Scientist, writer and politician – Benjamin Franklin’s life is an inspiring one for everyone, regardless of their profession.
科学家，作家，政治家——本杰明·富兰克林的一生对任何人而言都是一部励志史。
His disciplined outlook towards life and a progressive mindset to the changing times made him one of the greatest figures of not only American, but also world history. Even in today’s day and age, lessons one can learn from his life are still very relevant and can be the success mantra for your professional life. We bring to you 10 such lessons from the man’s life.
他对人生井然有序的展望，以及对待这个变化时代的积极心态，足以使他不仅成为美国还是世界中最伟大的人。即使在现代，人们仍然可以从他身上学习到很多，他也可以成为你职业生涯中的成功典范。下面我们来看看能从这位伟人身上学到哪十门课吧。
1. Personal Set of Virtues
自己的美德标准
The joy of success is rendered hollow if the road to it is paved by vicious acts. In the long run, it always helps to have a personal code of conduct and live by them in the strictest way possible. Franklin had his own list of 13 virtues that he tried to emulate in his daily actions and used to keep track of how well he had been doing so. Not only does it make you a better man, but your work or business is also thrown into a good light.
如果成功的道路铺满了罪恶，那么成功的喜悦也只是虚无。在人生长跑中，一定要对自己有属于自己的行为准则，并且严格遵守。富兰克林有一个13个美德清单，这使得他在日常生活中对自己的行为有一定的衡量，他还会记录下来到底自己遵守得如何。这样不仅能让你变得更好，还能让你的工作或生意进展的更加顺利。
2. Well-maintained Daily Routine
保持作息习惯
We all know how Benjamin Franklin was skilled in different arts, professions and fields. His achievements in each of them do not arise from a disorderly life. Every hour of his day was carefully planned so as to make the optimum use of time without leaving time for unproductive frivolity. And this is a lesson that every person can do with.
我们都知道富兰克林在各种艺术和职业领域都非常才华横溢，这些成就都来自于秩序有条的生活。他一天中的每小时都被安排的妥妥当当，这样才能充分的利用时间。这也是我们每个人都需要学习的地方。
3. Honing People Skills
磨练人的技能
Franklin was a man with a charming tongue and great diplomatic skills – and these are what make for smooth conversations and transactions. If you read his autobiography, you will come across various occasions when this skill helped him out. In fact, it can even help you turn your enemies around and make them your friends instead – according to Franklin.
富兰克林有着惊人的口才和社交技能——这些都是畅谈和交易的基础。如果你看过他的自传，你就会发现这项技能曾无数次帮到了他。实际上，这些还能让你化敌为友——用富兰克林的话来说。
4. Say Less, Do More
少说多做
One of Benjamin Franklin’s oft-quoted mantra is “Well done is better than well said”. And that applies to every trade, not just politics. There has been many spins on this motto – like “A little less conversation, a little more action please”. All goes down to say that even though you need a silver tongue, it is better to invest your energy in working than flapping your gums about working.
富兰克林最经典的一句话莫过于“说得好不如做得好”，这不仅在政治上，在贸易上面也同样适用。这句话还有其他类似的版本——比如“少说点，多做事。” 这些都说明口才再好，都抵不过把精力投入到实际行动之中，而不要总是停留在说上。
5. Never Procrastinate
不要拖延
Another highly quoted Ben Franklin quote is “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today”. Undoubtedly, one of the best mottos to apply to your work-life is this. Work has a way of piling up and overwhelming you – and if he had given in to procrastination, he would probably not have achieved all that he did.
富兰克林另外一句经典话语是”今日事今日毕“，毫无疑问，这句话完全适用于你现在的职业生涯。工作总是会堆积在那里压倒你——一旦拖延，那么你永远都不可能完成工作了。
6. Pros and Cons List
利弊清单
If you have never made a pros and cons list to make an important decision, you should start. Whether it is expanding your business, promoting a certain employee or even taking a mortgage – making such a list helps you arrive at a solution faster. And who should be the one to have first brought this into effect but Franklin himself?
如果你从来没有在做出某个重要决定时列过利弊清单，那么你可以试试。无论是扩展业务，提升某个员工还是仅仅做个小抵押——列个清单可以助你更快找到解决方法。除了富兰克林，谁还能想到这么好的办法呢？
7. Importance of Perseverance
坚持的重要性

Entrepreneurial success is more than just luck – it is pure hard work, tenacity and never giving up in face of obstacles. And when Benjamin Franklin said, “Diligence is the mother of good luck”, this is what he meant. An unwavering decision to stick by his work and values led him to become one of the founding fathers of USA – and it can work wonders for everyone.
企业家的成功绝非仅仅靠运气——这绝对是努力工作、韧性以及面对挫折时的坚持。富兰克林说过”勤奋是好运的母亲“，这就是他的本意。对工作和价值观坚定不移的决心使得他最终成为美国开国之父——每个人都可以靠这一美德来创造奇迹。
8. Seizing Opportunities
抓住机会
Benjamin Franklin became a pioneer in demographic studies at a time when it was still new. He was anyway making his personal notes on the population growth in the 1740s – and he took the opportunity of a study in the matter. Centuries later, we still remember him for his discoveries. Being an opportunist and making the most of your chances will help you grow professionally by leaps and bounds.
在人口统计学形成初期，富兰克林已经是该领域的先行者了。18世纪40年代他就已经对人口增长进行了个人统计——然后抓住机会来进行研究。几个世纪之后，他的发现仍然被我们铭记于心。成为一个机会主义者，好好利用一切机会能让你大幅度的前进。
9. Learning From Mistakes
从错误中学习
Another huge lesson that can be learnt from the American scientist’s life is not to get disheartened about failure before even trying and to make mistakes without apprehension. Only by trying something new with the risk of failure can you also find the path to success. Franklin did that with a number of his scientific discoveries – and this applies to every entrepreneur as well.
另外一个能从这位美国科学家身上学习到的便是不畏惧失败，对错误要有反思。冒着失败的风险尝试新鲜事物才有可能找到成功之路。富兰克林就是靠这个得出了很多科学发现——这也同样适用于企业。
10. Welcoming Change
乐于改变
The last but not the least relevant lesson to learn from Franklin’s life is acceptance of change. Franklin brought about a colonial unity at a time when individual colonies functioned independently – and this was an important move that went to establish the geopolitical superpower that is USA now. To stick to the old is to regress – adapt yourself to the changing times to steer yourself towards success.
最后也最重要的课程就是要接受改变。当单个殖民地独立运作时，富兰克林提出了殖民社区的概念——这对建立地缘政治大国是个重要举措，也成就了现在的美国。固守陈规就是倒退——让自己顺应这个变化的时代才能让你走向成功。
These are some key attributes that went into building the character of one of America’s founding fathers. Taking a leaf out of his book is almost half the battle won for the entrepreneur striving for success.
这就是我们能从美国成立之父身上学到的一些关键品质。从他的书中随便学习一页，你的企业就成功一半了。