▸ 有yǒu一本yī běn很hěn有名yǒu míng的de书shū，叫jiào《原子yuán zǐ习惯xí guàn》，作者zuò zhě是shì一位yī wèi美国měi guó作家zuò jiā。

There is a very famous book called "Atomic Habits," written by an American author.

▸ 这zhè本běn书shū讲jiǎng的de道理dào li很hěn简单jiǎn dān：每天měi tiān进步jìn bù一点点yī diǎn diǎn，就能jiù néng改变gǎi biàn你的nǐ de一生yī shēng。

Its idea is simple: improve a tiny bit every day, and you can change your whole life.

▸ 什么shén me叫jiào“一点点yī diǎn diǎn”？就是jiù shì百分之bǎi fēn zhī一yī。

How tiny is "a tiny bit"? Just one percent.

▸ 百分之bǎi fēn zhī一yī太tài小xiǎo了le，小xiǎo到dào你nǐ几乎jī hū看不见kàn bù jiàn。

One percent is so small you can barely see it.

▸ 今天jīn tiān多duō读dú一yī页yè书shū，明天míng tiān多duō走zǒu几jǐ步bù路lù，谁shéi会huì注意zhù yì呢ne？

Read one extra page today, walk a few extra steps tomorrow — who would even notice?

▸ 可是kě shì时间shí jiān会huì把bǎ小小的xiǎo xiǎo de进步jìn bù变成biàn chéng大大dà dà的de不同bù tóng。

But time turns tiny improvements into a huge difference.

▸ 每天měi tiān进步jìn bù百分之bǎi fēn zhī一yī，一yī年nián以后yǐ hòu，你nǐ会huì变成biàn chéng另一个人lìng yī gè rén。

Improve one percent a day, and a year later you'll be a different person.

▸ 坏huài习惯xí guàn也是yě shì一样yī yàng的de。

Bad habits work exactly the same way.

▸ 每天měi tiān晚wǎn睡shuì一点yī diǎn，每天měi tiān多duō吃chī一点yī diǎn，一yī年nián以后yǐ hòu，问题wèn tí就jiù大dà了le。

Sleep a little later each night, eat a little more each day, and in a year the problem is big.

▸ 时间shí jiān就像jiù xiàng水shuǐ：你nǐ给gěi它tā什么shén me，它tā就jiù让ràng什么shén me长大zhǎng dà。

Time is like water: whatever you feed it, it grows.

▸ 小李xiǎo lǐ在zài一家yī jiā公司gōng sī上班shàng bān，是shì一个yī ge很hěn普通pǔ tōng的de年轻人nián qīng rén。

Xiao Li works at a company — a very ordinary young man.

▸ 他tā每天měi tiān下班xià bān以后yǐ hòu学xué二十èr shí分钟fēn zhōng英语Yīng yǔ。

Every day after work, he studies English for twenty minutes.

▸ 三个sān gè月yuè过去guò qù了le，他tā觉得jué de自己zì jǐ没有什么méi yǒu shén me变化biàn huà，想xiǎng放弃fàng qì。

Three months passed, he felt nothing had changed, and he wanted to quit.

▸ 朋友péng you对duì他说tā shuō：“你nǐ听说tīng shuō过guò竹子zhú zi吗ma？”

A friend said to him, "Have you ever heard about bamboo?"

▸ “竹子zhú zi前qián几年jǐ nián一直yī zhí在地下zài dì xià生根shēng gēn，你nǐ在zài地上dì shang什么shén me也yě看不见kàn bù jiàn。”

"For its first years, bamboo grows roots underground — above ground you see nothing at all."

▸ “可是kě shì有一天yǒu yī tiān，它tā会huì突然tū rán长得zhǎng de很快hěn kuài，很快hěn kuài就jiù比bǐ人rén高gāo了le。”

"But one day it suddenly shoots up, and soon it's taller than a person."

▸ 结果jié guǒ总是zǒng shì来得lái de比bǐ努力nǔ lì晚wǎn。

Results always arrive later than the effort.

▸ 你nǐ觉得jué de没有méi yǒu用yòng的de那些nà xiē日子rì zi，其实qí shí都dōu在地下zài dì xià生根shēng gēn。

The days that feel useless are actually growing roots underground.

▸ 小李xiǎo lǐ听了tīng le，决定jué dìng再zài等一等děng yī děng。

Xiao Li listened, and decided to wait a little longer.

▸ 那么nà me，目标mù biāo重要zhòng yào吗ma？

So then — do goals matter?

▸ 这zhè本běn书shū说shuō：目标mù biāo是shì方向fāng xiàng，系统xì tǒng是shì路lù。

The book says: a goal is the direction, a system is the road.

▸ 只有zhǐ yǒu方向fāng xiàng，没有méi yǒu路lù，你nǐ哪儿nǎr也yě去qù不了bù liǎo。

With only a direction and no road, you can't get anywhere.

▸ 赢yíng的de人rén和hé输shū的de人rén，常常cháng cháng有yǒu一样yī yàng的de目标mù biāo。

Winners and losers often have exactly the same goals.

▸ 每个měi gè学生xué sheng都dōu想xiǎng考kǎo好hǎo，每个měi gè运动员yùn dòng yuán都dōu想xiǎng赢yíng。

Every student wants good grades; every athlete wants to win.

▸ 最后zuì hòu谁shéi能néng做到zuò dào？不是bù shì目标mù biāo决定jué dìng的de，是shì每天měi tiān做的zuò de事shì决定jué dìng的de。

Who succeeds in the end? Not the goal — the things you do every day decide it.

▸ 所以suǒ yǐ，别bié只zhǐ问wèn自己zì jǐ“我wǒ想要xiǎng yào什么shén me”，要yào问wèn“我wǒ每天měi tiān做zuò什么shén me”。

So don't only ask "what do I want" — ask "what do I do every day."

▸ 一yī年nián以后yǐ hòu，小李xiǎo lǐ真的zhēn de可以kě yǐ用yòng英语Yīng yǔ开会kāi huì了le。

A year later, Xiao Li really could hold meetings in English.

▸ 改变gǎi biàn不是bù shì一天yī tiān发生fā shēng的de，但是dàn shì它tā每天měi tiān都dōu在zài发生fā shēng。

Change doesn't happen in one day — but it is happening every single day.

Hover a word for its pinyin & meaning; click to pin it.