Limiting the stream（限制信息流的扰乱）

                
                
（图片来自堆糖）
（译者按：此文补充上文。）
‘Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in.’ ~Henry David Thoreau
时间不过是一个将我裹狭入其间的渔网。
The stream of news, information, and messages we get these days is enough to drown us. It’s staggering in its volume.
It’s a wonder anyone can find any focus with an information stream like that.
当今社会，新闻、咨询和信息已经将我们淹没，巨大的量已经让我们望而却步。
The Stream of Distractions
使注意力分散的信息流
 
The more connected a person becomes on the Internet, the more distractions they face in their day. Just a couple decades ago, most people’s distractions consisted of the phone, the fax machine, incoming memos and paperwork, solitaire, and actual people in their offices.
当你在互联网上和一个人越紧密的联系在一起，他们在日常生活中就会面对更多的分心。十几年前，大多数人是因为座机电话，传真机，记忆便签和工作文书，纸牌而分心，实际上就是人们在办公室中的分心。
These days, people who work online face much more than that:
如今，如果你在线上工作将更容易分心。
email (perhaps the biggest problem for most people)
instant messaging
Twitter
Facebook
online forums
blogs
other social networks
news sites
phones & cell phones
text messages
Skype
podcasts
Google alerts
mobile device notifications (iPhone, Blackberry, etc.)
mobile apps
videos
online music
online shopping
Internet radio
paperwork
online games
solitaire
internet TV
ebooks
And more.
电子邮件（对多数人而言，这可能是最大的问题）
即时信息
推特
脸书
在线论坛
博客
其他社交网站
新闻站点
座机或手机电话
短信
Skype
播客
谷歌提醒
移动设备的通知（如iphone和黑莓手机）
移动应用
视频
在线音乐
网络购物
在线电台
工作文书
网络游戏
纸牌
网络电视
电子书
还有很多
Why and How to Limit the Stream
为什么以及怎样控制这些信息流
 
With so many distractions, it’s impossible to truly focus on the important. We try to drink the stream, but it’s too voluminous and neverending to take in this way.
有如此多让我们注意力分散的事物，我们就不可能将注意力集中于真正重要的事情之上。我们试图吸收这些信息流，但是它们的量太大且永无止息地更新，以致于我们不可能完全吸收。
Some people think this is just a part of their work, or their lives, and that there’s nothing wrong with being connected. It’s a part of doing business, they say.
有些人认为这不过是他们工作的一部分，或生活的一部分，与周遭连接没有任何错误。
However, there’s no one way to do business, and this book is about finding a better way. A saner way. I’m just one example of many people who have managed to do business online, have managed to stay connected, but who are able to limit the stream and make conscious decisions about how to be connected and how much information we consume.
但是，世上并不是只有一种营生的方法，这本书就是要帮你找到更好的方法。一种可以让心智活得健康的方法。我不过是众多利用互联网营生的人之一，试图和周遭保持连接，但是可以限制巨大的信息流给我干扰，并对自己要如何和周遭连接保持觉知，同时也知道我们应该获取多少信息。
We do it consciously, with intent. Social networks, blogs and news sites you read, different ways to communicate and consume information … these tend to build up as you spend time online. You build them up without much thought, but you end up being consumed by what you consume.
我们要带着觉知与互联网连接。社交网络，我们阅读的博客和新闻站点，这都是不同的联系方式和信息获取方式...这些构成了你的在线时间。你在无意间就做了，但是你最终却是被吸收了自己本应主动吸收的内容。
I suggest becoming more conscious of this, and choosing what you consume and how much you communicate carefully. Limit your stream to only the most essential information and communications, and you’ll free up hours of time for creating and doing amazing things.
我建议要对信息吸收更有觉知，要主动选择你要吸收的内容，以及你要投入多少来与他人交流。要把自己的时间流限制在最重要的信息和交流之上。然后为自己腾出一段时间用于发挥创意和做一些很棒的事情。
I also suggest starting from scratch. Assume that nothing is sacred, empty your plate, and only put back on it what you absolutely need or love. Let the rest fade away.
我还建议略读。如果不重要的信息，就可以略过，只要注意哪些你的确需要或喜欢的内容，其他的就让他们淡出吧。
Make an Important Admission
开始一项重要的任务
It’s crucial that you admit to yourself: you can’t read and consume everything. You can’t do everything, respond to everything. Not only would the attempt take up all of your waking hours, but you’d fail.
你要承认，你不可能阅读和吸收所有咨询。你不可能什么都做，什么都回应。即使你把自己醒着的时间全用上，你也注定是失败的。
There’s too much out there to read, too many people to potentially connect with and respond to, too many possible projects and tasks to actually complete.
外界有太多的咨询要读，也有太多的可能发展的社会关系要回应，还有很多有潜力的项目和工作要完成。
It’s impossible. Once you admit this, the next logical argument is that if you can’t do and read and respond to everything, you must choose what you’ll do and read and respond to, and let the rest go.
Let the rest go. This is unbelievably important. You have to accept this, and be OK with it.
这些都是不可能的。一旦你承认于此，接下来你就会得出这样的论断，如果我无法做，阅读和回应所有一切，那么我必须从中选择出我应该做，阅读和回应的内容，其余的部分就放弃。＂放下其余的部分＂实在太重要了。你必须接受它，而且觉得这没问题。
  
An Information Cleanse
过滤咨询
If you look at information and communication as a form of mild (or sometimes not-so-mild) addiction, it can be healthy to force yourself to take a break from it.
如果你将咨询和与外界的交流视为一种疯狂的上瘾（有些人不那么认为），那么你就会将从这种上瘾中跳脱出来视为更健康。
Go on a mini-cleanse. Start with something that’s not so scary: perhaps a day, or even half a day. Do this once a week. Later, as you get used to this, try a 2-3 day cleanse, and maybe even work your way up to a week.
继续简化。从不那么夸张开始，一天甚至半天。之后每周一次，当你养成习惯后，试一试2-3的过滤，甚至整周都那么做。
Here’s how to do the cleanse:
如何过滤：
Don’t check email or other types of digital inboxes.
Don’t log into Twitter, Facebook, or other social networks or forums.
Don’t read news, blogs, subscriptions.
Don’t check your favorite websites for updates.
Don’t watch TV.
Don’t use instant messaging of any kind.
不要查看电子邮件或者其他电子信箱。
不要登录推特，脸书，或者其他社交网站或论坛。
不要阅读新闻，博客，或其他订阅信息。
不要查看自己喜爱的网站或更新。
不要看电视。
不要使用任何形式的即时信息。
Do use phones for as little time as possible, only for essential calls.
Do send an email if necessary, but try to avoid it, and don’t check your inbox if you do.
Do use the Internet for absolutely necessary research. Be vigorous about this rule.
Do spend your time creating, working on important projects, getting outside, communicating with people in person, collaborating, exercising.
Do read: books, long-form articles or essays you’ve been wanting to read but haven’t had the time for.
Do watch informative or thought-provoking films, but not mindless popular movies.
尽可能少用电话，只在有重要的事情才用。
确有必要时才发邮件，否则尽量避免，不要随时查看你的邮箱。
学会使用互联网来做确有必要的研究，并对此充满激情。
将时间花在创作，做重要的事情，外出，和朋友面对面约会，协作，锻炼之上。
必须读的东西：书籍，长文章，或你想读但却没时间读的专业论文。
看一些信息含量大或有思想深度的电影，而不是大众电影。
You could make a personalized list of your dos and don’ts, but you get the general idea. Again, start with half a day or a day — something manageable. Do it once a week, and gradually expand the time you spend on the cleanse.
你可以为自己设计一份可以做和不可以做的清单。但是你必须自己有一个大概的理念。同样的，先用半天或者一天作实验，然后等一切可操控了。每周做一次，然后慢慢地扩展你的＂过滤＂时间。
Reducing the Stream
减少信息流
If you’ve done the cleanse, you now know the value of disconnecting, and you know that you can live without having to check your streams of information and messages all day, every day.
如果你完成了信息过滤，你应该知道＂不连接＂的价值，知道了自己可以不用每天时刻查看信息流和收发信息。
You’ve cleaned your plate. Now it’s time to figure out what to add back on it.
你已经将自己的＂盘子＂清空了。现在需要好好思考如何将它再装满。
Give it some thought: what are the most essential ways you communicate? Email? Skype? Twitter? Cell phone? IM?
想一想：最重要的沟通方式是什么？电子邮件，skype，推特，手机通话，还是即时消息？
What are the most essential information streams you consume? What blogs? What news? What other reading or watching or listening?
你从哪儿获取最重要的咨询？哪些博客，新闻网站？你还有其他阅读和看与听的地方吗？
What can you cut out? Can you cut half of the things you read and watch? More?
你可以从何下手开始精简？你可以砍去一半现有的阅读和观看的东西吗？或者更多？
Try eliminating at least one thing each day: a blog you read, an email newsletter you receive, a communication channel you don’t need anymore, a news site you check often. Take them out of your email or feed inbox, or block them using one of the blocking tools mentioned in the “Focus Tools” chapter.
至少每天减少一件事情：一个你阅读的博客，一封你订阅的邮件，一个你不再需要的联系渠道，一个你经常浏览的新闻站点。把它们从你的邮箱中清除，或者使用拦截工具（＂注意力工具＂章节提到的）阻止接收。
Slowly reduce your stream, leaving only the essentials.
慢慢地控制你的信息流，只留下最重要的。
Using the Stream Wisely
更有智慧地使用信息流
Just as importantly, reduce the time you spend using the essentials. If email is essential, do you need to be notified of every new email right this second? Do you need to be in your inbox all day long?
在你觉得重要的事情上作简化也很重要。如果电子邮件很重要，你必须在每封邮件一到达之时就立即回复吗？你真的需要成天时刻关注着自己的收件箱吗？
Place limits on the time you spend reading and communicating — a small limit for each channel. Only check email for 30 minutes, twice a day, for example (or whatever limits work for you). Only read the limited number of blogs you subscribe to for 30 minutes a day. Only watch an hour of TV a day (for example).
设定你用于阅读和交流沟通的时间，每个渠道都设置一个小限制。例如，每30分钟查看一次邮件，且每天只查看两次（或者你觉得适用于自己的任何限制）。每天只用30分钟看几个已经订阅的博客。每天只看一小时的电视。
Write these limits down, and add them up for a grand total of what you plan to spend on reading, consuming, communicating. Is this an ideal amount, given the amount of time you have available to you each day? The smaller the overall limit, the better.
将这些限制写下来，然后为这些阅读、信息吸收和交流逐项添加限制的时间。这些时间是否过于理想化，请根据自己每天的可用时间来安排。限定的时间越少越好。