I recently received an e-mail from the motivational speaker and real estate investor Paul LeJoy. He's been wildly successful in real estate sales and has mentored and worked with dozens of entrepreneurs.

最近我收到一封来自励志演说家兼房地产投资者雷乔-保罗的电子邮件。他在房地产销售方面相当成功。他指导过许多企业家，也和他们共事过。

In his e-mail, LeJoy identified eight pitfalls that lie athwart every pathway to success. His thoughts were so deep and insightful that I edited them and condensed them:

在他的邮件里，雷乔指出了会出现在通往成功道路上的8个绊脚石。他的想法非常深刻且有洞察力，于是我将它们加以浓缩编辑成文：

 

Every path to success begins with a great idea. There's only one problem: Great ideas are a dime a dozen. What really matters when it comes to becoming a success is not having the idea but having the courage to transform that idea into reality. This usually means a risk of losing the security of a regular job and risking a steady paycheck. Only the brave ever overcome this first of the pitfalls.

每条成功之路都源于一个伟大的想法。唯一的问题是：伟大的想法遍地都是。对于成功而言，真正重要的并不是拥有这个想法，而是有勇气把这个想法变成现实。通常这意味着风险：失去稳定的工作，还有失去固定的工资。只有勇敢者才能越过这第一个绊脚石。

 

Even with a great idea and the courage to pursue it, your efforts will be for naught unless you're willing to take massive action. Write down your goals and (more important) the action steps you'll take to pursue those goals. Post your vision and plan in your bedroom, bathroom, office. Share it with others, so they'll hold you accountable for delivering on your plan. Make yourself accountable and become the master of your destiny.

即使有了伟大的想法，也有勇气去追求，但除非你愿意采取大量的行动，否则你的努力还是徒劳无功。写下你的目标，更重要的是写下你为实现目标所采取的行动步骤。把你的愿景和计划做成海报贴在你的卧室、卫生间和办公室里。与他人分享，这样他们将督促你实现你的计划。对自己负责，让自己成为命运的主人。

 

Without passion, even the most compelling vision will wither on the vine. Without passion, your energy and enthusiasm will flag when you encounter inevitable obstacles. Make your passion into an almost physical characteristic of your personality, an inexorable force that keeps you engaged every moment of every workday, bringing you one step closer to the measure of success that you desire.

没有激情，即使是最激动人心的愿景也将无果而终。没有激情，当你遇到不可避免的阻碍时，你的能量和热情也将烟消云散。让你的激情成为你个性中的一部分，让你的激情成为一股不可抵挡的力量，带着它去迎接每一天每一刻，让你向着渴望的成功更近一步。

 

The modern world clamors  for your attention in ever-louder ways, a deluge that can distract you from your course. It takes self-discipline to persevere amidst the noise and haste, to assert your willpower over casual desires and instincts. Channel your emotions, behavior, and desires toward obtaining the reward of success. Remember: Living a life of self-discipline is less painful in the long run than regretting "what might have been."

在现代社会里，各种喧闹扰乱着你的心绪，像洪水般冲荡着自己的进程。在嘈杂和匆忙中，你要坚持就需要自律，用你的意志力战胜随意的欲望和本能。调节你的情绪、行为和欲望以求获得成功的奖赏。记住：从长远来看，自律的生活，会比起生活在“也许会有另一番人生”的悔恨中要少一些苦痛。

 

Once you've made a decision, doubt is a worm that eats away at your ability to succeed. Life and work can be hard and even cruel. Remember, the race is not for the swift but rather those who persevere. Rather than allowing doubt to seep in and poison your process, you owe it to yourself to remain confident in your vision and your plan. Adapt as needed along the way, but always know that success will ultimately be yours.

一旦你做了决定，怀疑就像一种蠕虫病毒，它会侵蚀你实现成功的能力。生活和工作可能会艰辛，甚至是残酷。记住，这场比赛比的不是快，比的是谁更能坚持。不要让怀疑渗入和毒害你，你要对你的愿景和计划保持信心，这是由你决定的。在前进的路上根据需要进行调整，坚信成功最终是属于你的。

 

The old sayings "no man is an island" and "there's strength in numbers" may sound corny, but that doesn't make them any less true. Even with self-discipline, in the long run, you'll need contact with kindred spirits and mentors. Meeting regularly can be a great boost to your morale and provide new perspectives on your approach. The Internet makes it extraordinarily easy to find a coach, mentor, or mastermind group that can provide the emotional support, experience, and wisdom to help turn your vision into reality.

“没有人是与世隔绝的孤岛”和“人多力量大” 这两句俗语可能听起来毫无新意，但这丝毫不能影响到它的正确性。从长远来看，即使有了自律，你还需要和亲近的精神领袖和导师进行交流。常常和他们见面可以大大提升你的斗志，并为你的处理方法提供新的视角。互联网使得我们非常容易就找到教练、导师或智囊团，为我们提供情感支持、经验和智慧，帮助我们把梦想变成现实。

 

As you begin to be successful, you'll be tempted to lie, exaggerate, and deceive in order to move your agenda forward. However, taking the easy way of dishonesty has a tendency to sneak back up on you. In the end, it causes far more problems than taking the risk of telling the truth. True success comes when you are a person of your word, when you have a pure conscience, and when you have not cheated others on your way to the top.

当你开始向成功努力时，为了不落下进度，你就会撒谎、夸大或是欺骗。然而，这种不诚实往往也会让自己尝到恶果。到最后，比起冒险说出实情，它会引起更多的问题。在通往成功的路上，当你言行一致，当你有一颗纯洁的心灵，当你不去欺骗他人，真正的成功就来了。

 

The final pitfall is by far the most dangerous, because it's so easy to miss. When your vision becomes a reality, you are still a failure if you cannot remember your humble beginnings or recognize the contributions of those who helped you along the way. Remember: There is no such thing as a self-made billionaire. If you can't experience gratitude, you might as well have stayed exactly where you started.

最后一道陷阱是最危险的，因为我们很容易错过它。当你的远景成为现实以后，如果你忘了刚开始时的谦卑态度，或是不予肯定一路来帮助你的人所做出的贡献，你仍然是一个失败者。记住：天下没有人靠自己就能成为亿万富翁的。如果你没有一颗感恩的心，也许你还是待在你最初起步的地方好了。