2023年注定是一个不平凡的一年，我们终于可以放开膀子加油干了，新的一年，如何给自己画饼，如何实现自我激励呢？如果有兴趣，可以读读下面的这个故事，顺便学习英语。祝您2023更上一层楼！
Self-Motivation: how to build a reward system for yourself自我激励：如何为自己建立奖励系统
奖励系统
Despite my best intentions, I do not always feel as motivated as I would like to be. Whether it is a work task or a chore at home, if a job doesn’t appeal then I will sometimes ignore it until the last minute. While I always meet a deadline, there is a far more effective – and less stressful – way I could motivate myself to take action sooner.
尽管我的初衷是好的，但我并不总是像我希望的那样充满动力。无论是工作任务还是家里的琐事，如果一份工作没有吸引力，那么我有时会忽略它直到最后一刻。虽然我总是在截止日期前完成，但有一种更有效且压力更小的方法可以激励自己尽快采取行动。
choren.家庭杂务，杂活；累活，苦差事
Building a reward system is a powerful way to boost your productivity, reducing the need to rely on intrinsic motivation to complete the work you need (and want) to do. However, the rewards you choose must appeal to you, and for maximum impact, they need to be perfectly timed.
建立奖励制度是提高生产力的有效方式，减少了依赖内在动力来完成你需要（和想要）完成的工作的需要。然而，您选择的奖励必须对您有吸引力，并且为了获得最大的影响，它们需要恰到好处的时机。
productivity生产力
intrinsic内在
appeal吸引
In her memoir, My Beloved Reward, Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latinx and third woman appointed to the US Supreme Court, wrote that “success is its own reward.” While achieving a goal will naturally bring happiness, this can only be the case if you are driven to hit your target. But this is not enough.
索尼娅·索托马约尔 (Sonia Sotomayor)在她的回忆录《我心爱的奖赏》( My Beloved Reward ) 中写道，“成功本身就是奖赏”，她是第一位拉丁裔和第三位被任命为美国最高法院法官的女性。虽然实现目标自然会带来快乐，但只有当您被驱使去实现目标时，情况才会如此。但这还不够。
memoir回忆录
Latinx拉丁语的；拉丁人的
Supreme Court最高法院法官
It might seem like cheating, but it is becoming more widely accepted that having a separate incentive to reach a goal has many benefits. Far from being frivolous, rewards are considered by researchers to be “the most crucial objects for life.” Rewards are needed to encourage us to eat and drink, and even to mate. In evolutionary terms, the better we are at striving for rewards, the greater our chances of survival.
这可能看起来像是作弊，但越来越多的人认为，有一个单独的激励来实现一个目标有很多好处。研究人员认为奖励绝非轻浮，而是“生命中最重要的物体”。需要奖励来鼓励我们吃喝，甚至交配。从进化的角度来看，我们越善于争取回报，我们生存的机会就越大。
incentiven.激励，刺激
frivolous adj. 愚蠢轻浮的，不严肃的；无聊的，不重要的
object 物体；宾语；目标；对象 v. 反对；不赞成
mate v.（使）交配；连接，配备；（国际象棋中把对方）将死 n. <英，非正式>朋友，伙伴；同伴，同事；配偶，伴侣；配对物
evolutionary adj. 进化论的，进化的；演变的，逐步发展的
survival 生存
With a treat in mind for reaching a target you may be more likely to commit to working towards the goal, and less inclined to procrastinate. Motivating yourself with a reward also acts as a form of positive reinforcement, increasing the likelihood that the promise of a treat will incentivize you to achieve future goals as well.
考虑到实现目标的奖励，您可能更有可能致力于实现目标，并且不太可能拖延。用奖励来激励自己也是一种积极的强化形式，增加了奖励承诺也会激励您实现未来目标的可能性。
commit犯（罪、错）；调拨，投入；（使）承诺，承担义务；郑重承诺，忠于；把……关进医院（监狱），监禁；传唤（某人）到法院受审；订婚，决定与（某人）保持长期感情；把……托付给
procrastinatev.拖延，耽搁
reinforcementn.援兵，增援部队（reinforcements）；加强，加固；加固物，强化剂；（尤指通过鼓励或奖赏的）加深，增进，强化；回应
incentivizev.有奖鼓励，激励
Part of the brain’s reward system sits within the mesocorticolimbic circuit. Dopamine neurons feed into this reward circuit, and it is understood that the offer of a reward increases the firing of these neurons. The stimulation of the circuit leads to positively motivated behaviors and reinforcement learning.
大脑奖励系统的一部分位于中皮质边缘回路内。多巴胺神经元进入这个奖励回路，据了解，奖励的提供会增加这些神经元的放电。电路的刺激会导致积极的行为和强化学习。
mesocorticolimbic circuit皮质边缘回路
Dopamine多巴胺
firing v.开火；烧制；解雇；点燃；激励（fire的现在分词） n.开火；发射；烧制；解雇
reinforcement援兵，增援部队（reinforcements）；加强，加固；加固物，强化剂；（尤指通过鼓励或奖赏的）加深，增进，强化；回应
The mesocorticolimbic circuit is also responsible for what researchers call “incentive salience” – the increased firing of dopamine neurons increases our desire for the reward, which in turn creates motivation.
中皮质边缘回路还负责研究人员所说的“激励显着性”——多巴胺神经元放电的增加增加了我们对奖励的渴望，这反过来又产生了动力。
responsible for是……的原由；为……负责
incentive salience动机显著
neuron神经元
Rewards that are related to the task are likely to be more effective. This is known as “proximity to the reward”, and scientists have noted that a related reward can be a particularly salient factor in enhancing motivation.
与任务相关的奖励可能更有效。这被称为“接近奖励”，科学家们注意到相关奖励可能是增强动机的一个特别显著的因素。
proximity n.（时间、空间、关系的）靠近，亲近
salientadj.突出的，显著的；（角）凸出的；（纹章，动物）后腿站立前爪举起的n.（防御工事的）凸出部分
a particularly salient factor一个特别显著的因素
For example, if you want to read more research papers for work, you could motivate yourself by pledging to buy a novel on your wish list if you succeed in reading one academic paper per day for one week.
例如，如果你想阅读更多工作研究论文，你可以通过承诺在一周内每天成功阅读一篇学术论文后购买一本愿望清单上的小说来激励自己。
pledging保证；（使）保证；承诺给予（或提供）；抵押；宣誓参加美国大学生联谊会；为健康祝酒（pledge 的现在分词）
However, it is not only the treatment itself that is important for building a successful reward system; timing your rewards correctly is crucial to ensuring self-motivation is maintained over the long term.
然而，对于建立成功的奖励制度来说，重要的不仅仅是款待本身，它还包括奖励本身。正确安排奖励时间对于确保长期保持自我激励至关重要。
Building a reward system建立奖惩制度It can take time and multiple adjustments to build a reward system that will work for you. For operant conditioning to occur – when an association is made between a behavior and a consequence – the scheduling of rewards must be carefully planned to assist us in establishing new habits.
建立适合您的奖励系统可能需要时间和多次调整。为了发生操作性条件反射——当行为和结果之间建立联系时——必须仔细计划奖励的安排，以帮助我们养成新的习惯。
A study conducted in 2018 compared the benefit of receiving frequent rewards for completing small tasks with the promise of a reward for finishing a long project. The researchers, Kaitlin Woolley and Ayelet Fishbach, found that when a small, regular reward was available, participants experienced greater interest and enjoyment in their work than those waiting for the delayed reward.
2018 年进行的一项研究比较了因完成小任务而获得频繁奖励与承诺完成长期项目而获得奖励的好处。研究人员 Kaitlin Woolley 和 Ayelet Fishbach 发现，与等待延迟奖励的人相比，当获得少量定期奖励时，参与者对工作的兴趣和乐趣更大。
Although Woolley and Fishbach demonstrated that regular rewards incentivized individuals to keep going with a project, to build a successful reward system you should first consider trying continuous reinforcement.
尽管 Woolley 和 Fishbach 证明定期奖励会激励个人继续执行项目，但要建立成功的奖励系统，您应该首先考虑尝试持续强化。
Continuous reinforcement is often used to begin teaching a dog a new trick. At first, the dog will need a treat every time he sits or offers his paw because that way he knows he is doing the right thing. Withholding a treat in the early stages of learning will either make him think he has done the trick incorrectly or disincentivize him the next time you give the command.
持续强化通常用于开始教狗新技巧。起初，狗每次坐下或伸出爪子时都需要零食，因为这样他就知道自己在做正确的事。在学习的早期阶段不给奖励会让他认为他做错了把戏，或者在下次你发出命令时让他失去动力。
Withholdingv.克制；阻挡（withhold 的 ing 形式）n.扣缴税款
Once the dog has got the hang of it and sits every time you ask, you can move to intermittent reinforcement. He won’t know if he will get a treat every time, but he will sit anyway, in anticipation of maybe being rewarded.
一旦狗掌握了窍门并且每次你问它都会坐下，你就可以转向间歇性强化。他不知道他是否每次都会得到款待，但无论如何他都会坐下，期待着也许会得到奖励。
get the hang of得知……的窍门；熟悉某物的用法；理解某...
intermittent adj. 间歇的，断断续续的
in anticipation of 期待，预期
As humans, we also need to start with continuous reinforcement to boost motivation. If you want to learn a programming language, for example, you will need to reward yourself every time you sit down to teach yourself. This will reinforce a positive association with the habit, making it easier to maintain a regular practice.
作为人类，我们还需要从持续强化开始，以增强动力。例如，如果你想学习一门编程语言，你需要在每次坐下来自学时奖励自己。这将加强与习惯的积极联系，从而更容易保持规律的练习。
reinforcev.加强，强化（观点、思想或感觉）；加固，使更结实；给……加强力量（或装备），增援；寻求（或得到）增援n.加固物
Only after continuous reinforcement has helped establish your desired habit, you can move to intermittent rewards. To keep dopamine firing in your mesocorticolimbic system, you could for instance create a “self-motivation lottery”.
只有在持续强化帮助建立你想要的习惯之后，你才能转向间歇性奖励。为了让多巴胺在你的中皮质边缘系统中持续燃烧，你可以创建一个“自我激励”。
It works like this: first, write down a variety of prizes on pieces of paper, and place them into a cup or jar. The prizes must be things that you will really value, such as a new pen, a fresh journal, or a meal out. Each time you reach a goal, draw out a prize at random and enjoy the rush of rewarding yourself.
它是这样工作的：首先，在纸上写下各种奖品，然后将它们放在杯子或罐子里。奖品必须是您真正珍视的东西，例如一支新笔、一本新日记或一顿外出就餐。每次达到目标时，随机抽取一份奖品，享受奖励自己的快感。
Treating yourself regularly with those surprise gifts will help you to maintain new positive behaviors, as you will keep performing the task in the hope of a reward coming around again.
定期用这些惊喜礼物犒劳自己将帮助您保持新的积极行为，因为您将继续执行任务以期再次获得奖励。
How to select effective rewards如何选择有效奖励To make an effective reward system that fosters self-motivation, you will need to choose your carrot wisely. Rewards are personal to the individual and will therefore depend on your needs and preferences.
为了建立一个有效的奖励制度来培养自我激励，你需要明智地选择你的胡萝卜。奖励因人而异，因此取决于您的需求和偏好。
fostersv.培养，促进；代养，照料（他人子女一段时间）（foster 的第三人称单数）
preferences n.偏爱，偏好；参数选择；选择权（preference 的复数）
Although going for a run is proven to improve physical health and has multiple mental health benefits, if you don’t truly enjoy it then it will not feel like a reward. Think carefully about which rewards will truly appeal to you, and therefore motivate you.
尽管跑步已被证明可以改善身体健康并且对心理健康有多种好处，但如果您不真正享受它，那么它就不会让人觉得是一种奖励。仔细考虑哪些奖励会真正吸引您，从而激励您。
The following list of ideas may help you start thinking about which rewards will encourage you to foster self-motivation, based on your own interests:
以下想法列表可能会帮助您开始考虑哪些奖励会鼓励您根据自己的兴趣培养自我激励：
1 Watching one episode of a TV show without feeling guilty
2 Going out for a delicious lunch or ordering treats to enjoy at home (try to keep it healthy!)
3 Taking a break to walk in nature
4 Reading a novel
5 Organizing an at-home spa day
6 Splurging on books or new stationery
7 Hosting a game night with friends
8 Trying a new form of exercise or a workout class
9 Going to the movies
10 Enjoying a long, relaxing soak in the bath
- 看一集电视节目而不会感到内疚
- 外出享用美味的午餐，或订购在家享用的美食（尽量保持健康！）
- 休息一下，在大自然中漫步
- 看小说
- 组织家庭水疗日
- 在书籍或新文具上挥霍
- 与朋友举办游戏之夜
- 尝试一种新的锻炼方式或健身课程
- 去看电影
- 享受长时间放松的泡澡时光
Splurgingv.<非正式>挥霍（钱财）；花大价钱买（splurge on）（splurge 的现在分词形式）
stationery n.（通常有配套信封的）信纸，信笺；文具
A reward does not need to be expensive. If it appeals to you, then you will be motivated to reach your goal so that you can treat yourself.
奖励不需要很昂贵。如果它对你有吸引力，那么你就会有动力去实现你的目标，这样你就可以善待自己了。
Don’t feel discouraged if you set up a reward system and find that it does not seem to work for you. The key is to work out what you need to tweak. Perhaps you need to be rewarding yourself more regularly or for smaller milestones, or you may need to think of a more appealing reward.
如果您设置了奖励系统并发现它似乎不适合您，请不要灰心。关键是弄清楚你需要调整什么。也许您需要更频繁地奖励自己或奖励较小的里程碑，或者您可能需要考虑一个更有吸引力的奖励。
tweak v.扭，拧；稍稍调整（机器、系统等）；轻微拉伤，轻微扭伤；<美>批评，取笑；<非正式>激动，兴奋（尤指在安非他命等兴奋剂作用下） n.扭，拧；微调，稍微调整；轻微的拉伤（或扭伤）
milestones 里程碑
Once you’ve got the balance of timing and rewards right, the brain’s reward system will take it from there to increase self-motivation, boost productivity, and help you meet your targets.
一旦你在时间和奖励之间取得了正确的平衡，大脑的奖励系统就会以此为基础来增强自我激励、提高工作效率并帮助你实现目标。
感谢您的阅读，喜欢的话请多支持！ 祝好！
