Shadowing Practice: English Listening Practice for Beginners | Time Management in Real Life | English Podcast - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Hello everyone and welcome back to Mr. English Channel, where learning English is easy and fun.
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Hello everyone and welcome back to Mr. English Channel, where learning English is easy and fun.
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I'm Emily.
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Hello Emily.
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It is so wonderful to be here with you and all our listeners today.
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I am feeling very energized and ready to talk.
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I can see that, Paul.
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You have a big smile on your face.
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Did you have a good morning?
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I did, actually.
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I woke up early, I exercised, and I even had time to read a little bit of my book.
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Wow, that sounds like a very productive morning.
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You are the perfect person for our topic today.
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Well, it's not always like this, Emily.
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Believe me, I have many days where I feel like I am running but never arriving.
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I think everyone feels like that sometimes.
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Today, we are going to talk about time management in our real lives.
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That is such a useful topic.
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We all have the same 24 hours, but sometimes it feels like some people have 48.
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It really does.
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And you know, Paul, I have a special little secret about time.
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It's a very small trick that changed how I start my day.
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A secret?
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Oh, I love secrets.
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Can you tell me now?
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I'm very curious.
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Not yet.
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I want to share it at the end of the episode.
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It's a nice surprise for our listeners who stay with us.
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Ah, okay.
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I will wait.
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You are very good at keeping me interested, Emily.
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I try.
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So, Paul, tell me about your morning.
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You said you woke up early.
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What time?
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My alarm clock went off at 6 o'clock.
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Usually, I hit the snooze button five times, but today, I just stood up.
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6 o'clock.
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That is very early for me.
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I usually wake up at 7.30.
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7.30 is a good time too.
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But if I wake up at 6, I feel like I own the day.
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I have time for myself before work starts.
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That's a great way to put it.
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Owning the day.
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When I wake up late, I feel like the day owns me.
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Exactly.
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I am just reacting to things.
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My phone rings, I check emails, and suddenly it is noon.
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That is the big problem, isn't it?
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The phone.
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It is a huge time thief.
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A time thief.
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What a great expression.
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It really does steal our minutes and hours.
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I notice that if I check social media in the morning, I lose 20 minutes immediately.
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It feels like two minutes, but the clock says 20.
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I know that feeling so well.
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You look at one video of a cat, and then suddenly you are watching a video about how to build a house in the woods.
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Yes, it's a trap.
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So how do you manage your time when you have a very busy day at work?
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I started using a very simple list, just a piece of paper and a pen.
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I write down the three most important things for the day.
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Only three?
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That doesn't seem like a lot.
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I usually have a list of 20 things.
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That's the problem, Emily.
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When the list is too long, it's scary.
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We look at it and feel stressed, so we don't do anything.
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Hmm, you're right.
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I often look at my long list and decide to go get another coffee instead of working.
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Exactly.
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But with three things, I can focus.
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I say to myself, Paul, if you do these three things, the day is a success.
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I like that.
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It's about quality, not quantity.
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What happens if you finish the three things early?
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Then I can do more.
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But the pressure is gone.
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It makes me feel much more relaxed and confident.
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That is a very smart strategy.
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I think I will try that tomorrow.
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My list is usually a mess of small things and big things.
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You should try it.
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And I also try to do the hardest thing first.
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Do you know the expression, eat the frog?
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Eat the frog?
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No. That sounds terrible.
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Why would I want to eat a frog?
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It just means doing the most difficult or unpleasant task first thing in the morning.
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Ah, I understand.
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Because if you do the hard thing first, everything after that feels easy.
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Yes, exactly.
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If I have to write a difficult report, I do it at 8am.
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If I wait until 4pm, I worry about it all day.
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That's so true.
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The worry takes up more time and energy than the actual work.
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It really does.
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It's like a heavy backpack you carry all day.
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Just put it down early.
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You are full of great ideas today, Paul.
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I'm feeling very motivated to organize my schedule.
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I'm glad.
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But wait, Emily.
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I have to ask.
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How do you handle distractions at home, since we both work from home sometimes?
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Oh, it's very difficult.
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The laundry is there, the kitchen needs cleaning, and my cat wants to play.
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The cat is the boss of the house, I'm sure.
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He definitely is.
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I have to set a timer.
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I tell myself I will work for 25 minutes and then I can play with the cat for 5 minutes.
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Oh, I heard about that.
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Is it called the Pomodoro technique, like the tomato?
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Yes.
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Pomodoro means tomato in Italian.
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It's because the inventor used a kitchen timer that looked like a tomato.
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That's so funny.
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I use my phone timer, but maybe I should buy a tomato timer.
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It sounds more fun.
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It is fun.
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Those 25 minutes are very focused because I know a break is coming soon.
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I think the break is the most important part.
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Our brains get tired if we work for three hours without stopping.
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Definitely.
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When I don't take breaks, I start making mistakes.
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Simple mistakes like spelling words wrong or forgetting an attachment in an email.
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I do that too.
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Or I read the same sentence five times and I don't understand it.
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That's a sign.
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Your brain is saying, Emily, please go look at a tree for five minutes.
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Looking at a tree is much better than looking at a screen.
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Speaking of screens, if you are enjoying this conversation and finding these tips helpful, Don't forget to like the video and subscribe to the channel.
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Yes, and share it with a friend who is always late or always busy.
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It helps us a lot when you support the Mr. English channel.
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And we have a little challenge for you today.
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If you are still listening, please comment the word clock in the comments below.
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Clock.
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I like that.
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It shows us you are practicing your English and focusing on our talk.
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It really does.
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So Paul, let's talk about something else.
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What about no?
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Is it hard for you to say no to people?
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Oh, Emily, it is the hardest thing for me.
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I want to help everyone.
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I want to say yes to every meeting and every coffee.
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I am the same way.
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But when we say yes to everyone else, we are saying no to our own time.
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Wow, that's deep.
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I never thought about it like that.
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It's true.
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If a friend asks me to help them move furniture on a Tuesday when I have a big project, I should say no. But it feels rude, doesn't it?
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You want to be a good friend.
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It does feel a bit bad at first.
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But a real friend will understand.
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I can say, I can't help on Tuesday, but I can help on Saturday.
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That's a good compromise.
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You're still being a friend, but you are protecting your work time.
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Exactly.
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My Tuesday Emily needs to work so that my Saturday Emily can be relaxed and helpful.
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Tuesday Emily and Saturday Emily.
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You are like two different people.
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Sometimes it feels like it.
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time management is really just managing ourselves, isn't it?
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It is.
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The time doesn't change.
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We change how we act within the time.
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So let's think about the evening.
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How do you prepare for the next day?
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Does that help you save time?
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It helps so much.
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Every night I spend 10 minutes preparing.
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I choose my clothes for the next day.
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That's a classic tip.
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It saves that what-should-I-wear stress in the morning.
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Yes, and I put my house keys and my wallet in the same place every single night.
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Oh, that is a big one.
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I used to lose my keys every morning.
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I would spend 10 minutes looking under the sofa or in my coat pockets.
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It's so frustrating.
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You are ready to go, you're on time, and then no keys.
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And then you're late, you're angry, and the whole day starts badly.
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Exactly.
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Now I have a small bowl near the door.
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The keys go in the bowl.
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Always.
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A home for the keys.
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I love that.
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I started doing that with my umbrella, too.
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Now I never forget it when it rains.
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That's very smart, especially where we live because the weather changes so fast.
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It really does.
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So we have talked about lists, the eat the frog rule, the pomodoro technique, and say no. We have covered a lot.
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I feel like a time management expert now.
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But we're not perfect.
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Sometimes things go wrong.
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What do you do when your schedule breaks?
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Like when a meeting runs long or there's a lot of traffic?
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Yes, those unexpected things that destroy your plan for the day.
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I try to stay calm.
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I used to get very angry and stressed.
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Now I have buffer time in my schedule.
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Buffer time?
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What is that?
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It's like a cushion.
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I don't schedule my meetings one after another.
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I leave 15 minutes of empty time between them.
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Oh, that's brilliant.
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So if one meeting is 10 minutes late, you're still okay for the next one.
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Exactly.
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And if everything goes perfectly, I have 15 minutes to drink water or stretch my legs.
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I need more buffer time in my life.
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I always think things will take 10 minutes, but they always take 20.
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We are all optimists, Emily.
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We think we are faster than we really are.
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It's true.
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I think I can cook dinner in 15 minutes, but then I have to chop the onions, boil the water, and suddenly it is 45 minutes later.
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Cooking is definitely a time-optimist trap.
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It really is.
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Paul, I have a story about my friend Maria.
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Do you remember her?
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The one who is getting married?
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Of course.
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The garden wedding.
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How is the planning going?
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Well, she was very stressed last week.
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She had a thousand things to do for the wedding.
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I can imagine.
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Weddings are a lot of work.
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She was trying to do everything at the same time.
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She was calling the florist while she was looking at dresses online.
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Oh no. Multitasking.
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That is another time thief.
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Yes.
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I told her, Maria, stop.
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You are doing two things badly instead of one thing well.
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That is so true.
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Research shows that our brains cannot actually do two things at once.
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We just switch back and forth very fast.
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And it's exhausting.
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I told her to use your rule, the three important things.
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Did it help her?
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Yes.
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She decided that for one day, she only cared about the cake, the music, and the invitations.
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and the other 997 things
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they waited until the next day she felt so much better she even had time to have dinner with me that's
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a success story it shows that these tips work for big events and for daily life it really
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does time management is about feeling in control not about being a robot I agree I still want
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to have time to do nothing sometimes just sitting and thinking oh do nothing time is very important it's when our
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best ideas come to us I find that my best ideas for the podcast come to me when I am walking in the park, not when I am staring at my computer screen.
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Me too.
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We need that empty space for our creativity to grow.
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So, if you are busy, remember to schedule some nothing time too.
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It's a gift to yourself.
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That's a beautiful way to say it, Paul.
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A gift of time.
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Well, Emily, I think we are getting close to the end of our talk.
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Time flies when we are talking about time.
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It really does.
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But wait, I haven't forgotten.
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I promised a secret tip at the beginning.
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Yes, I have been waiting for 30 minutes for this.
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I am ready.
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What is your secret trick?
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Okay, here it is.
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It's called the two-minute rule.
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The two-minute rule?
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Tell me more.
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How does it work?
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It's very simple.
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If a task takes less than two minutes to do, you must do it immediately.
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Don't put it on a list.
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Don't think about it.
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Just do it.
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Less than two minutes, like washing a coffee cup?
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Yes, or sending a very short email, or hanging up your coat, or putting a paper in the trash.
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Hmm, I usually leave those small things for later.
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I say, I'll do that this evening.
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But then those small things grow.
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Suddenly you have ten two-minute tasks, and that's 20 minutes of work.
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It feels heavy.
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I see.
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But if I just do it now, it's gone.
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My brain doesn't have to remember it.
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Exactly.
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It keeps your environment and your mind clear.
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It's amazing how much it changes your day.
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That is a fantastic tip, Emily.
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Simple, fast, and very effective.
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I am going to start using the two-minute rule right now.
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Well, maybe after we finish the episode.
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Right, right.
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Finishing the episode is a 10-minute task, so I must stay focused.
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Good job, Paul.
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You are learning fast.
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Thank you.
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I really enjoyed this conversation today.
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It made me think about my habits.
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Me too.
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It's always good to reflect on how we spend our lives, because our time is our life, really.
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That's very true.
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Every minute is a little piece of our story.
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Well, everyone, we hope you enjoyed this episode about time management.
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We hope these tips help you feel more relaxed and productive.
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Yes.
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Thank you for spending your valuable time with us today.
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We appreciate it so much.
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Don't forget to subscribe to the Mr. English channel so you don't miss our next chat.
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We have many more interesting topics coming up.
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And please give this video a big like if you found Emily's two-minute rule or my eat-the-frog tip useful.
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And tell us in the comments, what is your favorite way to save time?
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Or what is your biggest time thief?
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We love reading your stories.
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It makes us feel like we're all learning together.
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It really does.
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Well, I have a two-minute task now.
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I need to go put my coffee cup in the kitchen.
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And I need to go look at a tree for five minutes.
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Perfect.
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Have a wonderful day, everyone.
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See you in the next episode.
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Goodbye.
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Bye for now.
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Why practice speaking with this video?

Practicing speaking with this video is an excellent opportunity for English learners to improve their communication skills while learning about an essential life skill: time management. By engaging with this content, learners can not only enhance their listening skills but also develop their ability to speak about everyday topics effortlessly. The friendly, conversational tone between the hosts, Emily and Paul, provides a relatable context that encourages viewers to participate in dialogues like the one featured in the video. Incorporating speaking practice into your routine allows for natural language acquisition—this is where resources like shadowing sites, which enable you to mimic native speakers, become particularly beneficial.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the video, several key structures and phrases emerge, offering valuable insights into conversational English:

  • “I woke up early” - This simple past structure allows speakers to recount their activities clearly and concisely, creating a strong narrative.
  • “I feel like I own the day” - This expression conveys ownership and control, which is crucial when discussing time management. It’s a great phrase to use when sharing personal experiences.
  • “It feels like some people have 48 hours” - This hyperbolic expression emphasizes a common struggle in managing time effectively, making it relatable to many learners.
  • “At the end of the episode” - This phrase illustrates useful time markers that can be applied in various contexts, enhancing clarity in communication.

These sentences exemplify how English speakers express thoughts and experiences about daily routines. Utilizing platforms like a shadowing app can help learners practice these structures in real-time, reinforcing their understanding and delivery.

Common Pronunciation Traps

In this video, certain words and expressions may pose challenges for non-native speakers. For instance:

  • “Alarm clock” - The final sound can trip up learners; practice saying it slowly: /əˈlɑrm klɑk/.
  • “Snooze button” - Focusing on the 's' sound and linking the words together often helps improve fluency.
  • “Productive” - This word can be tricky due to the presence of 'ct.' Breaking it down into syllables (pro-duc-tive) during shadow speak exercises can assist in mastering its pronunciation.

By identifying and practicing these common pitfalls, learners will be better equipped to articulate their thoughts confidently, enhancing their overall speaking abilities. Regular practice through engaging content like this podcast can significantly improve IELTS speaking practice efficiencies.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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