Transcription
English Leap Podcast >> from Speak English with Claus.
Hey English learners, welcome back to the English Leap Podcast, your cozy place to learn easy English through real life conversations. I'm Anna >> and I'm Jake. If you want to learn English fast while you listen to Real Talk, you are in the right place.
>> And if you were here yesterday, you know we posted our talk about your weekend episode. >> Yeah, the one where we made two teams. Stay at home team >> and let's go team. My team, the fun one. >> And we asked our listeners to write in the comments, which team are you? >> I remember I also remember saying, Anna, it's pretty obvious my team will win. >> Right. Very confident, very bold. >> So, we read the comments. >> Yes, we read all the comments. >> And I would like to formally say I was wrong. You were very wrong. >> Most of you were stay-at-home team. Strong blanket people. >> I feel very supported. Thank you. >> Yeah. Yeah. Your team won this round. I accept defeat. >> Good. Please remember this historic moment. Stay at home. Team one. Let's go team zero. >> I'm already planning a comeback. Next time my team will rise again. We will see. For now, I will enjoy my small victory.
>> Okay. Before this becomes a full sports match, let us move to today. >> Yeah. Today's episode is something different. >> H Today we want to talk about that strange mix inside many of us. >> The mix where you have big dreams and big goals in your mind, >> but your body wants the sofa, the phone, and five more minutes. >> Maybe you plan a lot. You save posts about success. You follow productivity pages. You say, "I will change my life." >> And then somehow you just change your position in bed. >> If that feels like you, please remember you are not alone. >> Yeah, you are not lazy in a bad way. You're just stuck between ambition and low energy. >> So today we are asking a simple question. Are you ambitious but lazy? If a small voice in your head just said yes, this episode is for you.
>> And of course, we will talk about it in slow, simple English, this is a B1 level episode. >> So, if you're intermediate, it is perfect. And if you are A2, you can still stay with us. If some parts feel hard, you can always listen again. >> You do not have to understand every word. Just relax, listen, and let the English and the ideas move through you. And near the end of this episode, we will also do a small word tour. >> Yeah, we will choose some useful words and phrases from today and explain them in simple English with clear examples. >> So you will not only hear them in the story, you will understand them and you can use them in your own life.
>> And hey, do not just listen and disappear. >> Yeah, leave a small footprint in the comments. One sentence is good English practice because you move your thoughts from your mind to real words. >> And when you do that again and again, English becomes more natural for you. >> So when this episode finishes, go to the comments and write one sentence in English. >> You can start with I ambitious but lazy because or today I will and then finish it in your own words. >> It does not have to be long. One honest sentence is enough. >> And if you like learning English this way with real conversations and real feelings, please tap like and subscribe to the English Leap podcast. It really helps more learners find us and tells us to make more episodes like this. >> So listen, enjoy and then write your one sentence. We will be reading and quietly cheering for you.
>> All right, without further ado, let us jump in. Yeah, let us really talk about this ambitious but lazy feeling, >> right? Because it sounds like a joke but it does not feel like a joke when you live inside it. >> True. So maybe we start with a simple question. If you are listening and you feel I want to do big things but I always stay on the sofa. We are with you. >> Yeah, we are on the same page with you. That means we understand you and we feel the same. >> So let us ask why does this happen? Why can a person have big dreams but small actions? >> M for me it feels like this. My head is full of ideas, new projects, new habits, new life and my body is like cool but also this pillow is very nice. >> Yeah, your brain is loud but your body is sleepy. >> Loud brain, sleepy body. That is my brand.
>> M I think one big reason is this. Our brain loves big dreams but it hates big effort when the effort feels too big. >> So it is not that I'm lazy in my soul. It's more like my brain is scared of the size. >> Yes. When something looks huge, your brain feels hesitant. >> Hesitant means I want to do it but I do not move fast. I wait. I'm not sure. >> Exactly. Your brain looks at the whole mountain and says maybe later. >> Whoa. I feel that with goals. I look at the whole year plan and my brain quietly closes the door. >> So let us use a picture. Imagine I look at you and say okay right now with no training run a marathon 42 km. >> No way. I would die after 100 m. >> See that's how big goals feel to your brain. So my brain sees learn English perfectly, change my life, start a business, fix my health all at once and it thinks this is a marathon. I cannot. >> Right. And when the goal feels like a marathon, your brain picks the sofa. >> Yeah. The sofa is like, "Hello, I'm short distance. No training needed." >> True. So if this is you, please do not call yourself a monster. >> Yeah. You're not broken. your steps are just too big. >> And in this episode, we are not going to try to make you a better person. >> We will just make the steps smaller and easier so your brain can say, "Okay, this I can do." So, Anna, if my brain hates the marathon, what do I actually do?
>> We give your brain a different picture. Not a scary to-do list, a small success story. >> A success story. But I have not done anything yet. >> Yes. And that is the fun part. We write about your day like it already happened in the past. >> Wait, so I write I did the thing before I do the thing. >> Yes. You imagine your day. For example, instead of writing, I need to study. I need to clean. I need to exercise. You write I studied for 20 minutes. I cleaned my desk. I moved my body a little and I felt proud. Ah, so I write my day like I already did it. >> Yes, your brain reads that and thinks, "Oh, this is not a marathon. This is a normal kind day. I can do that." >> Because when I write a normal list, it feels heavy. Study English, answer emails, finish project, clean room. I already feel tired and tempted to just scroll. >> Right? Tempted means you really want to do something even when you know it is not the best choice. >> Yeah, the list tempts me to run away. >> So, we changed the style. Let us try together. >> Okay. Normal Jake list. Work on big project. Fix my whole life. Become gym person. >> That is very Jake. Very dramatic. >> Very very dramatic. So if I change it, maybe I write, I worked on my project for 15 minutes. I moved my body a little. I chose one small thing for my health and I felt proud. >> See, that feels possible. >> Yeah, it feels like I am still me, but a slightly better version. >> And this small past tense story helps your brain figure out what a good day looks like without pressure. >> Figure out means understand something after thinking about it, right? Yes, you do not write a scary list. >> You write a small success story >> and then your job is simple. Just try to live that story one small line at a time.
>> Okay, I like that. But sometimes the problem is not the list. The problem is that the work feels boring. >> Yeah, boring work makes your brain run away fast. >> My brain is impulsive. >> Impulsive how? Impulsive means I do things suddenly without thinking a lot. I sit down to work. Then my brain says, "Let us clean the fridge. Let us check tickets. Let us move to another country." >> Yes, your brain loves a surprise. >> So, how do we keep my brain at the desk and not at the airport? >> We do not fight your brain all the time. We make the work a little more fun. Maybe 10% more fun. >> How do we do that? Let us say you have to clean your room. No sound, no music, just you and dust. Of course, it feels heavy. >> That is a horror movie. >> But if you put on your favorite music, suddenly your body wants to move. >> So, I'm still cleaning, but my brain thinks, "Oh, this is a small party." >> Yes. Or maybe you study in a new place, >> right? Sometimes I take my laptop to a cafe. I sit with coffee and pretend I am a very serious writer. And you really enjoy that. >> Yes. Same task, new background. It feels lighter. >> So, you're still doing the work. You just change the environment so your brain feels more open. >> And if the task still feels heavy, >> then we turn it into a little game. You can set a timer for 10 minutes and say, "Okay, this is my speed round." >> Wow, I like that. 10 minutes. No phone, no messages, just me and the task. >> Yes. For 10 minutes, you try to do as much as you can. Then you stop. >> And after that, I can give myself a small reward. >> Exactly. Maybe a coffee, a stretch, or one short video, something you really look forward to. >> When you look forward to something, you feel happy when you think about it before it happens. >> Yes. So your brain thinks if I do this 10 minutes I get that nice thing after >> aw your brain really is a child sometimes >> it is if you make the work a bit more like play your brain will follow >> and maybe it will stop crying for the sofa every 5 minutes but even with all that I still have days when I do not start at all I sit in front of my laptop and just stare
>> yeah but your brain has one more Funny habit we can use. >> Another secret. >> Yeah. When you start something, your brain keeps a small tab open like a little window in your mind. >> Oh, like when I start a series. >> Yes. >> If I watch episode 1, I suddenly need to know what happens in episode two. >> Exactly. Your brain says, "Hey, we started this. Let us see the end." >> So my brain remembers the story. And sometimes it even sends a thought out of the blue. >> Out of the blue means suddenly without warning, right? >> Yes. You're eating and suddenly your brain says, "Hey, we did not finish that thing." >> Yes. It does that to me with work, too. >> So, we can use this, but we do not promise to finish. We promise to start. >> So, I don't say I will finish the whole report today. >> No, no, no. You say I will write one sentence. One sentence feels easy. >> And when you write one sentence, your brain wants to see the next one. >> So the trick is not work for 3 hours. >> The trick is just start. >> Right? Don't promise to finish, promise to start. Many times that's enough to move you. You know what else is strange? Some days I am busy all day, but at night I still feel like I did nothing.
>> Yeah, that is fake busy. You move a lot, but you do not move in the right place. >> Like when I spend one hour changing the colors in my notes instead of doing the real task >> or when you organize your desk three times in one day. >> Yeah, that too. >> So we need to figure out what is real work and what is just noise. >> Figure out means understand something after thinking, right? >> Yes. And we can make it simple. >> How? Imagine three boxes in your mind. Box one, mustd do today. Box two, good to do this week. Box three, honestly, later or never. >> I think many of my tasks go in box three. >> That is good. It means you stop fighting in the wrong place. >> For example, watching five videos about productivity goes in box three. >> Yes, that is a stubborn kind of fake busy. Stubborn means something does not want to change even when it should. >> Right? Fake busy wants to stay. But you can choose one real thing instead. >> So instead of trying to win at fake busy, I can win at one real task. >> Yes, one real thing is enough to make the day feel different.
>> Another problem is if I am not good at something, I just stop. >> Yeah, that is perfectionism. If it is not perfect, I do not want it. My perfectionism is lazy. It says if we cannot do this like a star, let us not even start. >> So we give it a new lesson. We choose one small thing where you allow yourself to be bad on purpose. >> Bad on purpose. >> Yes. Maybe ugly drawing or silly dancing in your room or baking cookies that look strange. >> My cookies already look strange. >> Perfect. That is your practice. Last week, I tried a bad hobby like that. I was dancing in my kitchen at night. Very serious. And then I ran into my neighbor in the hallway. >> Oh no. >> Run into someone means you meet them by chance, not planned. >> And you met them in your secret dance mode. >> Yes. I wanted to disappear, but then I thought, it's okay. I can be bad at dancing and still enjoy it. >> And that's the point. You teach your brain. I can be bad at something and still do it. I do not need to run away. >> And it makes you stronger inside. >> Right? A little more brave, a little more open.
>> And what about this future self idea we talked about? >> Instead of asking, "What do I feel like doing right now?" You ask, "What would my future self do?" Future self is the version of me in the future who already changed, who already lives the life I want. Right? >> Yes. The you who is a bit more calm, more consistent, more kind with time. >> M. Okay. So, my future self is someone who does not stay on the phone in bed for 1 hour every night. >> Right. So, you ask, what would he do in this moment? H maybe he would put the phone on the table, drink some water, and write one small line of that past tense day. >> And you do not have to become him in one day. >> M I can just act 1% more like him today. >> Yeah, in one day it looks small, but in the long run it's very big. >> In the long run means when you look at a long time, not just today or this week. >> Yes. In the long run, small kind actions again and again are stronger than one big perfect day. >> So if you feel ambitious but lazy, maybe you're not broken. You're just a human brain that needs smaller steps, a little play, and a future self to walk toward. >> And we are walking with you.
>> Okay, let's pause here for a moment. >> Yeah. Now, let's do a small calm word tour. >> Right. It's our little moment to slow down and look at some words from today. >> We'll take some words and phrases from today and touch them slowly, one by one. You can just listen or you can repeat with us. >> Let us start with a feeling word. Hesitant. >> When you are hesitant, you want to do something but you do not move fast. You are not sure. You wait. For example, I wanted to start my project, but I felt hesitant and just sat there. >> Or she was hesitant to speak in the meeting because she felt shy. >> You can repeat hesitant. >> Now, another feeling we talked about tempted. >> When you are tempted, you really want to do something even if you know it's not a good idea. For example, I planned to study, but I was tempted to watch one more episode. >> Or he felt tempted to stay in bed instead of going to the gym. >> Repeat, tempted. >> Next word, impulsive. >> If someone is impulsive, they do things suddenly without thinking a lot or planning. >> For example, he is very impulsive. He sees a trip online and buys the ticket immediately. Or in an impulsive moment, she cut her hair very short. >> You can repeat impulsive.
>> Now a strong character word, stubborn. >> When someone is stubborn, they do not want to change their mind or their behavior even when they should. >> For example, he is stubborn. He will not ask for help even when he needs it. >> Or my old habit is very stubborn. It keeps coming back. Repeat. Stubborn. >> Okay. Now, a small story phrase. Run into someone. >> When you run into someone, you meet them by chance, not by plan. >> For example, I went for coffee and I ran into an old friend from school >> or she ran into her teacher at the supermarket. >> You can repeat run into someone. >> Let us look at a thinking phrase. figure out. >> When you figure out something, you understand it after thinking about it or after trying a few times. >> For example, I'm trying to figure out why I feel so tired every day. >> Or she finally figured out how to use that new app. >> Repeat. Figure out. Now, a happy one. Look forward to. When you look forward to something, you feel happy and excited when you think about it in the future. >> For example, I look forward to my quiet Sunday morning. >> Or she is looking forward to her holiday next month. >> Repeat. Look forward to now. An expression we used at the start. On the same page. >> When people are on the same page, they understand each other. They see the situation in the same way. >> For example, let us talk and be sure we are on the same page about this plan. >> Or when I listen to this podcast, I feel on the same page with other learners. >> Repeat on the same page. >> Another nice expression from today is out of the blue. >> When something happens out of the blue, it happens suddenly and you did not expect it. For example, out of the blue, my friend called me after 3 years of silence. >> Or the idea to change my job came out of the blue while I was walking. >> Repeat, out of the blue. Last one for today. In the long run. >> When we say in the long run, we mean when you look at a long time, not just today or this week. For example, in the long run, small habits every day change your life more than one big day. >> Or rest is important in the long run because it keeps your energy and health. >> Repeat in the long run.
>> Wow, you did great. Even if you only remember one or two of these, it is okay. >> Yeah, you can always come back, listen again, and let the words feel more natural each time. For now, just notice them in your day. >> And remember, in the long run, small listening moments like this make a big difference, >> right? And if you feel ambitious but lazy, please be kind to yourself. You are learning, you are trying, and you are here. That already matters. >> Yeah, today you took one small step. You listened, you learned some words, and you thought about your own life. And if you want a little extra practice, write one sentence in the comments. >> Yes, you can start with, I ambitious but lazy because or today I will and then finish it in your own words, >> right? It doesn't have to be long or perfect. One honest sentence is enough and it's real English practice. >> We will be there reading and quietly cheering for you. >> Yes, this is Anna. >> This is Jake. And you have been listening to the English Leap podcast. Bye. Your progress doesn't end here. To continue advancing your English skills, click on the next video or explore the additional videos we've thoughtfully selected for you.