about whether today is the day, or tomorrow, or the next day; did the week start on Sunday or Monday; etc.
如果我只在一周中的4天做某件事,我会花很多时间进行思想斗争:到底是今天、明天、还是后天做?从一周的哪天开始进行?周一还是周日?等等。
If you do something every day, you tend to fall into a routine, and routine has a bad reputation. It's true that novelty and challenge bring happiness, and that people who break their routines, try new things, and go new places are happier, but I think that some routine activities also bring happiness. The pleasure of doing the same thing, in the same way, every day, shouldn't be overlooked. By re-framing, you can find happiness in activities like doing dishes or sweeping the floor, as well as your beloved morning coffee-and-newspaper.
如果你每天去做某件事,就容易变成例行公事,例行公事可不好。没错,新颖和挑战可以带来快乐,那些打破常规、尝试新事物、去新地方的人们活得更开心。可是我认为有些例行活动也会带来快乐。每天按同样的方式做同样的事情,这种愉快也不可被忽视。转变观念,你能在洗盘子、扫地以及你喜欢的早上看报纸喝咖啡中找到快乐。
The things you do every day take on a certain beauty, and provide a kind of invisible architecture to daily life.
每天都做的事情会带有某种吸引力,也是你日常生活的无形架构。
Funnily enough, two geniuses whom I associate with the idea of the unconventional wrote about the power of doing something every day.
有趣地是,有两位拥有非凡想法的天才也写到了每天坚持做某件事的力量。
Andy Warhol wrote, "Either once only, or every day. If you do something once it's exciting, and if you do it every day it's exciting. But if you do it, say, twice or just almost every day, it's not good any more."
Andy Warhol曾写道:“要么做一次,要么天天做。如果你只做一次,那很令人兴奋;如果你每天做,那也很令人兴奋。但是,如果你每天做两次,或有时不做,那么它就不再有趣了”。
Gertrude Stein made a related point: "Anything one does every day is important and imposing and anywhere one lives is interesting and beautiful."
Gertrude Stein也说了有关的话:“任何事情,只要每天都做,它就是重要的;一个人住的地方,无论在哪,都是有趣、美丽的。”
So if there's something that you wish you did more regularly, try doing it every day; if you do something every day, revel in it.
所以,如果你希望坚持做某件事,那就坚持每天做。让你每天都做的事情为你带来享受吧。