“燃”起你的未來

Perhaps you’ve heard this already: In 1979, researchers surveyed new graduates from Harvard University’s MBA program and found that 84 percent of them had no specific goals. Only 3 percent had set long-term targets and made plans how to achieve them. It turned out 10 years later that the 3 percent were earning, on average, 10 times more than the other 97 percent put together.

或許你已經聽說這件事了：1979年，研究人員對哈佛大學工商管理學碩士的畢業(yè)生進行了調查，發(fā)現他們當中84%的人沒有具體目標。只有3%的人設定了長遠目標，并制定計劃來實現它們。10年之后，這3%的人的平均收入，是剩下97%的人收入總和的十倍。

College is the time when you’re expected to commit to your path in life. But it’s also the time when you’re the least equipped to have any long-term perspective. Brian Fetherstonhaugh, CEO of the US-based digital marketing company Ogilvy-One Worldwide,offers some tips on how to aim your sights into the future.

在大學時代，你應當為自己的人生道路而奮斗。但大學同時也是人們最欠缺長遠規(guī)劃的時期。美國數字化營銷公司奧美互動的首席執(zhí)行官布賴恩·費瑟斯通豪就如何規(guī)劃未來提供了一些建議。

The whole process can be divided into three stages. The first is “gathering fuel”.

整個過程可以被分為三個階段。第一階段是“收集燃料”。

This means building up your skills, learning from different experiences and developing a network of people who you trust and who trust you. You want to work hard, always, but you shouldn’t hope to reach your peak straight away. This is a *phase in life that requires patience and a willingness to identify your own weaknesses and work on them.

這意味著培養(yǎng)自己的技能，從不同的經歷中學習以及建立起彼此信賴的人際關系網。你總是想要努力工作，但你不能指望立刻就達到人生巔峰。在這個人生階段中，你需要耐心，并愿意發(fā)現自身缺點，不斷改進。

If you complete this stage with a growing sense of what you love to do and what you’re good at and what the world appreciates – you’re winning.

如果你完成了這個階段，越來越清楚地認識到自己喜歡做什么，擅長做什么，以及世界期望你做什么 —— 那么你就成功了。

The second stage is when you start burning that fuel.

第二個階段是你開始燃燒那些燃料的時候。

This is the time to identify, feed, and bet on your strengths. You improve the skills you’ve obtained through experiences, the people you’ve met along the way and the recognition of what you should do.

在這個階段，你需要發(fā)現、培養(yǎng)以及投注自己的優(yōu)勢。你要不斷加強從經歷中習得的技能，運用好一路上建成的人際關系，更清楚地認識到自己應該做什么。

It seems that most of us try to jump straight to the second stage. We want to launch fast and get where we’re going in a hurry, but that rarely works. “*Chill out a bit, take this long view,” Fetherstonhaugh says. “You should make smaller daily, monthly, yearly moves and choices that position you for the really big stuff, which is longer-term success.”

我們大多數人似乎都直接跳到了第二階段。我們想要快速地開始，匆匆忙忙地趕到我們所要去的地方，但這么做很少奏效。“冷靜一點，目光要放長遠，”費瑟斯通豪表示。“你應該以每天、每月、每年為單位行動，做出能夠讓你真正干成大事的選擇，這是更長遠的成功。”

The final part is about staying current and maintaining your skills. In a nutshell, it’s about staying strong and relevant, while turning an eye toward what lies ahead.

最后一部分是關于緊跟潮流，維持好你的技能。簡單來說，就是關于保持強大，與時俱進，同時目光要向前看。

The *crux of this stage: “It’s a surprisingly long journey and most people vastly *underestimate it.” You can’t expect an ideal life to happen by itself or through *sheer force of will. You must recognize – regardless of where you are on the path – that each step is there to teach you something, feeding you that fuel.

這一階段的關鍵在于：“這是一段相當長的旅程，大多數人大大低估了它。”你不能指望理想的生活從天而降，或者沉浸在空想中。你必須意識到 —— 不論你在人生道路的何處 —— 你走的每一步都能教會你些東西，為你增添燃料。

If you’re not doing what you want, you need more fuel – so go out and get it. And if you are doing what you want, don’t just coast. Keep moving, and don’t settle.

如果你并沒有在干自己想做的事，那么你會需要更多的燃料 —— 所以走出門去獲得燃料吧。如果你正在干自己想做的事，那么不要只是得過且過。不斷前進，不要停下來。