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 “成功是一条延续的旅程“

Filmed:
4,347,745 views

Richard St. John 再次用他率直的口吻提醒我们：成功不是一条单行道，而是一条绵延的长路。以自己公司几年来的变迁作为范例，教我们珍贵的一课：当我们不再继续努力，我们就会失败。
- 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许多 people reach达到 success成功 and then fail失败?
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为什么有这么多人在成功以后失败？
00:23
One of the big大 reasons原因 is, we think success成功 is a one-way单程 street街.
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最主要的原因之一是，我们把成功当作一条单行道
00:27
So we do everything that leads引线 up to success成功,
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我们尽其所能地达到成功
00:29
but then we get there. We figure数字 we've我们已经 made制作 it,
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当我们到达那一步以后，我们觉得我们已经做到了
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we sit坐 back in our comfort安慰 zone区,
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我们便闲散下来
00:33
and we actually其实 stop doing everything that made制作 us successful成功.
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不再继续那些当初让我们成功的努力
00:36
And it doesn't take long to go downhill下坡.
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用不了太久，事情就开始走下坡
00:38
And I can tell you this happens发生,
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我可以告诉你这是怎么回事
00:40
because it happened发生 to me.
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因为这是我的亲身体验。
00:43
Reaching到达 success成功, I worked工作 hard硬, I pushed推 myself我.
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为了成功，我努力工作，我鞭策自己
00:46
But then I stopped停止, because I figured想通, "Oh, you know, I made制作 it.
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但我停了下来，因为我想"我已经做到了
00:49
I can just sit坐 back and relax放松."
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现在我可以坐着休息了。"
00:51
Reaching到达 success成功, I always tried试着 to improve提高 and do good work.
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为了成功，我总是试着做到最好，超越自己
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But then I stopped停止 because I figured想通, "Hey, I'm good enough足够.
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我不再这么做是因为我想，"我已经够好了，
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I don't need to improve提高 any more."
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我不再需要改进了。"
01:00
Reaching到达 success成功, I was pretty漂亮 good at coming未来 up with good ideas思路.
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为了成功，我总是有很多好的创意。
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Because I did all these simple简单 things that led to ideas思路.
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因为我做了这些让我达到成功的事。
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But then I stopped停止, because I figured想通 I was this hot-shot热射 guy
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但我停下来了。因为我想我是个大腕了
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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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我不用再想这些点子。它们会自动出现的。
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And the only thing that came来了 was creative创作的 block块.
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但唯一出现的是灵感障碍
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I couldn't不能 come up with any ideas思路.
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我没办法再想出任何点子。
01:18
Reaching到达 success成功, I always focused重点 on clients客户 and projects项目,
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为了成功，我用心地关注我的客户和计划
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and ignored忽视 the money钱. Then all this money钱 started开始 pouring浇注 in.
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而不是金钱。但一旦公司开始赚钱
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And I got distracted分心 by it.
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我就开始分心了
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And suddenly突然 I was on the phone电话 to my stockbroker股票经纪人 and my real真实 estate房地产 agent代理人,
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我发现自己总是在与股票经纪人、地产经纪人讲电话
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when I should have been talking说 to my clients客户.
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在我应该花时间关心客户的时候
01:32
And reaching到达 success成功, I always did what I loved喜爱.
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为了成功，我总是做我最喜欢的事
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But then I got into stuff东东 that I didn't love,
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但不喜欢的事慢慢接踵而来
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like management管理. I am the world's世界 worst最差 manager经理,
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像管理 － 我是世界上最糟糕的管理者
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but I figured想通 I should be doing it, because I was, after all,
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但当时我觉得这就是我该做的
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the president主席 of the company公司.
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因为我毕竟是公司的老板
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Well, soon不久 a black黑色 cloud云 formed形成 over my head头
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很快地，乌云罩顶
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and here I was, outwardly向外 very successful成功,
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我外表看上去成功
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but inwardly里面 very depressed郁闷.
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但内心非常消沉
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But I'm a guy; I knew知道 how to fix固定 it.
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但身为一个男人，我知道该怎么解决
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I bought买 a fast快速 car汽车.
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我买了台跑车
01:57
(Laughter笑声)
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（笑声）
02:00
It didn't help.
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但那没有解决问题
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I was faster更快 but just as depressed郁闷.
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我拥有了速度但仍然消沉
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So I went去 to my doctor医生. I said, "Doc文件,
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于是我去看医生，我说"医生，
02:07
I can buy购买 anything I want. But I'm not happy快乐. I'm depressed郁闷.
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这世界上没有什么是我要而买不到的，但我很不快乐
02:11
It's true真正 what they say, and I didn't believe it until直到 it happened发生 to me.
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人们说的都是真的，我以前不相信，直到亲身经历
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But money钱 can't buy购买 happiness幸福."
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金钱是买不到快乐的。"
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He said, "No. But it can buy购买 Prozac百忧解."
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他回答。”但可以买到百忧解。“
02:20
And he put me on anti-depressants抗抑郁药.
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于是他让我吃抗忧郁药
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And yeah, the black黑色 cloud云 faded褪色 a little bit位, but so did all the work,
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乌云似乎有点消散了，但工作也是
02:26
because I was just floating漂浮的 along沿. I couldn't不能 care关心 less减 if clients客户 ever called叫.
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因为我如坠云中，我根本不在乎客户有没有与我联系
02:30
(Laughter笑声)
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（笑声）
02:33
And clients客户 didn't call.
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事实上也没有。
02:35
(Laughter笑声)
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（笑声）
02:36
Because they could see I was no longer长 serving服务 them,
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因为他们知道我已经不再在乎他们
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I was only serving服务 myself我.
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我只在乎我自己。
02:40
So they took拿 their其 money钱 and their其 projects项目 to others其他 who would serve服务 them better.
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于是他们带着钱和计划到真正能服务他们的人那里去
02:43
Well, it didn't take long for business商业 to drop下降 like a rock岩.
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很快的，我的事业如坠深渊
02:47
My partner伙伴 and I, Thom托姆, we had to let all our employees雇员 go.
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我的合伙人和我只有让我们的员工走路
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It was down to just the two of us, and we were about to go under下.
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只剩下我们两个，也差不多要完蛋了
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And that was great.
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但突然一切又好了
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Because with no employees雇员, there was nobody没有人 for me to manage管理.
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因为没有员工，就不用管理
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So I went去 back to doing the projects项目 I loved喜爱.
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我可以回去做我喜欢的计划
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I had fun开玩笑 again, I worked工作 harder更难 and, to cut切 a long story故事 short短,
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工作又开始有趣了，我也更努力工作。长话短说
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did all the things that took拿 me back up to success成功.
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我又开始走回成功的道路
03:09
But it wasn't不 a quick快 trip旅.
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但那不是条高速公路
03:11
It took拿 seven七 years年份.
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它总共花了我七年
03:13
But in the end结束, business商业 grew成长 bigger大 than ever.
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但现在，我们的公司比之前更强大
03:16
And when I went去 back to following以下 these eight八 principles原则,
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我也继续履行我的八条原则
03:19
the black黑色 cloud云 over my head头 disappeared消失 altogether共.
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在我头上的乌云消失了
03:22
And I woke醒来 up one day and I said,
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某天早上我醒来，对自己说
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"I don't need Prozac百忧解 anymore再."
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”我不需要百忧解了。“
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And I threw扔 it away and haven't没有 needed需要 it since以来.
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我把它扔了出去，再也没有碰过
03:28
I learned学到了 that success成功 isn't a one-way单程 street街.
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我学到成功不是一条单行道
03:31
It doesn't look like this; it really looks容貌 more like this.
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它看起来不像这样，它看起来更像这样
03:34
It's a continuous连续 journey旅程.
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是一条持续的长路
03:36
And if we want to avoid避免 "success-to-failure-syndrome成功到失败综合征,"
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如果我们不想染上”从成功到失败"症
03:39
we just keep following以下 these eight八 principles原则,
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只要持续地谨守这八条原则
03:41
because that is not only how we achieve实现 success成功,
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因为你要的不只是成功
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it's how we sustain支持 it.
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更是保持成功。
03:46
So here is to your continued继续 success成功.
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愿我们都继续成功。
03:48
Thank you very much.
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非常谢谢各位。
03:50
(Applause掌声)
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（掌声）
Translated by Coco Shen
Reviewed by Geoff Chen

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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