One of the concepts that comes up over and over again with prolific creative minds that
在我为《蒂姆秀》或者《巨人的工具》一书采访那些
I've interviewed for the Tim Ferriss Show or for the book Tools of Titans is creating empty space.
多产的创意人士时 有一个概念会不断出现 即创造空间
And one of the guests Josh Waitzkin, who never does any media, can I curse on this?
其中有位来宾是乔希 维茨金 他从不上任何节目 这真是简直了
He always texts me with profanity laden SMSs because I'm the only one who can pull him out of his cave to do media.
他总发满是脏话的短信给我 因为我是唯一能说服他走出自己的世界来接受采访的人
But he is best known perhaps as the chest prodigy, and I'll explain why I put that in air quotes,

他很出名 可以说是“棋坛王子” 我解释一下为什么我用了引号
besides how funny it looks on camera,
除了在镜头上看着好玩以外
that formed the basis or who formed the basis for Searching for Bobby Fischer, both the book and the movie.
他为《寻找鲍比 费舍尔》的书和电影奠定了基础
He was a very well known chess player and continues to be an incredible chess player.
他曾经是一名很优秀的象棋玩家 并且不可思议的是 他一直是一个很好的玩家
But he has applied his learning framework to more than chess.
但是他还把象棋的学习模式运用到了象棋意外的领域
So he was a world champion in tai chi push hands, he was the first black belt in Brazilian
他曾是太极推手的世界冠军 是取得巴西柔术黑带第一人
jujitsu under the phenom probably the best of all time Marcelo Garcia, who trains in
仅次于也许是史上最佳的运动员马塞洛·加西亚
New York City and he's a nine-time world champion something like that.
加西亚是在纽约接受训练并九次获得世界冠军
And he's now tackling paddle surfing and he can apply it to just about anything.
现在他正在学习划桨冲浪 并且他能将那种方法应用到任何地方
He works with some of the top financial mines in the world, hedge fund managers and beyond,
他为世界一流的金融组织服务 作为对冲基金经理或者更
the best of the best; top one percent.
高级别人员 佼佼者中的佼佼者 前百分之一
So, why? What are the principles that he shares?
所以 为什么他会成功 他分享了哪些原则？
One of them is creating empty space, cultivating empty space as a way of life, and these are all tied together so I'll mention another one.
其中有一条就是创造空间 并把它作为一种生活方式 这些原则融会贯通 所以我要提到另一条
Learning the macro from the micro and then beginning with the end in mind.
以小见大 以目的为导向
And these all work together. So I'll explain in fact the last two first.
这些都相辅相成 接下来我会先解释最后两点
Josh learned to play chess or I should say more accurately was coached by his first real coach in the opposite direction
乔希刚开始学习下象棋的时 他的教练用逆向思维的方式教给他学象棋
when compared to most training and most chess books.
跟大多数的训练和象棋书上的方法都是相反的
He was taught in reverse. What does that mean?
他是以相反方式接受指导的 什么叫反向训练呢？
He began with the end game and with very few pieces.
他从一盘只有几个棋子的结束的棋局开始教起
So they cleared all the pieces off the board, instead of starting with openings,
他们不从头开始 而把残局上的子清光
meaning what do you do first the first five to ten moves, he started with the ending game with king and pawn versus king.
意味着别人都是首先从前面五子十子地下，他是从残局开始王和兵对阵王
What does this do?
这有什么用？
Well this forces you to focus on principles like opposition, creating space, zugzwang,
这强迫你专注于一些特殊原则 如对峙 创造空间 被动强制
which is a principle of forcing your opponent to do anything that will destroy their position
就是迫使对手走任何一步 都最终导致失败
or anything they can possibly do will worsen their position.
或者走任何他们能走的一步 都会使情况更不利
And these types of principles that you learn when there's an empty board with a few pieces accomplish a few things.
从仅剩几颗子的棋盘上学习到的这些原则会达到几个效果
Number one, you are learning the macro,
第一你是从宏观上学习下棋原则
the principles that you can apply throughout the game of chess in almost any scenario through the micro, this end game situation.
这些原则能够适用于任何一个具体的小棋局 这些就是从残局学到的原则
And these principles are adaptable.
并且这些原则适用性很广
You become a machine that can bob and weave with the circumstances very effectively.
你变成了能根据情况高效地左挡右闪的机器
Compared to that, as Josh would put it, if you're memorizing the openings,
就像那个机器一样 乔西说 如果你记住了棋开始的布局
and this might be like memorizing recipes if you're learning to cook,
就好比 你在学习烹饪时只记住了菜单
you're effectively stealing the answers from the teacher's guidebook to a test and you'll be able to beat your friends for a while
考试时从老师的指导书上偷到了答案 短期内你可能打败你的朋友
and maybe even be considered a pretty decent chess player,
甚至被人们认为是名很不错的棋手
but on a deep level you don't understand the game and you will hit a ceiling
但是从深层意义上来讲 你并不了解这个游戏
and you will never progress past that and you'll get beaten by really good players.
而且永远无法突破瓶颈 最终会被真正优秀的棋手打败
So that can be applied to, for instance, Brazilian jujitsu.
所以那个原则可以被应用在别的地方 比如巴西柔术
Josh taught me basically all of the most important principles of jujitsu through one move,
乔西告诉了我所有柔术中最重要的原则基本上可以归结为一个动作
at the end the game, which is a choke called The Guillotine, which Marcello was famous for.
就是比赛最后致胜的一个绞技 叫做断头台 马塞洛以此而闻名
His version was called The Marcelotine, but it's effectively like this you're choking
他的这招被称为马塞洛断头台 它就像这样 你用这里绞
someone's head in here and he has a weird way of doing it where he puts his forearm on top of your shoulder.
住对手的头 他的方式很古怪 他把他的前臂放在对手的肩膀上
It's pretty wicked.
滋味很不好受
If you want to be put unconscious you can go to that gym and experience that yourself.
如果你想体验一下被那一招打晕的感觉 你可以亲自去那家体育馆体验一下
But that can also be applied to many, many other things.
但是这一招也能被应用于很多其他的事情
For instance, if you're trying to build a startup, all right this is a common trendy thing to do these days
比如 如果你想尝试着创业 这是当下一个普遍的趋势
and I think everybody should start a business at some point.
而且我认为每个人都应该或早或晚创个业
But in the startup game in say Silicon Valley where I live if you're going to go into the venture backed world,
但在创业中 比如在我住的硅谷 如果你打算进入融资圈
well you and your founder better think a lot about the end game
那你和你的创始人最好对临门一脚想清楚
and you should definitely have an agreement,
而且你绝对应该达成协议
at least a working agreement, tentative agreement on what type of exit, say acquisition offer is acceptable to you.
至少是约定 初步商定 退出方式 比如你可以接受怎样的收购条件
If those end goal components aren't in place then it's just a slow motion train wreck waiting to happen.
如果这些最终的目标没设定好 那么等待你的就是火车最终会翻车
And how might you do that?
你该怎么做呢？
Well, if you're trying to learn the macro from the micro you can think about what the acquisition agreement might look like
如果你想以小见大 那你可以考虑一下收购协议长什么样
You can talk to lawyers, get a sample template agreement and look at the provisions,
你可以和律师谈谈 做份协定的模本 阅读其中的条文
look at the clauses and then reverse engineer it so that when you're forming the company,
看看条款 然后反方向推上来 看看当你成立公司时
when you're hiring employees your decisions at that point make it possible to have that contract at the end.
当你请员工时 你的决定是不是最终会让这个协议有可能实现
This is another example. Micro, maybe it's a 10/20-page document.
这就是另一个例子 小的 也许是个十页二十页的文件
Macro, building a company that gets acquired by a much, much larger company.
大的 是建立一家公司并被另一家大很多的公司收购
So that is learning the macro from the micro.
这就是以小见大
Another example, just because I brought up cooking, would be say choosing a recipe that
再比如 我刚提到了做菜 选择一个菜谱
involves two or three primary techniques and perhaps three to five primary ingredients that apply in many, many, many different dishes.
这菜谱需要两三项基础技巧 也许三五样基础材料这些技巧和材料在很多很多菜里都可以使用
So you're learning principles of say flavor combination, principles of using convection
所以你就在学习不同的原则 像调料组合 用对流
versus shallow frying or sautéing versus steaming that apply across the board.
而不是浅炒 快炒而不是蒸 等可以广泛使用的东西
And in doing so let's say you do it without a recipe, without a timer
这么做时 我们再限定一下 你没有菜谱 计时器或
or I should say a meat thermometer or something like that, you're going to learn also to test the food to know whether it is done or not.
肉类温度计或别的什么 那你还要学习试试食物确定到底熟没熟
That then applies to everything.
那这些就有普适性了
But you can do it just a learning how to make Harissa crab cakes with the steam broccoli
你可以学到这些 仅仅通过学做辣蟹蛋糕 加上蒸花椰菜
and I have no idea say candied yams something like that. So that's that.
还有 我乱说的 糖渍山芋之类的东西这个就讲完了
And we're also talking about the ending game. So we've covered that.
我们讲的是残局已经讲完了
Creating or cultivating empty space is a way of life.
创造或者培育空间是一种生活方式
This is very important to Josh Waitzkin who I mentioned,
这对我提到过的乔希 维茨金很重要 对有些人也很重要
it's very important to people like Paul Graham, who's cofounder of Y Combinator, which is like the Navy SEALs Harvard of startup accelerators, keeping it simple let's just call it that for now.
比如保罗 格雷厄姆 Y Combinator的共同创始人 这公司在创业孵化器中就像是海豹突击队和哈佛
If you are a creator, if you are a maker and not a manager, this is important,creating three to five
如果你是个创意人 是创造者 而不是经理 这点很重要
If you are a creator, if you are a maker and not a manager, this is important,creating three to five
如果你是个创意人 是创造者 而不是经理 这点很重要
which by the way is a decision so a lot of really good entrepreneurs start as a technician or a tactician
顺便提一下 所以很多好的企业家刚开始都是一名技术员或者策划
they're very, very good at one thing then they end up in a managerial role that they hate.
他们在某件事上做得很好很好 最后陷入一个管理的角色而且他们不喜欢这个角色
It doesn't mean you have to stay there, and you see a lot of folks like Evan Williams
这并不是说你必须忍受 你看很多人 比如埃文 威廉姆斯
and others who then at some point realize this and return it to a more product focused role
和其他一些人意识到之后就又回归到一个更基于产品的角色
even if they are also the CEO of making some high-level 30,000-foot decisions. Okay.
即使他们同时是做高层决定的CEO 好了
But if you are a maker, if you've decided to be a maker, if you just happen to be a maker or creator
如果你是个创造者 你决定做个创造者 或者你刚好是个创造者
let's call it three to five hour uninterrupted blocks of time are extremely critical
三五个钟头不被打扰的整块时间极其重要
if you want to connect the dots, if you want to have the space to allow yourself
如果你想把点连好 如果你想有空间让自己
to have original ideas or at least original combinations of ideas you really need to block out that time and protect it at least once a week.
产生原创的想法或者至少一些想法的创意组合 你真的要至少每周隔出这段时间并保护它
So in Tools of Titans there are many people who do this, Remet Set, for instance,
在《巨人的工具》里 有很多人这么做 比如雷米特 赛特
who has a very, very successful multi, multi million dollar business that he built out of a blog
他有一家极其极其成功的值几千万美元的公司 他从早在
he started long ago in college, which was very, very niche in its focus,
大学时期的博客做起 这个博客关注点非常细分
he blocks out I believe it's every Wednesday for three to five hours of time he'll block it out for learning.
他隔出 我想是 每周三的三到五个小时来学习
Noah Kagan another entrepreneur does the same thing.
诺亚 卡根 另一位企业家 也是如此
So on Wednesdays for me I have from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., this is pre-lunch, I have creation,
每周三 从上午九点到下午一点 这段午饭前的时间我会
that means writing, recording or some similar aspect of in my mind creating with my skillset and my assets.
创作 包括写作 记录和其他一些我脑子中的类似的活动运用我的技能和才华
And it is extremely important that I do that before I'm barraged by inputs.
而且在我的输入变得太多之前 这么做是极其重要的
In other words, and this is true of Josh as well, first thing in the morning he's doing journaling.
换句话说 而且乔希 维茨金也如此 早上他做的第一件事就是写日志
Reid Hoffman, a billionaire, cofounder or founder of LinkedIn, same story.
雷德 霍夫曼 一个亿万富翁 领英的共同创始人 也是这样做的
He will plant a seed in his mind the night before a problem he wants to solve, a project
他会在前一晚在脑中种下一棵种子 也许是想解决的问题
he wants to think about improving perhaps and then waking up, tabula rasa complete blank
也许是他想改进的项目 然后醒来时 完全空白
slate immediately working on that problem with journaling before any text messages,
立刻着手写日志来解决这一问题 而不是先去看短消息
before any email, which is why, for instance, I don't have email set up on my phone.
和电子邮件 这也是为什么我不在手机上装邮箱
I do not have mail set up on my iPhone. I do not get to notifications.
我的苹果手机上没有电子邮箱我不允许推送消息
I also put my phone on airplane mode for a lot of reasons,
我会因为很多原因让手机处于飞行模式
for our body to explain some other physical ones, but onto airplane mode when I go to bed and it stays in airplane
别的原因 睡觉时开启飞行模式 创作时保持飞行模式
mode until I'm done with my creation period and then it comes on.
直到结束才恢复常规模式
Because as soon as you go into bullet dodging or like Wonder Woman bullet blocking mode
因为一旦你进入躲子弹或者神奇女侠挡子弹模式
with everyone else's agenda for your time, which is very often the inbox or text messages, you're DOA, you're done.
别人要占用你的时间 通常是通过邮箱来件或短消息那么你就完了
Your creativity is all for not in general.
通常你的创造能力就废了
So for me, for many people who are say programming, for musicians,
所以对于我 对于很多人 比如程序员 音乐家
for creative types slack in the system, you have to create slack.
对于创意型的人 你必须创造宽松环境
You have to create space.
你必须为自己创造空间
You have to create large uninterrupted blocks of time and the only way to do that is to put it on your calendar.
你必须为自己留出一段完全不被别人打扰的时间 唯一能让它实现的方法是把它写进你的日程表里
If it's not on your calendar it's not real, you need to put it in your calendar and defend it just like you would anything else.thank
如果它不在你的日程里 它就不是真的 你必须把它放进日程并保证它的实现 就如你做其他事情一样
If it's not on your calendar it's not real, you need to put it in your calendar and defend it just like you would anything else.
如果它不在你的日程里 它就不是真的 你必须把它放进日程并保证它的实现 就如你做其他事情一样