This lesson is suitable for intermediate-level learners. After listening, test your knowledge with our quiz.
Learning notes
Different phrases to use when talking about changing your habits:
- It’s a work in progress.
- Old habits die hard, but I’m giving it my all.
- I’ve set a goal to ...
- I’ve had a few slip-ups.
- I’m doing my best to stay consistent.
- I’m done with making excuses.
- I’m done putting things off.
- I’m finished with delaying.
- I’m learning to cut myself some slack.
Different questions you can ask when someone is talking about changing habits:
- How’s your new routine going?
- So, how’s it working out so far?
- Are you sticking to your plan?
Vocabulary:
A routine is a set of actions or habits we follow regularly.
Doom-scrolling is a term used to describe the act of endlessly looking at your phone and scrolling through negative or distressing news or social media posts, often in a way that makes you feel more anxious or upset.
If a plan is solid, it is well-thought out, realistic and likely to succeed.
If you’re sticking to your routine, you’re continuing to do it, especially when it's not easy.
Slip-ups are small mistakes, usually in something you’re trying to do or achieve.
If you’re consistent in doing something, you’re doing it in the same way over time, without changing or stopping.
To kick the habit means to change old habits that were not helpful or healthy.
To be hard on yourself means to very critical of what you are doing or have done.
Colloquial expressions:
A creature of habit is someone who always does the same things because it feels comfortable and familiar.
If something is (a) work in progress it is still being worked on, or it isn’t finished yet.
Old habits die hard is a saying that means it’s hard to stop doing things we’ve been doing for a long time because we’re so used to them.
When you’re being too hard on yourself, you're not allowing yourself to make any mistakes.
Learning focus:
When we want to talk about things we had the habit of doing in the past we can use the phrase ‘used to + verb’. We use this phrase when we want to stress that we did something in the past for a long time but now it is finished. Allan and Josipa use it several times in the podcast.
- I used to have a hard time in the morning. (used to + have)
- ...instead of doom-scrolling like I used to do. (used to + do)
- …when they’re making changes to things that they used to do (used to + do)
- …. no longer going to always think of reasons .. like he used to (used to)
Transcript:
(Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript)
SBS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands and waterways throughout Australia.
Ahh…mornings. Some people love them, and some people… not so much. I’m Josipa, and I used to have a hard time in the morning. I’d press snooze on my alarm a few times, so I would get up late, rush to get ready, and already feel stressed before my day even started.
This behaviour became a habit of mine. A habit is something you do regularly, like brushing your teeth every morning or having coffee in the afternoon. It’s something you do so often that it feels normal.
In my case, my morning habits weren’t good for me, and something had to change. So, I have started waking up earlier and doing small things to improve my mornings, like stretching for ten minutes or having a quiet cup of tea before rushing around to get ready. And guess what? It has really helped!
Changing habits can be hard, because it is easier to do things the way you have always done them, but even little changes can make a big difference. In this episode, we’re going to practise simple phrases you can use to talk about changing your habits.
Now, let’s join Allan and Claire as they take their dogs for a walk in the park. It’s a peaceful, quiet morning, the kind that makes you want to slow down and enjoy the moment.
Claire
How’s your new night-time routine going? Are you sleeping better?
Allan
Eh... it’s a work in progress. Old habits die hard, but I’m giving it my all. Scrolling on my phone in bed? That was the hardest to stop.
Claire
Oh, I hear you. So, how’s it working out so far?
Allan
Kind of okay. I’ve set a goal to read for 20 minutes before bed instead of doom-scrolling.
Claire
That’s a solid plan! Are you sticking to it?
Allan
Trying to, but I’ve had a few slip-ups. Still, I’m doing my best to stay consistent. I’m done with making excuses.
Claire
Slip-ups happen—it’s all part of the process.
Allan
Yeah, I’m learning to cut myself some slack and it’s making it easier to keep going even when things aren’t perfect.
So, Allan is trying to make changes to his night-time routine so that he gets a better night’s sleep. A routine is a set of actions or habits we follow regularly in the same way and often at the same time. It’s a pattern of behaviour.
Do you have a routine that you follow every night?
Let’s say you’re talking to someone like Allan, who’s trying to change their habits. You could ask them,
How’s your new routine going?
When we use ‘going’ in this way, we’re asking if something is working well or not. So, in this case, Claire’s asking how well Allan’s new routine is going—whether it's going well or if he’s having any problems with it.
It’s a casual way to ask about any progress, like: ‘How is it going?’
It’s a work in progress.
Allan said his new routine is ‘a work in progress’, that is, that it is still being worked on and isn’t completely perfect. There is still room for improvement. People use this phrase when they’re making changes to things that they used to do but haven’t completely kicked the habit, that means, they haven’t changed their old habits.
Old habits die hard, but I’m giving it my all.
Old habits die hard is a saying that means that it’s hard to stop doing things we’ve been doing for a long time because they are old habits – they are familiar. So, Alan’s old bed-time routine will be difficult to change.
I’m giving it my all.
He means that he’ll try his best and put in a lot of effort into making the changes he is trying to make, even though it’s hard.
Another way to say the same thing is,
I’m trying my best to do it.
Claire then asked about Allan’s progress, in a slightly different way. She said,
So, how’s it working out so far?
How’s it working out so far? You can use this question to ask about someone's progress with something they’ve started on.
‘Working out’ here means ‘going well’ or ‘progressing’ and ‘so far’ means ‘up to this point in time’. So, if you ask the question ’How’s it working out so far?’, you’re asking how things have been going up until this moment.
I hear you. Claire used this phrase to show that she understands and sympathises. It's not literally just about hearing them, of course! It’s about understanding their feelings or point of view.
I’ve set a goal to read for 20 minutes before bed instead of doom-scrolling like I used to do.
When you set a goal, you decide on something you want to achieve, and make a plan.
Allan set a goal to read a book before bed instead of doom-scrolling. Doom-scrolling is a term used to describe the act of endlessly looking at your phone and looking through negative or distressing news or social media posts, often in a way that makes you feel even more anxious or upset.
I think it’s a good thing that Allan decided to kick this bad habit. And Claire agrees. She says
That’s a solid plan!
That’s a solid plan! When something is solid, it is strong or firm. For example, a house can be solid, a rock can be solid, or even a solid handshake can show strength. Similarly, when you have a solid plan, it’s well-thought-out, realistic, and likely to succeed.
Here’s another phrase we can use when asking about someone's new routine.
Are you sticking to it?
‘Sticking to something’ in this context means continuing to do something, especially something that’s unpleasant or hard to do. It’s about being consistent and not giving up. For example, I could say that I’m sticking to my morning exercise routine, which means I’m actually going to keep to my plan to exercise every morning, even when I’m tired or busy.
Allan has been trying hard, but as he says,
I’ve had a few slip-ups.
‘Slip-ups’ are small mistakes, usually in something you’re trying to do or achieve. For example, if you’re trying to eat healthier but have cookies on one day, that’s only a slip-up, that is, a small mistake that won’t spoil everything. The next day you will do just fine! All is not lost!
And Alan wants to keep doing well,
Still, I’m doing my best to stay consistent.
He wants to keep trying, even though he doesn’t always succeed. If you’re consistent in doing something, you’re doing it in the same way without changing or stopping.
And Allan is going to try to be honest with himself and how well he is doing. He said,
I’m done with making excuses.
This means that he’s no longer going to always think of reasons for why he can’t do what he intended to do like he used to – he is just going to do it! So he could also say,
I’m done putting things off.
And that would mean the same thing.
At the end of the dialogue, Allan said,
I’m learning to cut myself some slack.
The word ‘slack’ can have different meanings depending on the context. The word ‘slack’ means loose, or not tight. So, when someone says, ‘I'm learning to cut myself some slack,’ they mean that they are learning how to be more relaxed about their mistakes, to be kinder to themselves and forgive themselves the occasional slip-up.
So, if you're cutting yourself some slack, it means you're allowing yourself to make mistakes and not be perfect, instead of being too hard on yourself.
A big thank you to our guest Davide Schiappapietra. Paul Nicholson and Lily O'Sullivan voiced the characters of Allan and Claire, and Professor Lynda Yates was our educational consultant.
