Habits are a funny thing. We reach for them mindlessly, setting our brains on auto-pilot and relaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine. “Not choice, but habit rules the unreflecting herd,” William Wordsworth said in the 19th century. In the ever-changing 21st century, even the word “habit” carries a negative connotation.

　　So it seems antithetical to talk about habits in the same context as creativity and innovation. But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel synaptic paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks.

　　But don’t bother trying to kill off old habits; once those ruts of procedure are worn into the hippocampus, they’re there to stay. Instead, the new habits we deliberately ingrain into ourselves create parallel pathways that can bypass those old roads.

　　“The first thing needed for innovation is a fascination with wonder,” says Dawna Markova, author of “The Open Mind” and an executive change consultant for Professional Thinking Partners. “But we are taught instead to ‘decide,’ just as our president calls himself ‘the Decider.’ ” She adds, however, that “to decide is to kill off all possibilities but one. A good innovational thinker is always exploring the many other possibilities.”

　　All of us work through problems in ways of which we’re unaware, she says. Researchers in the late 1960 covered that humans are born with the capacity to approach challenges in four primary ways: analytically, procedurally, relationally (or collaboratively) and innovatively. At puberty, however, the brain shuts down half of that capacity, preserving only those modes of thought that have seemed most valuable during the first decade or so of life.

　　The current emphasis on standardized testing highlights analysis and procedure, meaning that few of us inherently use our innovative and collaborative modes of thought. “This breaks the major rule in the American belief system — that anyone can do anything,” explains M. J. Ryan, author of the 2006 book “This Year I Will...” and Ms. Markova’s business partner. “That’s a lie that we have perpetuated, and it fosters commonness. Knowing what you’re good at and doing even more of it creates excellence.” This is where developing new habits comes in.

　　译文

　　习惯是一种有意思的东西。我们可以随意地触及到它，将自己的大脑处在自动巡航的状态，轻松地进入对熟悉的日常事物潜意识舒适状态之中。在19世纪，威廉姆?沃德司沃斯曾说，“不是选择，而是习惯支配着缺乏思考的百姓。”在日新月异的21世纪，甚至于单词“habit”(习惯)本身都带有一种消极的内涵。

　　所以在相同的背景下去谈论习惯、创造力和创新看上去是对立的。但是大脑研究人员们发现了当我们有意识地养成新习惯的时候，我们的大脑就创建了平行突触路径，甚至是全新的脑细胞，这能够使得我们的思路跳转到创新性的轨道上去。

　　但是不要费力试图去除旧习惯;一旦那些过程的印迹被长期使用并形成大脑中的海马状突起时，它们就永远存在了。然而，我们特意地在自己大脑中根植的新习惯会创造出可以绕过那些旧印迹的平行路径。

　　“创新所需要的首先就是对奇迹的迷恋”达乌娜?马科娃说，她是《开放的思维》的作者，也是“职业思维合作者”的行政变化顾问。“但是我们被教会了如何去‘做决定，’就如同我们的总统称自己为‘决策者’一样。”然而，她补充道“做决定就是要去除别的可能性而只留下一种。一位优秀的创新思想家总是会探索许多不同的可能性的。”

　　我们所有人都以我们意识不到的方式来处理问题，她说。研究人员在20世纪60年代末期发现了人类与生俱来以四种主要的方式迎接挑战的能力。这四种主要的方式是：分析地，程序化地，相关地(或曰协作地)和创新地。然而在人类的青春期，大脑会关闭一半这种能力，仅仅保留着那些看上去在人生头十多年中最有价值的思维方式。

　　当前对于标准化测试的强调之处在于阐明分析与程序，意味着我们没有几个人生来就能运用我们的创新的和协作的思维模式。“这打破了美国信仰体系中的主要法则——每个人都能做成任何事情，”2006年出版的书籍《今年我将要……》的作者，同时也是马科娃女士的商业合作伙伴的M?J?瑞恩解释说，“那是我们已经延续了很久的一个谎言，它促成了共性。了解你擅长的东西并多去实践就会成就卓越的表现。”养成新习惯就在于此。

　　词汇

　　analytically【机】 分析上

　　例句：The distinction will be made analytically more precise later when we consider the mathematical details. 以后在我们讨论数学细节时，我们将使它们之间的区别在解析上弄得更准确。

　　Connotation　n. 含蓄, 内涵

　　例句：China believes that as history develops, the concept and connotation of human rights also develop constantly. 中国认为，随着历史的发展，****的概念及其内涵也在不断发展。

　　Context　n. 上下文, 背景, 来龙去脉

　　例句：The reporter quoted me out of context. 记者对我的话断章取义。

　　词组：be apart from the context脱离上下文in the context of在……情况下outside the context of在……之外

　　Capacity　 n. 容量, 能力, 才能, 资格

　　例句:I have come in the capacity of a legal adviser. 我是以法律顾问的身份来的。

　　词组：capacity for/ of / to do/ to……的能力

　　同义词：content duty fitness function intelligence mentality position power role size volume

　　Emphasis　n. 强调, 加强, 重点, 强语气

　　例句：Morality was the emphasis of his speech. 道德是他讲话的重点。

　　词组：give emphasis to 着重, 强调

　　同义词：accent importance insistence stress

　　Excellence

　　n. 优秀, 卓越, 优点

　　例句：The players aim for excellence. 运动员们的最终目标是取得优秀成绩。

　　词组：excellence in English擅长英语academic excellence学业优异moral excellence美德

　　Innovative

　　a. 革新的, 创新的, 富有革新精神的

　　例句：This is a basic property of innovative scientific thinking. 这是创新性科学思维的基本特征。

　　Ingrain　vt. 给原纱染色, 使根深蒂固a. 原纱染色的, 根深蒂固的n. 原纱染色, 固有品质

　　词组：be deeply ingrained in the mind在头脑中根深蒂固

　　Pilot　n. 飞行员, 领航员, 航船者, 导向器, 驾驶仪, 向导, 领导人vt. 领航, 驾驶, 引导, 试用a. 引导的, 控制的, 试点的

　　例句：I used to be a pilot. 我当过飞行员。

　　同义词：conductor driver engineer operator

　　Parallel　n. 平行, 对比, 相匹敌之物a. 平行的, 相似的vt. 与……平行, 与……相似,相比, 使平行

　　例句：Stamp collecting and coin collecting are parallel hobbies. 集邮和收藏硬币是相似的爱好。

　　词组：run parallel to 与……平行without (a) parallel 无与伦比; 举世无双in parallel with 与……平行, 与……同时, 与……并联