目标已死专注价值Goals Are Dead Focus on Values Instead
We throw the word “lazy” around a lot these days. If you scroll through social media or read a few productivity articles, you’re likely to stumble upon dozens of tips on how to “beat laziness” and get more done. In one video, Cal Newport talks about how to end laziness, as if it’s some kind of contagious disease we need to eradicate.
如今，“懒惰”这个词被频繁使用。如果你浏览社交媒体或阅读一些关于生产力的文章，你很可能会遇到大量关于如何“战胜懒惰”并完成更多任务的建议。在一段视频中，Cal Newport谈论了如何终结懒惰，仿佛它是一种需要根除的传染病。
But here’s the thing — I don’t believe most of us are lazy at all. I believe our definition of productivity has gone off the rails. As economist Rebecca Harding puts it, “If you look at productivity purely in economic terms, it’s about the relationship between capital and labor to get the most output.”
但问题是一 — 我认为我们大多数人根本不懒惰。我认为我们对生产力的定义已经偏离了轨道。正如经济学家 Rebecca Harding 所说：“如果你纯粹从经济角度来看生产力，它是关于资本和劳动力之间的关系，以获取最大的产出。”
Harding then points out that that definition is problematic for two main reasons: “One, two people are not the same — what one person does in an hour will never be the same as what another person does in an hour.
Harding 随后指出，这个定义存在两个主要问题：“首先，两个人并不相同 — 一个人在一小时内完成的事情永远不会与另一个人在一小时内完成的事情相同。
Secondly, that definition derives from the manufacturing world. It simply doesn’t apply to knowledge workers. Companies driving their people to get back into the office due to stated productivity concerns must take a long look in the mirror to understand what’s really driving their desire for in-person work.”
其次，这个定义源于制造业世界。它根本不适用于知识型工作者。由于生产力问题而要求员工返回办公室的公司必须好好审视自己，以了解驱使他们希望员工到场工作的真正原因。
I also believe this problematic definition of productivity leads to a misalignment between our goals and what matters most to us.
我也认为这种有问题的生产力定义导致了我们的目标与最重要的事情之间的错位。
Let’s ask the question we might be afraid to ask: Does all this hustle really align with what I value?
让我们问一个可能令人害怕的问题：这些忙碌真的与我所重视的事情一致吗?
From Goals to Values: A More Meaningful Way to Measure Productivity
从目标到价值观：衡量生产力的更有意义的方式
Almost all of us have used a map at some point in our lives. Whether on your cell phone or in one of those old-school Rand McNally atlas books, all maps give you a set of directions that lead you where you want to go. But maps are sometimes wrong.
几乎我们所有人都在生活中的某个时刻使用过地图。无论是在手机上还是在那些老式的兰德·麦克纳利地图册上，所有地图都会给你一组指引，引导你到达想去的地方。但地图有时是错误的。
They don’t account for detours or road outages. Sometimes they lead you to the absolute wrong place, like the time Google Maps led me to a fire station instead of a Panda Express.
它们没有考虑绕道或道路中断。有时它们会把你引导到完全错误的地方，就像谷歌地图曾把我带到消防站而不是熊猫快餐店的那次。
The worst part about maps? They’re drawn by someone else.
地图最糟糕的地方？它们是由别人绘制的。
Another person decides the best route to get you where you want to go. And goals often fall into this same trap. We set goals, then try to copy the path our peers or mentors took to get to the same place we want to go.
另一个人决定了到达你想去地方的最佳路线。目标常常陷入同样的陷阱。我们设定目标，然后试图复制同行或导师走过的路径，以达到我们想要的地方。
Instead of following a pre-determined route, consider swapping out the map for a compass. A compass, unlike a rigid path, gives you direction based on your internal values — your North Star, if you will. It doesn’t tell you what the final destination looks like, but it points you toward what truly matters.
与其遵循预先确定的路线，不如考虑用指南针替代地图。与刚性路径不同，指南针根据你的内在价值观提供方向——如果你愿意，可以说是你的北极星。它不会告诉你最终目的地是什么样子，但会指引你朝向真正重要的事情。
I remember the first time I put down the map and picked up a compass. I was working a job that looked incredible on paper, but every day felt heavy, my interactions felt forced, and I was in a constant state of overwhelm.
我记得第一次放下地图、拿起指南针的那一刻。当时我有一份在纸面上看起来非常棒的工作，但每天却感到沉重，与人互动也显得勉强，我始终处于一种不堪重负的状态。
It took some deep internal musing and lengthy discussions with my partner to decide this job may have met my goals, but it didn’t align with my values. It left no room for me to grow or help my team grow. It squashed honest conversations and incited a heavily competitive atmosphere that made me feel like I was constantly chasing after carrots.
经过深刻的内心思考和与伴侣的长时间讨论，我意识到这份工作或许符合我的目标，但与我的价值观并不一致。它没有给我或我的团队留下成长的空间，压制了坦诚的对话，并助长了一种极度竞争的氛围，让我感觉自己总是在追逐胡萝卜。
Quitting that job was a huge relief.
辞掉那份工作后，我感到如释重负。
Before starting the next job, I did a lot of digging to ensure the company, team, and role not only led me down a path toward my goals but also aligned with my values. The work is now more fulfilling, and the pressure to constantly achieve started to fade.
在开始下一份工作之前，我做了很多功课，以确保公司、团队和职位不仅能引导我朝着目标前进，还能与我的价值观保持一致。现在的工作更加充实，那种不断追求成就的压力也逐渐消退。
When you align your productivity with your core values, the quality of your work improves, and the constant pressure to “do more” is replaced by a sense of purpose. It becomes easier to say “no” to distractions because your internal compass makes it clear which opportunities fit and which don’t.
当你的生产力与核心价值观保持一致时，工作质量会提高，那种”做更多”的持续压力会被一种使命感所取代。你会更容易对干扰说”不”，因为你的内在指南针会清晰地告诉你哪些机会适合，哪些不适合。
Gain Clarity Around Your Core Values
明确你的核心价值观
Figuring out your values isn’t always straightforward. It’s a bit like decluttering a closet you haven’t touched in years.
弄清楚你的价值观并不总是那么简单。这有点像整理一个多年未碰的衣柜。
You have to sift through everything — the expectations, the “shoulds,” the inherited beliefs — to find what’s genuinely meaningful to you. When I did this work, it gave me clarity not just for big decisions, but for small ones too, like how I spent my mornings or who I collaborated with on projects.
你需要筛选一切——期望、“应该做的事”、继承的信念——找到对你真正有意义的东西。当我做这项工作时，它不仅让我在重大决策上更加清晰，也在小事情上给了我方向，比如如何度过早晨或与谁合作项目。
If you’re unsure where to start, here are a couple of tools that might help:
如果你不确定从哪里开始，这里有几个工具可能会有所帮助：
- Dr. John Demartini’s Values Determination Process: This is a structured way to dig deep and uncover what truly matters. It’s like holding up each item in your closet and asking, “Does this spark joy?” but for your life.
- 约翰·德马蒂尼博士的价值观确定过程：这是一种结构化的方式，帮助你深入挖掘并发现真正重要的事情。就像拿着衣柜里的每件物品问：“这能带来快乐吗？”但这是针对你生活的。
- The VIA Survey of Character Strengths: This tool provides a values-based overview of your personal strengths and can help you identify what’s most important to you.
- VIA性格优势调查：这个工具提供了一个基于价值观的个人优势概览，可以帮助你识别什么对你最重要。
Both tools are a great way to gain clarity and start aligning your actions with what you genuinely care about, rather than arbitrary goals that may no longer serve you.
这两个工具都是获得清晰度并开始将行动与你真正关心的事情对齐的好方法，而不是那些可能不再服务于你的任意目标。
How to Align Your Daily Activities with What Matters Most
如何将日常活动与最重要的事情对齐
Once you’ve identified your core values, the challenge is maintaining that alignment over time. What we value in, say, our twenties, isn’t necessarily what we value in our thirties. Times change, circumstances change, and we also change — both physically and mentally.
一旦你确定了核心价值观，接下来的挑战就是长期保持这种一致性。我们在二十多岁时重视的东西，未必在三十多岁时仍然重视。时间在变，环境在变，我们也在变——无论是身体上还是心理上。
This is where a “Values Tracker” comes in handy. Think of your values as the soil, and your daily actions as the seeds you plant. Different plants thrive in different types of soil. If the composition is off or the pH balance doesn’t match their needs, they struggle.
这时，“价值观追踪器”就派上用场了。把你的价值观想象成土壤，而你的日常行动就是播下的种子。不同的植物在不同的土壤中茁壮成长。如果土壤成分不对或pH值不符合它们的需求，它们就会挣扎。
Similarly, if your goals don’t match your values, you’re not going to grow. But when your goals are aligned with your values, you flourish — and those goals become easier to reach.
同样，如果你的目标与价值观不匹配，你就不会成长。但当你的目标与价值观一致时，你就会蓬勃发展——而这些目标也会更容易实现。
I started using Notion to track my alignment with my values. I created a simple “Values Tracker” that includes weekly prompts like:
我开始使用Notion来追踪我的价值观一致性。我创建了一个简单的“价值观追踪器”，其中包括每周的提示，比如：
- “What activities felt most aligned with my values this week?”
- “本周哪些活动最符合我的价值观?”
- “What decisions did I make that honored my core values?”
- “我做了哪些决定来尊重我的核心价值观?”
- “Where did I stray, and why?”
- “我在哪里偏离了，为什么?”
Many other entrepreneurs do this in a weekly, quarterly, or yearly reflection. One of my coworkers does this every week with their partner. Both of them set aside time to catch up with each other, ask how they’re doing, and take note of whether their relationship currently matches their combined goals and values.
许多其他企业家也会在每周、每季度或每年进行反思。我的一位同事每周都会与伴侣一起做这件事。他们俩会留出时间互相交流，询问对方的情况，并记录他们的关系是否与共同的目标和价值观一致。
It’s important for your yearly review to not only document your wins, but areas for improvement as well. Dickie Bush’s 2022 review includes several wins, but the deep reflection in the “Mistakes, Anti-Accomplishments, And Things That Could Be Improved” section also offers value as he creates a values-driven plan for the next year.
在年度回顾中，不仅要记录你的成功，还要记录需要改进的地方。迪基·布什的2022年回顾包括了几项成功，但“错误、未完成事项和改进空间”部分的深刻反思也提供了价值，因为他为下一年制定了以价值观为驱动的计划。
“···I fell victim to distraction and shiny objects on multiple time horizons. On the micro level, I checked Twitter, Slack, email, & Stripe notifications more than I should have. This prevented me from dropping into states of deep work on a consistent basis. And on the macro level, I failed to do the hard work of prioritizing and saying no to many of the opportunities I pursued.
“······我在多个时间范围内都受到了干扰和诱惑。在微观层面上，我检查Twitter、Slack、电子邮件和Stripe通知的次数超出了应有的范围。这让我无法持续进入深度工作状态。在宏观层面上，我未能做好优先排序的工作，也没有对许多我追求的机会说‘不’。
So I pointed my efforts in the right direction but split them among too many things in that direction. Shiny objects, minor distractions, and annoyances all contributed to this. So in the year ahead, I will better prioritize states of uninterrupted deep work every day and better prioritize the opportunities we pursue as a business.”
所以我虽然朝着正确的方向努力，但在那个方向上分散了太多精力。诱惑、小干扰和烦恼都促成了这一点。因此，在接下来的一年里，我将更好地优先安排每天不受干扰的深度工作状态，并更好地优先安排我们作为企业追求的机会。”
It’s not about perfection—it’s about checking in with yourself and making sure you’re moving in the direction your compass points, even if that means adjusting course from time to time.
这并不是追求完美——而是定期检查自己，确保你正朝着指南针所指的方向前进，即使这意味着偶尔需要调整路线。
Conclusion: Your Productivity, Your Rules
结论：你的生产力，你的规则
At the end of the day, it’s not about how many tasks you checked off your to-do list or how many hours you worked. True productivity isn’t about hustling harder or filling your calendar to the brim. It’s about living in alignment with your values, prioritizing quality over quantity, and reclaiming your time for the things that genuinely matter.
归根结底，重要的不是你完成了多少任务或工作了多长时间。真正的生产力不在于更努力地拼搏或把日程表填得满满当当，而在于与你的价值观保持一致，优先考虑质量而非数量，并重新掌控你的时间，专注于真正重要的事情。
If you’ve ever felt like you’re stuck in a cycle of busywork, constantly chasing goals that don’t bring you joy, consider putting down the map and picking up a compass.
如果你曾感觉自己陷入忙碌的循环中，不断追逐那些无法带来快乐的目标，不妨考虑放下地图，拿起指南针。
Start with small steps – figure out what matters most to you, create a simple Values Tracker, and notice how the pressure begins to lift.
从小事开始-弄清楚什么对你最重要，创建一个简单的价值观追踪器，并注意压力是如何开始减轻的。
I’d love to hear how you’re redefining productivity in your own life.Drop a comment or share your experience – let’s keep the conversation going.
我很想听听你如何重新定义自己生活中的生产力。留下评论或分享你的经历-让我们继续这场对话。
