Shadowing Practice: Micro habits that improved my life ✨ - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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What is the issue of the problem?
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What is the issue of the problem?
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We live in a world that idolizes instant results and dramatic changes.
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So naturally I think this pushes many of us to set these really ambitious goals.
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And I don't know about you,
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but if I make a really big goal and I don't stick to it,
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I start to lose trust in myself.
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I start to think I'm the problem.
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I lack motivation or willpower.
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But what if the issue isn't us?
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What if the issue is the method?
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Because if there's anything that I've learned,
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it's that true progress comes from small daily commitments.
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The micro habits.
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Just tiny, everyday actions that over time compound into significant change.
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And so today I want to share some micro habits with you that have changed my life.
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Normally when people talk about micro habits,
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they mean flossing your teeth and making the bed.
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Those are great too, but I'm going to talk a little bit more about mindset shifts.
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And a brief thanks as well to my favorite meditation app in the whole world,
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Headspace, for partnering with us on today's video.
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We're gonna chat more about them at the end.
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I've gotten into the habit of telling myself, no more day zeroes.
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What are day zeroes?
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In project management terms, it's the planning phase before any real action takes place.
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Like how many times have we told ourselves,
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I'll start my essay tomorrow.
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I'll start exercising tomorrow.
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I'll start eating better on Monday.
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Even though setting these intentions is great,
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I feel like it's those day zeroes that are often holding us back.
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The author Dale Carnegie once said,
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inaction breeds doubt and fear,
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but action breeds confidence and courage.
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So I keep reminding myself,
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no more waiting for tomorrow when today is already here.
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After all, today is yesterday's promise of, I'll do it tomorrow.
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So even if the day feels like it's almost over,
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there's always time to write one sentence for that essay.
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Do one plank.
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Prep one quick jar of overnight oats.
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It's nothing grand, it's just one thing,
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but at least one isn't zero.
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From the time that we were just little children,
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we've been taught to apologize.
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And of course, do apologize if you've done something wrong,
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but I feel like it's also become so second nature for us to say sorry for the most trivial things,
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even when we've done nothing wrong.
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And I think this is especially true for myself and other fellow Canadians.
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We're known for saying sorry for just about everything.
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But I think over time,
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it can really start to diminish our self-worth.
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And one of my goals these last years has been to try to increase my self-confidence a bit.
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And one micro habit that's been helping in that is to shift away from the default apology to instead saying thank you.
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So instead of saying, I'm sorry,
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I'm talking so much, I'll say instead,
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hey, thank you for listening.
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Instead of saying, I'm sorry,
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I'm running late, I'll say,
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thank you for waiting for me.
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It's just so much more empowering.
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It makes us feel better about ourselves and it also makes the other person feel valued too.
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It's a win-win.
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And the same thing goes when we're receiving compliments.
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In the past, I used to downplay or brush off compliments thinking I was being modest.
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But when someone is offering praise,
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they're gifting you with their admiration.
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And to dismiss it is to downplay yourself and also to refuse someone's heartfelt gift.
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So the next time someone gives you a compliment,
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just accept it and say thank you.
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This is probably one of my favorite micro habits.
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It just makes me so happy.
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A while ago, I read this piece by an author,
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Kurt Vonnegut, and he was talking about a simple habit that his Uncle Alex practiced.
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Whenever a good moment would pop up in life's seemingly routine moments,
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Uncle Alex would stop and say,
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well, if this isn't nice,
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I don't know what is.
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It was his way of grounding himself and cherishing the simple pleasures in life that we often overlook.
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And ever since I read that,
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I've gotten into the micro habit of just vocalizing that sentence out loud.
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So if I'm working and the sun is just pouring out onto my face,
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I'll actually pause to feel it and I'll say,
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if this isn't life, I don't know what is.
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And I know the original quote says nice,
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but I just like the way life sounds better,
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so that's what I've been saying.
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If I'm sipping my first cup of coffee in the morning and it's just hitting the spot,
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I'll say if this isn't life,
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I don't know what is.
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If I see a beautiful sunset on my way home or if I hear somebody playing beautiful music,
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you get the idea.
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Sometimes I get so caught up in the next big thing that
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highlighting these little joys has helped me to reconnect with life's daily magic.
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We've all been told our whole lives that stress is bad for us
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and that we should try to avoid it at all costs, right?
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But stress is just an inevitable part of life.
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And I'm the kind of person who,
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if you tell me not to stress,
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I'm going to start stressing about the fact that I'm stressing.
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And so recently, I listened to this audiobook called The Upside of Stress.
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It's written by a psychologist,
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Kelly McGonigal, and it has been life-changing.
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So McGonagall suggests that stress isn't the real enemy,
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but our perception of it is.
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If we believe stress is harmful, it often will be.
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It's kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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But, and this is super cool,
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by simply reframing how we view stress,
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we can change the whole biological response.
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McGonagall shared several studies where,
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for example, if before an exam,
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students are told that, hey,
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the stress that you're feeling, it's actually helpful.
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The rapid heartbeat, the quickened breathing,
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this is all preparing your body for action.
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If students were told this,
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they actually reported that they felt more focused during the exam and they performed better too.
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And this is all just because they were told that stress could be beneficial.
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And as a result, their bodies acted accordingly.
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Their blood vessels, instead of constricting, stayed relaxed.
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Anxiety and inflammation in the body decreased and even helpful hormones were released.
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And so ever since learning this,
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I've tried to get into the micro habit of reframing my stress.
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Instead of telling myself, I shouldn't feel this,
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I should calm down, I try to instead channel that energy into making things happen.
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Instead of seeing the stress as something that's hindering me,
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I tell myself, you've found a challenge,
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but you're excited about this, you've got this.
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It's a small mindset shift, but it's been transformative.
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Stress has gone from being something that consumed and controlled me to now actually being an ally.
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We've all had moments where we impulsively react too quickly.
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Maybe it's an unexpected comment from a partner,
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or sudden traffic, a last-minute project change.
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How many times have we wished that we just took a little pause before diving headfirst into a response or reaction?
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We all know that speedy reactions can sometimes lead to misjudgments and missed opportunities to understand the big picture.
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So I've been actively trying to create space between receiving information and formulating a response.
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giving myself permission to digest and just let the information marinate.
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I've gotten into the habit of just taking a deep breath anytime I feel emotionally charged
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and it's almost magical how this simple pause has completely changed the quality of my responses.
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I think it's made my communication a lot more clear
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and thoughtful and calm
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and I do attribute a lot of this also to having learned about meditation
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because in meditation we're encouraged to acknowledge our thoughts and to sit with them and then to let them go without judgment.
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And so with that I do want to thank our friends over at Headspace for sponsoring today's video.
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Headspace is this incredible meditation app that I've personally been using for about a decade now.
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But before I discovered Headspace I used to think
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that meditating was really boring and I often just couldn't sit with it for a long time.
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But I think that's why I've appreciated and used Headspace all these years,
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is that their meditations are guided and they're narrated by some of the most incredible instructors.
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When we train the mind,
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we're learning to listen, not only to our own thoughts and feelings,
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but also to those around us.
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But even if you feel like sit down,
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eyes closed meditation isn't your thing,
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they have plenty of other mindfulness content on the app as well.
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Things like breathing exercises and sleep content to just general mindfulness activities
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that you can do while you go on a walk, for example.
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And because we're on the topic of micro habits,
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meditation doesn't have to be something that takes 30 minutes or an hour.
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Headspace offers sessions that can be finished in as short as three to five minutes.
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So if you've ever been curious about meditation,
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I highly recommend giving Headspace a try.
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I promise you're gonna love it.
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And for a limited time,
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they're actually offering a 60-day free trial of the app.
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You can grab it by either scanning this QR code right here
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or just click the link I'll leave for you in the description box below.
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And I'm curious to know if there are any mindset shifts
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or micro habits that you've implemented in your life
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if you're willing to share it i'd love to learn about it
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and i'm sure others would as well
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so i'll see you in the comments thanks
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so much for hanging with me today friends i really appreciate it pick up lines signing off
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and i'll see you in the next video
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and then i'm gonna kind of go like yeah is it working yeah i mean it is
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but I almost think it's too funny to get in this video.
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Ready?
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Mm-hmm.
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I have to not laugh.
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Hold on.
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Why practice speaking with this video?
Engaging with this video, "Micro habits that improved my life," presents an excellent opportunity for English learners to enhance their speaking skills. The speaker eloquently discusses the importance of small, daily actions in achieving personal growth, which opens up a rich context for conversation. By using the shadowing technique, learners can mimic the speaker's tone, rhythm, and pronunciation, aiding in fluency and comprehension. This approach not only builds confidence but also encourages learners to apply the micro habits discussed in their own lives and language practice, making it a relevant and practical exercise.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
Throughout the video, several key structures and expressions can be analyzed to help learners improve their command of the language:
- "What if the issue isn’t us?" - This conditional phrase encourages learners to think critically and explore alternatives, a vital skill in conversational English.
- "No more day zeros." - This phrase introduces the concept of action-oriented thinking, emphasizing commitment and mindset. It’s a great talking point for discussions on personal development.
- "At least one isn’t zero." - This expression uses a conversational tone to convey a positive message about incremental progress, ideal for practicing persuasive speaking.
- "Inaction breeds doubt and fear." - A well-known proverb that can help learners discuss the consequences of procrastination effectively, enriching their vocabulary with idiomatic expressions.
Common Pronunciation Traps
While practicing with this video, learners should pay attention to certain pronunciation challenges that may arise:
- "Day zeros" – The blend of sounds in "day" and "zeros" may be tricky; practicing the transition will enhance clarity.
- "Apologize" – This word can often trip up learners due to the soft "g" sound; focusing on the vowel sounds preceding this consonant will help improve articulation.
- "Tomorrow" – Many learners struggle with the rolling 'r' in some accents. Listen closely to the speaker's pronunciation to master this word.
Incorporating these elements into your practice can be significantly enhanced by using a shadowspeak or shadowing app. Engaging with the content through a shadowing site allows you to systematically develop your speaking skills while building confidence in your language abilities.
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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