美語情景對話 第1379期:Breaking Bad Habits 改掉壞習慣(1)

Todd: So I'm here with Olga, who's a health coach and a life coach. you.#39;ve talked a lot about things we should do, but what about stopping doing things or breaking bad habits? That's the hardest thing, right? What's your advice for giving up sugar or alcohol or obsessive behavior, things like that?

託德：奧爾加是健康教練和人生教練。你之前提到過很多我們應該做的事情，那有什麼是我們應該停止做的事或是有哪些應該改掉的壞習慣？這是最難的，是吧？你對戒掉糖、戒酒或戒掉上癮行爲有哪些建議？

Olga: Well, actually, I am not suggesting that people fight with themselves, and they avoid or break anything, because that would constitute violence against yourself. I am a student of Marshall Rosenberg, who developed a nonviolent communication system. Instead of taking away the bad, you add something good. You find exciting, fun, new habits that will naturally substitute.

奧爾加：實際上，我不建議人們和自己鬥爭或是避免或戒掉任何事，因爲這是針對自身的暴力行爲。我是馬歇爾·羅森伯格的學生，他開發了一種非暴力溝通系統。不要去掉壞事物，而是要增加好事物。你會發現令人激動又有趣的新習慣會自然而然地取代壞習慣。

Todd: Okay, so for example, let's say you watch too much TV, or you're addicted to your smartphone. You would try to maybe play outside or do something like that.

託德：好，比如，看電視時間太長，或是對智能手機上癮。你要儘量去外面玩或是做類似於出去玩的事情。

Olga: Well, you can develop a lot of new habits and see what works for you. One of the things that I discovered for myself is that willpower is a very finite resource. We don't have infinite amounts of willpower, so we need to use it very sparingly on short distances. It's not for marathons. What I suggest, when you're establishing a new habit that you feel that is the right habit for you, you need to use a little bit of willpower to repeat it enough times. Usually magic number is 21 days.

奧爾加：你可以發展許多新習慣，看看哪些習慣適合你。我的其中一個發現是，意志力是極爲有限的資源。我們沒有無限的意志力，因此我們要在短距離中謹慎使用。那不適用於馬拉松。我的建議是，當你建立一個新習慣並認爲這個習慣適合你時，你要用一些意志力重複足夠多次。一般來說，這需要21天。

Todd: Really? 21 days, why 21?

託德：真的嗎？21天，爲什麼是21天？

Olga: I have no idea, but this number keeps popping up from different traditions in East and West and also psychology. I saw it in my own practice that it works.

奧爾加：我也不清楚，不過這個數字在東西方的不同傳統以及心理學中反覆出現。我自己實踐過，這很有用。

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重點講解：
1. instead of 代替…；而不是…；
Instead of tea or coffee, drink water to quench your thirst
渴了喝水，別喝茶或咖啡。
2. take away 拿走；奪走；
Perfection is achieved not when you have nothing more to add, but when you have nothing left to take away.
完美不是你沒有東西可以加入了，而是你沒有東西可以去掉了。
3. be addicted to 成癮的，上癮的；
They are addicted to computer games.
他們對計算機遊戲上了癮。
4. pop up 突然出現；不意冒出；
So, unexpected chances or pleasant surprises could pop up at any time.
這樣一來，意外的機遇與驚喜就可能隨時出現。