10 Simple Ways to Change Your Life in 2 Minutes a Day
每天2分钟，10个简单方法改变你的生活

HENRIK EDBERG
飞鱼安乔/译

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
Lao Tzu
千里之行始于足下。——老子

“The distance is nothing; it is only the first step that is difficult.”
Madame Marie du Deffand
距离没什么可怕的，但迈开第一步却是困难的。——玛丽．狄．代芳夫人

Making a positive change in your life does not have to be about making a huge leap. But I believe that belief is one of those things that hold people back from improving their life and world.
想要生活有一个积极的改变，并不意味着要做一个巨大的飞跃。而且我相信，在众多因素中，信念也可使人们远离快速的生活和世界。（译者按：作者倡导慢生活，从细微处入手，积少成多，慢慢改变生活）

A simpler way that more often results in actual action being taken and new habits being established – in my life at least – is to take smaller steps but many of them. So here are 10 ways to change your life in just 2 minutes or so a day. Through these small steps you can start to build habits that become stronger and over time can change your life in ways you perhaps can’t imagine now.
一个简单的方法，是经过许多切实的行动才形成的，在这过程中，新的习惯也会建立。至少在我看来是这样的，也许只是迈出很小的一步，但要反复去做。所以，有10个方法可以改变你的生活，每天只需要花大概2分钟时间。通过这些小小的步骤，可以帮助你建立习惯，并使它们更牢固。假以时日，你的生活就会发生巨变，而这个变化，是你现在无法想象的。

To remember to actually do one of the things below each day write down a simple reminder. Put it on your night table so that you see it when you wake up each morning. Or put the note in your workspace so you see it early in your day. If you like and if possible, expand on the small habit after a week or two and do it for just a few more minutes a day.
为了在接下来的每一天，记得切实执行每一件事，请写下一个清单用于提醒自己。把它放在床头柜上，这样你每天醒来就可以看到它；或者，把它放在你的工作区，这样一早上班就能看到。如果你喜欢，如果可能，在一至两个星期后，详细说明你想要养成的习惯，并且每天多花一点时间来养成它。

1. Just start working for 2 minutes on your most important task.
1.  2分钟之内着手去做最重要的工作

I use this one at least one day every week. On some days I simply don’t feel like getting started with work. I’d much rather stay lazily on the sofa. So on such days I just start to work for 2 minutes on my most important task. That is the deal.
每周至少一天我会使用这个方法。因为有时，我实在不想工作，只想躺在沙发里犯懒。所以，每当这时，我会让自己在2分钟之内着手去做最重要的工作。嗯，就这么回事儿。

The thing is: getting started is pretty much always the hardest part. After I have started moving and been at work for those 2 minutes it is usually pretty easy or simple to just continue working on that task.
事情都这样：开始是最难的部分。一旦行动起来，并投入地工作2分钟，那么接下来继续工作就显得容易而简单。

2. Review and appreciate your day at the end of it.
2. 在一天快结束时，反思总结下

If you do good things during the day and get things done then that can raise your self-esteem. If you reflect upon that you have done so that is.
假如你在这天做了件好事，并且完成得很好，这会提高你的自尊。（像这样）如果你深思你做过的事，那么就对了。

So take two minutes of the end of your workday. Appreciate what you did and what you thought.
所以，当工作日结束时，花2分钟来反思今天做的事情和想法。

That is what I will do when I am done with this article and workday.
这也是我即将要做的事，在我写完这篇文章结束一天的工作时。

3. Set a low bar for happiness for the day.
3. 为幸福的一天设定一个低标准。

Lately I have been telling myself this when I wake up in the morning: “Have a low bar for happiness today.”
最近，在早上醒来时，我常这样告诉自己：为幸福的一天设定一个低标准。

As I tell myself this and try to keep it in mind during the day I appreciate things more. The food, my work, the weather, the small events of the day becomes not everyday stuff but something I feel happy to have. The small or what may be something one takes for granted becomes something I now often pause for a moment or two to take in and appreciate.
当我这样告诉自己并牢记这样去做，我发现，我感激的事情越来越多——吃的、工作、天气……这些生活中的琐碎小事变得不那么日常，而且让我能从中获得快乐。这么看来，理所当然的小事也可能会变得不寻常，所以现在生活中，我常会暂停一下，去接受和欣赏它们。

But if I become happier in my everyday life for the smaller things does that mean that I become unmotivated to keep working towards the bigger things?
但是如果我在日常生活中因为这些小事而变得更快乐，那是不是意味着我将无心继续工作以挑战更大的目标？

Nope.
显然不是。

This way of looking at my life actually fuels me with more energy and inspiration and fun, life becomes lighter and I feel less inner resistance as I explore and work towards both small and bigger things.
事实上，这种看待生活的视角，给予了我更多的能量，鼓舞、以及快乐，生活变得更轻松，不管我面对的是大事还是小事，我都不再焦虑。

4. Breathe when stressed.
4. 当感到压力时，深呼吸

When stress catches up with you, when you start to feel anxious, irritated and or fearful because of it then take 2 minutes. Sit down. Breathe rather deeply with your belly. Focus on just for your breathing for those 2 minutes. This will calm your mind and body down and you can resume your work in a calmer mood after that.
当压力侵袭你时，当你开始感到焦虑、愤怒、害怕……这时，花2分钟时间坐下来，用腹部深呼吸。集中精力深呼吸2分钟，有助于你的身心平静下来。这样你会在平和的心情中，继续开始工作。

5. Open up your senses to what is here now.
5. 敞开你自己去感受这里的一切

Pull yourself out of the past where you relive an old conflict and drag yourself further down a depressing spiral. Pull yourself out of the the future where you imagine a catastrophe at your next meeting, date or presentation. Place yourself and your attention on where you really are. Here now.
醒醒吧，不要再回顾过去的冲突令自己陷入沮丧的漩涡；醒醒吧，不要去想象着在未来下一次的会议、约定、介绍会中会发生什么灾难。请将你以及你的处境归位于当下，对，活在当下，此刻此地。

Do so by sitting down for 2 minutes. See what is right in front of you. Listen to the birds and cars outside. Feel the spring sun shining in through the window onto your clothes and skin. Sense the small draft from one of the windows. Smell the flowers and trees that have started to bloom.
静坐2分钟：看看你的正前方有什么，听听外面的鸟鸣和猫叫，感受春天的阳光正透过玻璃照射在你的大衣和皮肤上。感受从其中一个窗户那儿刮来的细小的气流，感受迎面而来的花香以及树叶的清香。

Be here fully with all your senses for those 2 minutes. This will calm your mind and body down. Thinking will become easier and an optimistic viewpoint will feel more natural.
用2分钟，全然敞开你所有的感觉神经去感受。有助于你的身心平静下来。那么，有创意的想法就会很容易蹦出来，积极的视角也会自然产生。

6. When you feel the need to judge someone tap into understanding instead.
6. 当你想评判一个人时

When you feel the need to judge someone you know or may not know then take 2 minutes. Ask yourself these two questions: What parts of this person can I see in myself? How is he or she like me?
当你想要去评判一个人，不管你认识与否，这时，你可以空出2分钟时间来问自己两个问题：这个人的哪些地方，你也会在自己身上看到？他/她喜欢我吗？

Why do that instead of judging?
为什么这么做，而不是继续去评判ta呢？

Because no one wants to be judged in a negative way and doing so to the people in your life doesn’t help to build good relationships. Plus, the amount you tend to judge others often is a similar amount that you judge yourself. So help yourself to live a more positive life in those two ways by pausing when feeling the need to judge and then choose something better.
因为没有谁想被消极地评论，而且这样做了之后也不利于你同其他人建立良好的人际关系。况且，你评判别人的地方，或许正好你也存在相似的问题。所以，这样可以帮助你以一个更积极的态度去生活：当你想评论一个人时，先暂停一下；然后再做出更好的判断或选择。

7. Think for a minute and give someone a genuine compliment.
7. 给他人真诚的赞美

Spend one minute coming up with something you really and genuinely appreciate about someone in your life and that is in the same room as you at some point during the day. Spend the other minute or less on telling him or her the compliment.
花1分钟时间搜集你由衷欣赏的那个人的一些讯息，当你这样去做时，你会发现同对方在某种程度上达成了一种共识。再用另外1分钟向他表达你的赞美。

She or he will be happy. You’ll feel good about yourself and probably get some positive feelings too from the now happy and complimented person. It’s a good and small way to build more positive relationships.
他们开心的同时，你自己也会感到开心，并从他们身上获得正面积极的能量。这是一个超好的方式用于与他人建立积极的人际关系。

8. Hug.
8. 拥抱

It’s a small thing but physical intimacy can reduce stress and make us feel good. So spend 2 minutes of your day on hugging. Like compliments it can be a simple way to build warmer and more positive relationships with all kinds of people in your life. Just use your common sense before you start hugging.
拥抱看似一件小事，但身体上的亲密可以减少压力，令我们感觉很好。所以，花2分钟时间给你身边的人一个拥抱，就像赞美一样，这也是一个很简单的方法，与生活中的各类人建立温暖而积极的人际关系。不过拥抱之前，要运用你的常识判断哦。（译者按：比如选择什么人，以什么样的方式拥抱）

9. Be interested instead of interesting.
9. 要感兴趣而不只是有趣

At the start of a conversation or to break the ice spend two minutes on asking one or a couple of questions about someone you are talking to and his or her life.
开始谈话时，或为了打破僵局，花2分钟询问关于对方及他生活中的一个或一些问题。

Pay attention and don’t just wait for your turn to talk again. The interest you give will most likely be returned and you can start to build not only a good conversation but also a giving and fulfilling relationship for the two of you no matter what kind of relationship it may be.
对谈话对象多一些关注，而不要被动等待别人来找你说话。对他多一份关注，有付出就会有回报，你不但可以打破尴尬和对方畅所欲言，彼此双方还能建立一种互惠的关系，不论这种关系最后会进展到什么程度。

10. Mix things up.
10. 混乱处理

Try the opposite. Have the vegetarian dish if you always go for the meat. Walk away from a stupid conflict instead of making it worse. Let one thing go if you often cling to things. Say yes to something spontaneous if you often say no and stick within your daily routine.
有时不妨朝相反的方向试试，如果你经常爱吃肉，那就试试蔬菜；面对冲突，试试绕道走，在它被你弄得更糟糕之前；对于以往你所坚持的东西，不如坦然面对；如果你经常说“不”，那么尝试淡然地说“好”，对待日常生活偶尔需要容忍。

Take 2 minutes or less in one common or negative situation in your life today, pause for a brief reflection and then make a decision that is uncommon for you.
不管你今天是处于一个正常的还是消极的情况下，花2分钟或更少时间，暂停一下，进行简单的反思，然后再做决定，没准会给你带来不同寻常的结果。

Make a habit of mixing things up to have more fun. To grow your life in small or bigger ways. To add unexpected experiences. To make it easier and simpler to step out of your comfort zone in general when you really need to. And to feel alive.
你会发现“混乱处理”这个习惯会让你获得很多乐趣：让你的生活在或大或小的方式中得到改善，为自己增加出人意料的经验，而且当你有需要的时候，你也能更从容地走出固有的舒适圈，去接触大众。（生活就这样，慢慢地，变得不一样了。）