When people say they are overloaded¹ or cannot keep up with their todos, it is usually the result of taking on too much. Most of the time, I advise people that they need to “Say No” more often. Being able to “Say No” is key to avoiding being overcome by obligations others ask us to take on。

每当人们感到压力山大或事情总也做不完时，多半是因承受太多造成的。大部分情况下，我会建议他们多尝试“说不”。能够“说不”至关重要，可避免被别人要求帮忙的事情压垮。

There is one exception… when it comes to saying no to yourself。

但也有例外——就是千万别对自己说不。

When the going gets rough and people start buckling² down, they start saying no to themselves first. After all, saying no to others is hard, saying no to yourself is easy。

遭遇困境时，人们首先会屈服，对自己说不。毕竟，拒绝别人很难开口，否定自己可就容易多了。

So, they begin denying themselves the things that keep them alive and energized³. Leisure activities, sports, spending time with their family, are often the first things to go。

于是，人们开始否定那些让自己保持活力四射的事情。首当其冲的便是休闲活动、运动以及与家人共度的时光。

What is Your Hobby?

你的爱好是什么？

When people ask for advice because they are too busy at work, one of the first things I ask them is, “What is your hobby?” To which they respond, “Are you kidding? I don’t have time for a hobby!”

当人们因为工作繁忙而向我求助时，首先我会问他“你的爱好是什么？”。结果他们会反问道：“开什么玩笑，我哪还有时间发展爱好！”

I tell them, “you don’t have time not to。” In fact, spending more time on yourself will result in more time and productivity at work。

我告诉他们：“时间有的是啊。”其实，多花点时间在自己身上还能提高时间利用和工作的效率呢。

Huh? How can spending time doing something else result in more time to get your work done? It does. It seems to go against the time management proverb of “get more done by doing less。” However, spending time on yourself results in more time and more focus in your other endeavours。

啊？花功夫做别的事情怎么可能有更多时间做好工作呢？千真万确。这似乎有违时间管理的谚语“事半功倍”。但是，多花点时间在自己身上确实能多出时间来，使你在其他事情上更加专注。

Finding Productivity in Leisure

休闲出效率

So, how does working out or painting or reading, get more done? (Some people are ready to clip this now and show it to their boss…“You want that report done? I gotta go to the gym, stat!”)

那么，健身、画画或阅读怎么会让工作更有效率呢？(有人要把这段文字拿给老板看了：“希望我完成报告吗？那我可得去趟健身馆，走啦！”)

People who are running ragged⁴ and cannot keep up with their commitments have often neglected themselves. You must keep your body and mind in top shape if you expect to perform at the top of your game。

那些精疲力竭无法完成任务的人，往往都对自己不够照顾。如果你想混得好，就必须将身心保持在最佳状态。

Here are just a few of the benefits of having a hobby:

以下是拥有爱好的几大益处：

1. Energizes⁵ You

使你保持活力

A hobby brings you renewed energy and excitement. This will carry over to the rest of your activities。

爱好带给你全新的能量和激情，让你在接下来的活动中精力充沛。

2. Provides New Creativity

激发创新思维

I find that when you are doing your hobby it sparks your creativity. You are more likely to have creative breakthroughs. Solutions to problems you are facing will come to you。

我发现，当你做喜欢的事情时，灵感会突然闪现，你很可能取得新的突破。面对的问题也会迎刃而解。

3. Prevents Burnout

避免殚精竭虑

We know that anything, even a machine, doing the same thing over-and-over will eventually burnout. If you do not take a break to refresh yourself, you too will burnout. Interestingly, this is also true in our personal lives. It is equally important for our home relationships to have an individual hobby。

我们都知道，任何东西，哪怕是机器，周而复始地做同一件事情最终也会崩溃。如果你不停下来休息休息，也肯定会垮掉。有趣的是，我们的个人生活也莫不如此。拥有个人爱好对家庭关系至关重要。

4. Personal Growth

个人成长

We all need to keep growing both professionally and personally. I don’t care if your hobby is gardening, weightlifting, or reading, you will grow from it。

我们都需要获得专业与个人成长。不管你的爱好是园艺、举重还是阅读，你都能获益匪浅。

Remember not to “Say No” to yourself. Invest in activities that lead to growth and renewal⁶. Spend more time on yourself and you will have more productivity at work and all areas of your life。

请记住：千万别对自己“说不”。去参加一些让自己成长、给自己充电的活动吧，多为自己花点时间，你不仅工作更有效率，生活中的其他方面也能做好呢！

It just works that way。

爱好的作用就是这么神奇！