ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Richard St. John - Marketer, success analyst
A self-described average guy who found success doing what he loved, Richard St. John spent more than a decade researching the lessons of success -- and distilling them into 8 words, 3 minutes and one successful book.

Why you should listen

Richard St. John was on his way to the TED conference when a girl on the plane asked him, "What really leads to success?" Even though he had achieved some success, he couldn't explain how he did it. So he spent the next ten years researching success and asking over 500 extraordinarily successful people in many fields what helped them succeed. After analyzing, sorting, and correlating millions of words of research, and building one of the most organized databases on the subject of success, he discovered "The 8 Traits Successful People Have in Common" and wrote the bestseller 8 To Be Great.

In his books and talks,he shares a wealth of wisdom from the world's most successful people -- knowledge that can help others succeed in their own way, whether it's escaping poverty, building a business, raising a family, or changing the world.

More profile about the speaker
Richard St. John | Speaker | TED.com
TED2009

Richard St. John: Success is a continuous journey

Richard St. John：「成功是無盡的旅程」

Filmed:
4,347,745 views

Richard St. John 用他代表性的簡潔風格，再一次提醒我們：成功不是一條單行道，而是一個持續的過程。他用他個人事業的起落來說明這個寶貴的課題 — 一旦我們停止努力，我們就會失敗。
- Marketer, success analyst
A self-described average guy who found success doing what he loved, Richard St. John spent more than a decade researching the lessons of success -- and distilling them into 8 words, 3 minutes and one successful book. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:18
Why do so many許多 people reach達到 success成功 and then fail失敗?
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為什麼這麼多的人成功之後又邁向了失敗？
00:23
One of the big大 reasons原因 is, we think success成功 is a one-way單程 street街.
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就主要的原因是，我們以為成功是一條單行道上的終點。
00:27
So we do everything that leads引線 up to success成功,
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因此我們竭盡全力邁向成功。
00:29
but then we get there. We figure數字 we've我們已經 made製作 it,
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但是一但我們成功了。我們認為我們已經做到了，
00:31
we sit坐 back in our comfort安慰 zone區,
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我們又會退回到我們的舒適區中，
00:33
and we actually其實 stop doing everything that made製作 us successful成功.
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更糟糕的是我們沒有持續去做那些曾經讓我們成功的事情。
00:36
And it doesn't take long to go downhill下坡.
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所以要不了多久，就開始走下坡了。
00:38
And I can tell you this happens發生,
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我可以告訴你這真的會發生。
00:40
because it happened發生 to me.
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因為同樣情形曾經發生在我身上。
00:43
Reaching到達 success成功, I worked工作 hard硬, I pushed推 myself我.
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為了成功，我努力工作，突破自我。
00:46
But then I stopped停止, because I figured想通, "Oh, you know, I made製作 it.
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但是後來我停了下來，因為我以為：「喔，你知道，我做到了。
00:49
I can just sit坐 back and relax放鬆."
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接下來我只需要翹著二郎腿放輕鬆就行了。」
00:51
Reaching到達 success成功, I always tried試著 to improve提高 and do good work.
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為了成功，我總是嘗試改進並將工作做到最好。
00:55
But then I stopped停止 because I figured想通, "Hey, I'm good enough足夠.
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但是後來我停了下來，因為我以為：「嘿，我已經夠好了。
00:58
I don't need to improve提高 any more."
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我不需要再進步了。」
01:00
Reaching到達 success成功, I was pretty漂亮 good at coming未來 up with good ideas思路.
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為了成功﹐我擅於創新﹐而且不斷地有好點子
01:04
Because I did all these simple簡單 things that led to ideas思路.
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因為我做了這些能夠產生靈感的小事情。
01:07
But then I stopped停止, because I figured想通 I was this hot-shot熱射 guy
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但是後來我停了下來，因為我以為我是一個創意金童，
01:10
and I shouldn't不能 have to work at ideas思路, they should just come like magic魔法.
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我不必辛苦的去找尋靈感。它們應該會像魔法一般的自動顯現。
01:13
And the only thing that came來了 was creative創作的 block塊.
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然而唯一出現的是創意瓶頸。
01:15
I couldn't不能 come up with any ideas思路.
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我什麼點子都想不出來了。
01:18
Reaching到達 success成功, I always focused重點 on clients客戶 and projects項目,
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為了成功，我總是專注在客戶及專案本身，
01:21
and ignored忽視 the money錢. Then all this money錢 started開始 pouring澆注 in.
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不去考慮錢的問題。然後錢財自然地湧進。
01:24
And I got distracted分心 by it.
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於是我分心了。
01:26
And suddenly突然 I was on the phone電話 to my stockbroker股票經紀人 and my real真實 estate房地產 agent代理人,
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突然之間，我總是在電話上跟我的股票與地產專員說話，
01:29
when I should have been talking說 to my clients客戶.
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但是我本來應該是與我的客戶在談話的。
01:32
And reaching到達 success成功, I always did what I loved喜愛.
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為了成功，我總是從事我所鍾愛的事業。
01:35
But then I got into stuff東東 that I didn't love,
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但是後來，我介入了我不喜歡的事物中，
01:37
like management管理. I am the world's世界 worst最差 manager經理,
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例如管理。我是全世界最糟糕的管理者。
01:40
but I figured想通 I should be doing it, because I was, after all,
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但是我認為我應該從事這個職位，畢竟因為我是
01:42
the president主席 of the company公司.
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這間公司的總裁。
01:44
Well, soon不久 a black黑色 cloud雲 formed形成 over my head頭
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然而，很快的，我總是烏雲罩頂，
01:47
and here I was, outwardly向外 very successful成功,
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我外表看似非常成功，
01:49
but inwardly裡面 very depressed鬱悶.
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內在卻非常沮喪。
01:51
But I'm a guy; I knew知道 how to fix固定 it.
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但是我是個男人，我知道如何彌補它。
01:55
I bought買 a fast快速 car汽車.
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我買了一台跑車。
01:57
(Laughter笑聲)
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（笑聲）
02:00
It didn't help.
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這沒用。
02:02
I was faster更快 but just as depressed鬱悶.
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我是變快了，但還是一樣沮喪。
02:04
So I went去 to my doctor醫生. I said, "Doc文件,
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因此我去看了醫生。我說：「醫師呀，
02:07
I can buy購買 anything I want. But I'm not happy快樂. I'm depressed鬱悶.
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我能買到任何我要的東西。但是我不快樂。我很沮喪。
02:11
It's true真正 what they say, and I didn't believe it until直到 it happened發生 to me.
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他們說的是真的，直到這在我身上發生後，我才相信。
02:14
But money錢 can't buy購買 happiness幸福."
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但是錢真的不能夠買到快樂。」
02:17
He said, "No. But it can buy購買 Prozac百憂解."
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他說：「不。但是它能買百憂解。」
02:20
And he put me on anti-depressants抗抑鬱藥.
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然後他開給我抗憂鬱藥物。
02:22
And yeah, the black黑色 cloud雲 faded褪色 a little bit位, but so did all the work,
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烏雲消去了一點點。但是我的所有事業也是。
02:26
because I was just floating漂浮的 along沿. I couldn't不能 care關心 less減 if clients客戶 ever called叫.
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因為我總是蠻不在乎。如果客戶不打電話給我，我完全不會在意工作的進度。
02:30
(Laughter笑聲)
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（笑聲）
02:33
And clients客戶 didn't call.
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所以客戶不跟我來往了。
02:35
(Laughter笑聲)
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（笑聲）
02:36
Because they could see I was no longer長 serving服務 them,
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因為他們可以看得出來，我不再為他們服務了，
02:38
I was only serving服務 myself我.
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我只為我自己服務。
02:40
So they took拿 their其 money錢 and their其 projects項目 to others其他 who would serve服務 them better.
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所以他們將他們的錢和專案計畫給了那些能夠提供他們更好服務的人。
02:43
Well, it didn't take long for business商業 to drop下降 like a rock岩.
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我的事業沒過多久就像顆石頭般墜落。
02:47
My partner夥伴 and I, Thom托姆, we had to let all our employees僱員 go.
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我的事業夥伴，湯姆和我不得不解散所有員工。
02:51
It was down to just the two of us, and we were about to go under下.
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公司縮減至只剩我們兩個人，而且即將倒閉。
02:53
And that was great.
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但是這樣很好。
02:55
Because with no employees僱員, there was nobody沒有人 for me to manage管理.
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因為沒有員工，表示我不需要管理任何人。
02:59
So I went去 back to doing the projects項目 I loved喜愛.
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因此我回去從事我所喜歡的工作。
03:02
I had fun開玩笑 again, I worked工作 harder更難 and, to cut切 a long story故事 short短,
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我又獲得了樂趣。我更努力工作。長話短說：
03:06
did all the things that took拿 me back up to success成功.
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我做了所有能夠讓我從回成功所需的事情。
03:09
But it wasn't不 a quick快 trip旅.
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但是這個過程必須花上一段時間。
03:11
It took拿 seven七 years年份.
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它花了我七年。
03:13
But in the end結束, business商業 grew成長 bigger大 than ever.
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但是最後，我的事業獲得了空前的成長。
03:16
And when I went去 back to following以下 these eight八 principles原則,
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而且當我回去遵行這八大原則時，
03:19
the black黑色 cloud雲 over my head頭 disappeared消失 altogether共.
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原本在我頭頂的烏雲也隨之散去。
03:22
And I woke醒來 up one day and I said,
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因此我有一天醒來，然後說：
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"I don't need Prozac百憂解 anymore再."
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「我不再需要百憂解了。」
03:26
And I threw扔 it away and haven't沒有 needed需要 it since以來.
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因此我把它丟了，從此不再需要它。
03:28
I learned學到了 that success成功 isn't a one-way單程 street街.
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我學到了成功不是一條單行道上的終點。
03:31
It doesn't look like this; it really looks容貌 more like this.
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它並不是像這樣的。它看起來比較像是這樣。
03:34
It's a continuous連續 journey旅程.
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它是一個持續的旅程。
03:36
And if we want to avoid避免 "success-to-failure-syndrome成功到失敗綜合徵,"
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如果我們希望避免「成功導致失敗症候群」。
03:39
we just keep following以下 these eight八 principles原則,
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我們需要持續遵守這八大原則。
03:41
because that is not only how we achieve實現 success成功,
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因為這不只是我們邁向成功的方法，
03:44
it's how we sustain支持 it.
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也是我們維持成功的方法。
03:46
So here is to your continued繼續 success成功.
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這就是通往你永續成功的道路。
03:48
Thank you very much.
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非常謝謝你們。
03:50
(Applause掌聲)
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（掌聲）
Translated by Bill Hsiung
Reviewed by Coco Shen

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Richard St. John - Marketer, success analyst
A self-described average guy who found success doing what he loved, Richard St. John spent more than a decade researching the lessons of success -- and distilling them into 8 words, 3 minutes and one successful book.

Why you should listen

Richard St. John was on his way to the TED conference when a girl on the plane asked him, "What really leads to success?" Even though he had achieved some success, he couldn't explain how he did it. So he spent the next ten years researching success and asking over 500 extraordinarily successful people in many fields what helped them succeed. After analyzing, sorting, and correlating millions of words of research, and building one of the most organized databases on the subject of success, he discovered "The 8 Traits Successful People Have in Common" and wrote the bestseller 8 To Be Great.

In his books and talks,he shares a wealth of wisdom from the world's most successful people -- knowledge that can help others succeed in their own way, whether it's escaping poverty, building a business, raising a family, or changing the world.

More profile about the speaker
Richard St. John | Speaker | TED.com
THE ORIGINAL VIDEO ON TED.COM