[Music] hello everyone welcome back to podcast and chill on the learn English podcast Channel I'm Leo you're a cheerful host who's always here to brighten your day and I'm Gwen here to keep us all on track and make sure we're learning something valuable so Leo what's on your mind today well Gwen I recently watched this amazing video about a girl who lost a lot of weight in just 6 months 6 months that's impressive I know right she said that staying disciplined and never giving up were the keys to her success discipline huh that's something we
could all use a little more of exactly I was really surprised by how much discipline can change someone's life it's true Leo discipline is like the backbone of success without it achieving goals becomes much harder that's why today we're talking about the power of discipline but before we dive into that don't forget to check out the free pdf in the description below make sure to go to file make a copy so you can edit it and take [Music] notes so Gwen let's talk about what happens when we don't have discipline that's a good point Leo
when we lack discipline it's easy to lose focus and get distracted yeah like that time I tried to start a workout routine I was excited at first but after a few days I kept finding excuses to skip that's something a lot of people can relate to it's hard to keep going when the excitement from the beginning starts to fade and because I didn't stick with it I didn't see any results that was really frustrating it's true without discipline we often find ourselves stuck in the same place we want to move forward but we keep going
in circles so what is discipline anyway discipline is the ability to control your actions and stay focused on your goals even when it's hard that makes sense it's like having a guide to keep us on the right path yes and it's not just about reaching goals discipline helps build good habits that make life easier and more organized like waking up early or eating healthy every day exactly these small habits add up over time and lead to big changes but why is discipline so important discipline is important because it helps us stay on track and not
give up when things get tough that reminds me of a study I read about researchers found that people who are disciplined are more like to succeed in life yes there's a famous study from Stanford University called the marshmallow test oh I've heard about that they gave kids a choice to eat one marshmallow now or wait and get two later exactly the kids who waited ended up being more successful later in life because they learned to be disciplined that's really interesting Gwen it shows that discipline isn't just about the present it shapes our future too it
really does Leo discipline is the foundation for achieving our goals and living a fulfilling life so how can we become more disciplined it starts with small steps for example you could set a goal to read for 10 minutes every day another small step could be to drink a glass of water right after waking up or if you want to get more exercise you could start by taking a 5minute walk during your lunch break even making your bed every morning is a simple way to build discipline these small actions might seem easy but when you do
them every day they help you build the habit of discipline and once those habits are in place it becomes easier to take on bigger challenges all right now that we've talked about discipline let's go over some key vocabulary from today's conversation the first word is discipline discipline means controlling your behavior and staying focused on your goals for example having discipline helped her finish her project on time the second word is habit a habit is something you do regularly often without thinking for example brushing your teeth every morning is a good habit the third word is
goal a goal is something you want to achieve in the future for example her goal is to learn English fluently the fourth word is focus Focus means paying attention to something and not getting distracted for example it's important to focus on your studies to do well in school now let's think about some questions related to what we've discussed today sure Leo let me start with the first question what is one small habit you can start today to build more discipline that's a great question Gwen for example you could start by making your bed every morning
or aside 10 minutes to read right Leo it doesn't have to be something big even small steps count exactly and here's another question how do you stay focused when you're working on something important that's a tough one Leo maybe you avoid distractions like your phone or create a quiet space to work good point Gwen I find that setting a specific time for focused work helps too definitely Leo it's all about finding what works best for you and sticking with it so to our listeners think about these questions and how you can apply them to your
own life and don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments below all right Gwen let's talk about some practical ways we can all become more disciplined that's a great idea Leo discipline is something we can build and it starts with overcoming challenges yeah it's easy to stay on track when everything is going well but what about when things get tough that's where discipline really shows its power it helps us push through tough times do you have any stories that illustrate this Gwen actually I do I know someone who struggled with studying for a big
exam he felt like giving up many times especially when he was tired or didn't understand the material but instead of giving in he made a plan he broke down his steady mat material into smaller more manageable sections then he set a specific time every day to study even if it was just 30 minutes to keep himself motivated he would check off each section as he completed it and he also rewarded himself with small breaks or treats after finishing a section whenever he faced a tough topic he reminded himself of his goal to pass the exam
and Achieve his dream by sticking to this routine and keeping his goal in mind he was able B to stay disciplined and in the end his discipline paid off he passed the exam with flying colors that's a great example Gwen it shows how important it is to keep going even when it's tough exactly and to build discipline it's best to start small like we mentioned earlier you can begin with small manageable tasks right for example setting a goal to read for just 10 minutes every day that's something anyone can do and over time it becomes
a habit and once you've built that habit you can create a routine around it like setting a specific time each day for studying or exercising yes having a routine helps make discipline a part of your daily life but it's also important to stay motivated along the way how do you do that Gwen setting clear achievable goals is key and don't forget to reward yourself when you reach a milestone that's a good tip rewards can keep you excited and on track exactly and if you ever slip up don't be too hard on yourself we all make
mistakes and what's important is to learn from them and get back on track that's right Gwen discipline is about loving yourself enough to do what's best for you even when it's hard but it's also about knowing when to take a break some people think that being discipline means pushing themselves to the Limit all the time they believe that they have to work non-stop or stick to their routine no matter what but the truth is this can lead to burnout I've seen people who push themselves too hard studying or working for hours without breaks at first
they felt productive but over time they became exhausted both physically and mentally they started losing motivation and even felt anxious or stressed that's why it's important to recognize when your body and mind need rest taking breaks isn't a sign of weakness it's actually a way to recharge and come back stronger for example if you've been studying or working for a long stretch it's okay to step away for a bit go for a walk listen to some music or just relax when you come back you'll be more focused and ready to tackle your tasks with a
clear mind Leo have you ever felt like you were pushing yourself too hard actually yes there were times when I tried to work non-stop because I thought it was the only way to succeed but I ended up feeling drained and couldn't keep going that's when I realized the importance of balancing discipline with self-care exactly it's all about progress not Perfection so remember listeners discipline is key but so is knowing when to take a step back and recharge [Music] all right now that we've talked about some helpful ways to stay disciplined let's go over some key
vocabulary from today's conversation the first word is burnout burnout means feeling very tired and unable to keep working because you've been doing too much for too long for example she felt burnout after working on the project day and night the second word is routine a routine is a regular way of doing things like a daily schedule for example his morning routine includes exercise breakfast and reading the third word is balance balance means making sure you don't Focus too much on one thing at the expense of others for example it's important to have a balance between
work and rest the fourth word is self-care self-care means taking care of your physical and mental health for example taking a break when you're tired is an important part of self-care the fifth word is motivation motivation is the reason why you keep doing something even when it's hard for example her motivation to learn English comes from her dream to travel abroad now let's think about some questions related to what we've discussed today first question how do you know when you're pushing yourself too hard for example do you start feeling exhausted lose focus or feel less
motivated that's a really important question Gwen I think for me it's when I start losing interest in things I normally enjoy that's a good point Leo for me it's when I feel like even small tasks become overwhelming yeah I've been there too it's like everything suddenly feels too much and you don't know where to start exactly that's when I know I need to take a step back and assess what's going on so what do you do when you realize you're pushing your yourself too hard I try to prioritize what's most important and let go of
what can wait and I'm make sure to schedule in sometime to relax even if it's just a short break that's smart for me I find it helps to talk to someone about how I'm feeling yeah talking and out can really put things into perspective and sometimes just hearing yourself say the words out loud makes you realize how much you've been pushing absolutely it's like giving yourself permission to slow down I think it's important to remember that discipline doesn't mean you have to be perfect it's about making steady progress and part of that is knowing when
to rest we hope you found today's discussion on discipline helpful remember discipline is about finding a balance that works for you staying focused but also knowing when to take a break we'd love to hear your thoughts on today's topic what's one thing you learned about discipline today that you want to start practicing and how do you plan to create more balance in your life please share your ideas in the comments below we're excited to read them and don't forget to check out the free pdf with all the key points and vocabulary from today's episode you
can find the link in the description or in the comments section thanks for joining us on this episode of podcast and chill we'll be back next time with more tips and discussions to help you on your English learning Journey until then keep practicing stay disciplined and take care goodbye everyone [Music]
