Make 2026 Your Best Year Yet: Easy English for Plans, Habits and Small Wins

The episode starts with a question that many people know too well: “Have you ever started a new year with a big, beautiful plan?” Then Emily finishes the thought: “And then you stopped after one week, or maybe after only five days.” (00:00)

Paul knows this story from the inside. On the first of January last year, at ten o’clock at night, he opened a new red planner and wrote twelve goals. He kept it up for six days (01:51). This year he did something different, and it fits on the back of a supermarket receipt.

This episode is for A1 and A2 learners. Paul and Emily talk slowly for about 26 minutes about your 2026, one part of life at a time: sleep, moving your body, food, time, friends and family, and English. Every part ends with short sentences you can say out loud, and each new word comes with a small picture: a buffet plate, a dripping tap, a boat, a phone battery, a dog, a scarf and a chain of paper clips.

Watch the episode: Watch the episode on YouTube

Time: about 26 minutes to listen, and about 15 minutes for the practice below.

Before you listen: think of one part of your life that you want to change this year. It can be small: sleep, walking, a friend you do not call, or English.

How to use this page: listen once without stopping. Then listen again and repeat the short sentences when Paul and Emily say them slowly. When you hear “One… two… three…”, it is your turn to answer before the hosts do. The full transcript is at the bottom for any line that goes too fast.

What You’ll Learn

• A new year and a new start: a fresh start / realistic / better, not perfect
• Habits: consistent / stick to
• Health and time: balanced / on purpose
• People: draining / boundaries / check in on
• Clear goals: vague / small wins
• Short sentences for your plan: I want to sleep earlier this year. / I want to move more every day. / I want English in my daily life.
• How to change a vague goal into a clear one
• Practice for you: a quiz (vague or clear?), a role play and one sentence to say out loud

Key Idea

Better, not perfect.

Paul gives you this sentence right after he explains the big idea: “The best year is not a perfect year. It’s a better year.” (02:49) It comes back at the end of the quiz, in Emily’s paper clip story (18:34) and in the last minute of the episode. It is a rule for the days when the plan breaks. When we want perfect, Paul says, “we stop after one bad day” (02:57). When we want better, we start again tomorrow.

Why Plans Stop After One Week (00:00)

The opening names the problem and the plan. After the question about the big plan, Paul says you are in the right place, and Emily introduces the six parts of life. At the end of the episode you will say your own plan for the new year out loud. Emily says “Out loud? Okay, that’s a little scary. But I like it.” (00:48) That small laugh is part of the lesson: you can be nervous and still say the sentence.

Paul’s Red Planner (00:58)

Paul’s story has a clear order. A new planner, thick and red and very expensive. The first page is clean. He feels like a new person, so he writes two full pages of goals: get up at five, run every morning, read two books a month, learn to cook Thai food, call his parents every day, and more. “Twelve goals.” (01:35)

After six days he was tired and stopped. The planner is still on his shelf: “Two pages are full. And almost three hundred pages are empty.” This year, he took a receipt from the supermarket and wrote only three short lines on the back (02:15). The receipt is inside his phone case, “so I see it every day” (02:28). Emily gives the first phrase of the day: a new year is a fresh start (02:33). But a fresh start does not need twelve goals.

Better, Not Perfect: The Buffet Plate (02:49)

After the big idea, the new word is realistic: “Realistic means you can really do it.” (03:21) Emily asks for a picture, and Paul gives her a buffet. You put rice, noodles, cake and soup on one plate. The plate is too full, you cannot finish it and the food gets cold. A goal list can be like that plate.

So a realistic plan is a smaller plate: two or three things you really want. Paul’s example with English is clear. Three hours every night is a very full plate. Fifteen minutes after dinner is a plate you can finish. The two sentences of this part are “My goal is realistic.” and “I want a better year, not a perfect year.”

Habits: The Dripping Tap and the Bed (04:47)

Emily says “A year is really just a lot of normal days.” Paul adds that normal days change your life, and then he gives the word consistent: “Consistent means you do it again and again.” (05:13)

The picture is a tap in the kitchen. It drips, one drop and then another drop, all night (05:30). Put a bucket under it, and the bucket is full in the morning (05:43). Now imagine pouring in one big glass of water and then stopping for a week: the bucket stays almost empty (06:02). Small and every day is better than big and once. The new phrase here is stick to (06:32), and Emily gives her own example: she makes her bed every morning, even on Sunday. “It takes one minute. So I stick to it.” (06:57)

Health: Coffee, Walking and Balanced Meals (07:02)

Emily tells a story about sleep. For months, she had her third coffee at four in the afternoon, and at night she lay in bed with her eyes open until one in the morning (07:21). Her new rule: the last coffee is before two (07:52). After two, only warm water. And a bedtime alarm at ten fifteen, an alarm that says “go to bed now” (08:10). Now she sleeps at about eleven and feels better. The sentence is “I want to sleep earlier this year.” (08:23)

Moving your body does not only mean the gym. Paul used to drive to a market that is fifteen minutes on foot, and now he walks there two times a week, with a big bag. The sentences are “I want to move more every day.” (08:58) and “I want to sit less.” (09:05). For food, the new word is balanced (09:14): some rice, some vegetables, some meat or fish. And not three pieces of cake for dinner. The sentences are “I want to eat better dinners.” (09:35) and “I want to make dinner at home more often.”

Time: A Boat Without Anyone at the Wheel (09:46)

Emily says some days she is busy from morning to night but finishes nothing important. Paul gives a picture: a small boat on the sea with nobody at the wheel (10:05). A message pushes it left, an email pushes it right, a phone call pushes it back. At night the boat is far away. Emily: “That’s my Tuesday.”

To hold the wheel is to do things on purpose (10:28): you choose before your phone chooses for you. The first small tool is in the morning, to write down three important things, only three (10:44), and do them first. The two sentences are “I want to use my time better.” (11:00) and “I plan my day on purpose.” (11:06)

People: Your Phone Battery (11:13)

A good year is not only about doing more. It is also about people, and Paul’s picture is the battery in your phone (11:32). Some people charge your battery: Emily feels great after one coffee with her sister. Some people and some things empty it. We say they are draining (11:54). Emily’s example is busy Monday mornings at work.

For these moments you need boundaries: “Boundaries are limits.” (12:06) Emily finds a good way to say it: boundaries are like low battery mode on your phone. Sometimes a boundary is a kind no (12:16): “No, I can’t tonight. Maybe Saturday.” (12:21) And there is one more phrase, check in on (12:40): Paul sends a one-line message to an old friend every Sunday night, “Hey, how was your week?” (12:51) The sentences are “I want healthier boundaries.” and “I want to check in on my friends more.”

English: Like a Dog (13:08)

For Paul, English is the favorite part, and his picture is a dog (13:27). A dog needs a walk every day, and a short walk is fine. You cannot keep a dog inside all week and then walk for five hours on Sunday. English is the same.

A short walk for English can be small: listen to English when you wash the dishes (13:59), say one sentence to yourself at the bus stop (14:03), or send a twenty second voice message in English (14:04). Emily says many people ask how to learn fast, but a better question is different. Paul says it: “How can I keep going every day?” Emily’s short answer is “Regular is better than fast.” (14:26) The sentence is “I want English in my daily life.” (14:31)

Goal or System? Emily’s Grandmother’s Scarf (14:40)

Paul separates two things. A goal is what you want at the end (14:55). A system is what you do every day to get there. Emily’s grandmother shows how: every winter she makes a long scarf, ten rows every evening, after dinner, in her chair (15:12). The scarf is the goal, and ten rows every evening is the system.

Then comes the word vague (15:41): not clear. “I want better English” is vague, because you do not know what to do tomorrow. To make a goal clear, say what, when and for how long: “I listen to English for fifteen minutes after dinner.” Back to the red planner: twelve vague goals (16:16), and now three clear lines on a receipt (16:23): “I walk to the market on Tuesday and Friday. I read ten minutes on the bus. I call my mother on Sunday.” The two sentences are “My goal is too vague.” (16:39) and “I want to make it clear.”

Three Steps and a Paper Clip Chain (16:51)

Where to start? Step one: choose two or three parts of life, not all of them (16:51). Step two: one small habit for each part (17:01). Step three: put the habit into your real day (17:13), your real Monday, not your dream day. The question to ask is “Can I do this on a tired Monday?” For Emily, a sleep alarm, yes. Running at five, no. So she chooses the alarm.

When you cannot see your progress, you need small wins (17:52). Emily has a box of paper clips on her desk (18:05). Every day she keeps her habit, she adds one clip to a chain, and the chain is almost as long as her arm. If she misses a day, she adds a clip the next day: “Better, not perfect.” (18:34) The sentence is “I celebrate my small wins.” (18:44)

Review the Eleven Phrases (18:51)

Emily says “we used a lot of words today” and the hosts go through them slowly, one story for each phrase. Look at it as a memory game: a fresh start and the red planner, realistic and the buffet plate, consistent and the tap, stick to and the bed, balanced and the cake, on purpose and the boat, check in on and the Sunday message, draining and the phone battery, boundaries and low battery mode, vague and the twelve goals, small wins and the paper clips. After each phrase there is a short sentence to repeat. At the end, Emily says “That’s all eleven.” (21:15)

Quiz: Vague or Clear? (21:18)

The quiz has four goals, and each one has a pause: “One… two… three…” (21:35). Number one, “I want to be healthy.”, is vague: what should you do, when, and for how long? (21:38) Number two, “I walk to work on Monday and Thursday.”, is clear (21:57). Number three, “I want more friends.”, is vague again, and the clear one is “I call one old friend every Saturday.” (22:14) Number four, “I call my mom every Sunday at seven.”, is very clear. Do the quiz before you read the answers: it works best as a listening game.

Role Play: What’s Your Plan for 2026? (22:39)

First you listen. Paul asks Emily, “What’s your plan for 2026?” (22:48) and she answers with three short plans: sleep, English, friends, each with one small action (“I listen when I cook.” at 23:02). Then it is your turn: Paul asks you the same questions, and Emily gives example answers during the pause. The pattern is the same every time: one I want sentence, then one small action.

Your One Sentence and Your Challenge (24:04)

The action for today is small: take a piece of paper, or a receipt, and write “In 2026, I want to blank, so every day I blank.” Paul gives his own example, “I want to move more, so every day I walk to the market”, and Emily finds a small problem: the market is not open every day. So he changes it: “Every day, I walk for fifteen minutes.” “That’s better.” “Much better. And clear.” Then put the paper where you can see it, and say the sentence out loud, just once.

In the last minute, Paul gives the three short ideas of the episode (25:13): the best year is a better year, not a perfect year; choose a few parts of life and one small habit for each; make your goals clear, not vague. Then the challenge: write your sentence in the comments, in English, one sentence is enough. Emily goes first: “In 2026, I want to read more, so every day I read five pages before bed.” Paul: “Five pages. That’s realistic.” And at the very end, “Thanks for staying with us until the end. That’s a small win too.”

Useful Language from the Episode

Phrase	Meaning	Example from the episode
a fresh start (02:33)	a new beginning	”A new year is a fresh start.”
realistic (03:21)	something you can really do	”Realistic means you can really do it.”
consistent (05:13)	you do it again and again	”Consistent means you do it again and again.”
stick to (06:32)	keep doing it, do not stop	”It takes one minute. So I stick to it.”
balanced (09:14)	not too much and not too little	”A balanced meal has some rice, some vegetables, some meat or fish.”
on purpose (10:28)	you choose it, it is not an accident	”I plan my day on purpose.”
draining (11:54)	it takes your energy	”Draining means they take your energy.”
boundaries (12:06)	limits	”Boundaries are limits.”
a kind no (12:16)	a polite way to say no	”No, I can’t tonight. Maybe Saturday.”
check in on (12:40)	ask if someone is okay	”Check in on someone. That means you ask if they’re okay.”
vague (15:41)	not clear	”I think vague means not clear.”
small wins (17:52)	little good things that still matter	”Small wins. Little good things that still matter.”
I want to… (08:23)	say what you want to change	”I want to sleep earlier this year.”
a goal and a system (14:55)	the end and the daily action	”A goal is what you want at the end.”

Mistake and Repair

Often said	Better	Why
I want to be healthy.	I walk to work on Monday and Thursday.	The first goal is vague. We do not know what to do or when (21:38, 21:57).
I want more friends.	I call one old friend every Saturday.	Say one action and one day (22:14).
I stick my habit. (written for this page)	I stick to my habit.	The phrase is stick to, with to (06:32).
I eat balance meals. (written for this page)	I eat balanced meals.	The word is balanced, with -ed (09:14).
Busy Mondays are drain for me. (written for this page)	Busy Mondays are draining for me.	Use draining for a thing that takes your energy (11:54).
Twelve goals in one night	Two or three parts of life, one small habit for each	A full plate stays full (03:27, 16:51).

Practice with the Episode

1. Listen for details

Listen again and answer. The answers follow.

1. How many goals did Paul write in his red planner?
2. How many days did he keep it up?
3. Where is Paul’s new list?
4. What is Emily’s rule for coffee?
5. What does Emily’s grandmother do every evening?
6. What does Emily add to a chain every day she keeps her habit?

Answers

1. Twelve.
2. Six days.
3. On the back of a supermarket receipt, inside his phone case.
4. Her last coffee is before two.
5. She knits ten rows of a scarf.
6. One paper clip.

2. Vague or clear?

Say “vague” or “clear” for each goal, as in the quiz. Two of the goals were written for this page. The answers follow.

1. I want to be happy. (written for this page)
2. I listen to English for fifteen minutes after dinner.
3. I want to eat better. (written for this page)
4. I call my sister every Sunday.

Answers

1. Vague. What will you do, and when?
2. Clear. The episode gives this model (14:55 to 16:16).
3. Vague. What will you eat, and at which meal?
4. Clear. It has an action and a day. Emily says it in the role play (23:10).

Now change one vague goal into a clear one. Say what, when and for how long.

3. Choose the phrase

Choose stick to, on purpose, draining or check in on. The sentences were written for this page. The answers follow.

1. My friend is sad. I want to ___ her tonight.
2. Long meetings are very ___ for me.
3. I do not look at my phone first. I choose my morning ___.
4. I want to ___ my new habit.

Answers

1. check in on (ask if she is okay).
2. draining (they take your energy).
3. on purpose (you choose it).
4. stick to (keep doing it).

4. Your one sentence

Write: “In 2026, I want to ___, so every day I ___.” Use Emily’s sentence as a model: “In 2026, I want to read more, so every day I read five pages before bed.” (25:52) Put the paper where you can see it, and say it out loud once.

Keep Practicing

Want to fix the little words in a plan sentence, like more, less, earlier and better? Read Fix Your New Year Plan in English: I Want to Sleep More, Earlier or Better?. It shows the right place for each word, the usual mistakes, and four exercises with answers.

Chapters

• 00:00 Make 2026 Your Best Year Yet
• 00:58 Paul’s Red Planner Story
• 02:49 Better, Not Perfect: Realistic Goals
• 04:47 Habits: Be Consistent, Stick To It
• 07:02 Health: Sleep, Moving, Balanced Meals
• 09:46 Time: Plan Your Day On Purpose
• 11:13 People: Draining, Boundaries, Check In On
• 13:08 English in Your Daily Life
• 14:40 Goals and Systems: Vague or Clear
• 16:51 How to Start + Small Wins
• 18:51 Review 11 Phrases with Our Stories
• 21:18 Quiz: Vague or Clear?
• 22:39 Role-Play: What’s Your Plan for 2026?
• 24:04 Your One Sentence for 2026
• 25:09 Recap and Your Challenge

Full Transcript

Paul: Have you ever started a new year with a big, beautiful plan?

Emily: And then you stopped after one week, or maybe after only five days.

Paul: If that sounds like you, you are in the right place.

Emily: Welcome to English Practice Daily. I’m Emily.

Paul: And I’m Paul. This podcast episode is for A1 and A2 learners like you.

Emily: Today we talk about your 2026, one part of life at a time.

Paul: Sleep, moving your body, food, time, friends and family, and English.

Emily: And for each part, you get short sentences you can really use.

Paul: At the end, you will say your own plan for the new year out loud.

Emily: Out loud? Okay, that’s a little scary. But I like it.

Paul: If you want, you can repeat after us at any time.

Emily: Paul, you told me you have a story about last January.

Paul: I do, and it’s a little embarrassing for me.

Emily: Those are always the best stories. Go on, please.

Paul: I remember the first of January, last year. It was ten o’clock at night.

Paul: I had a new planner, a thick red one. It was very expensive.

Emily: Oh, I love a new planner. The first page is so clean.

Paul: Yes. I felt like a new person. So I wrote two full pages of goals.

Emily: Two whole pages. That sounds like a lot of goals.

Paul: Twelve goals. Get up at five, run every morning, and read two books a month.

Paul: Learn to cook Thai food, call my parents every day, and more.

Emily: Wow. That’s a whole new life in one night.

Paul: That was the problem. I kept it up for six days.

Emily: Only six days. So what happened next?

Paul: Then I was tired, and I stopped. The planner is still on my shelf.

Paul: Two pages are full. And almost three hundred pages are empty.

Emily: Oh, Paul. I feel a little sad for that planner.

Paul: Me too. But this year, I did something different.

Paul: I took a supermarket receipt. On the back, I wrote only three short lines.

Emily: Only three lines, after twelve big goals.

Paul: Only three. The receipt is inside my phone case, so I see it every day.

Emily: That’s smart. A new year is a fresh start. But it doesn’t need twelve goals.

Paul: A fresh start. Yes. That’s our first phrase today. A fresh start.

Emily: A fresh start. So tell us the big idea here.

Paul: The best year is not a perfect year. It’s a better year.

Emily: I think a lot of people need to hear that.

Paul: When we want perfect, we stop after one bad day.

Emily: Right. One late night, one pizza, and the whole plan feels broken.

Paul: So here is our sentence for today. Better, not perfect.

Emily: Better, not perfect. Say it with us. Better, not perfect.

Paul: Now, a new word. Realistic. Realistic means you can really do it.

Emily: I think I need a picture for that one.

Paul: Sure. Think about a buffet, a big table with lots of different food.

Emily: Oh, I love buffets. I always take too much.

Paul: Me too. You put everything on your plate: rice, noodles, cake, and soup.

Paul: The plate is too full, so you can’t finish it, and the food gets cold.

Emily: That happens to me every time. Then I feel bad.

Paul: A goal list can be like that plate. Too many things, and you finish nothing.

Emily: So a realistic plan is a smaller plate.

Paul: Yes. Take two or three things you really want. Then you can finish them.

Emily: Give me an example with English, please.

Paul: Study English three hours every night. That’s a very full plate.

Emily: For me, that’s not realistic. I work all day.

Paul: Right. But you can study for fifteen minutes after dinner.

Emily: Yes, I can do that. So here are two short sentences. My goal is realistic.

Paul: My goal is realistic. And here is the second one.

Paul: I want a better year, not a perfect year.

Emily: I want a better year, not a perfect year. I like that one.

Paul: So you choose two or three parts of your life, not twenty.

Emily: Before you choose, let’s talk about habits for a minute.

Paul: Yes. Habits are the small things we do every day.

Emily: A year is really just a lot of normal days.

Paul: Exactly. Big moments are nice. But normal days change your life.

Emily: So the next word is consistent. Please explain it for us.

Paul: Consistent means you do it again and again. Not just one time.

Emily: So going to the gym once, and then never again, is not consistent.

Paul: That’s right. Here’s a picture for you. Think of a tap in your kitchen.

Paul: It drips. One drop, then another drop, all night long.

Emily: Oh, I really don’t like that sound.

Paul: Ha, me too. But put a bucket under it. In the morning, the bucket is full.

Emily: Really? From very small drops?

Paul: Yes. One drop is nothing, but every drop falls. That’s consistent.

Paul: Now, imagine you pour in one big glass of water, and then stop for a week.

Emily: Then the bucket stays almost empty. I see.

Paul: So small and every day is better than big and once.

Emily: Let’s make two sentences. This year, I want stronger daily habits.

Paul: This year, I want stronger daily habits. And the second one.

Emily: I want to do it every day, not just sometimes.

Paul: I want to do it every day, not just sometimes.

Paul: There’s a useful phrase here too. Stick to. To stick to a habit.

Emily: That means you don’t stop. You keep doing it.

Paul: Yes. Emily, tell us one habit you stick to.

Emily: Hmm. Let me think. I make my bed every morning. Every single day.

Paul: Even on Sunday, when you sleep late?

Emily: Even on Sunday. It takes one minute. So I stick to it.

Paul: That’s a good example. Small habits are easy to stick to.

Emily: Okay. Let’s go part by part. Tell me what comes first.

Paul: Health. Sleep, moving your body, and food. Emily, you start with sleep.

Emily: Okay. This happened to me last year. I slept very badly for months.

Paul: Oh no. What happened?

Emily: I had my third coffee at four in the afternoon, at work, every day.

Paul: Three coffees a day. That’s a lot of coffee.

Emily: I know. Then at night, I lay in bed with my eyes open until one in the morning.

Paul: And I guess you felt bad in the morning.

Emily: I felt terrible. I was tired, and a little angry at everyone.

Paul: So tell us what you changed.

Emily: In September, I made a new rule. My last coffee is before two.

Emily: After two, I only drink warm water. And I set an alarm on my phone.

Paul: An alarm for the morning, you mean.

Emily: No, an alarm for the night, at ten fifteen. It means, go to bed now.

Paul: A bedtime alarm. I really like that idea.

Emily: Now I sleep at about eleven. And I feel so much better.

Paul: So here are two sentences for sleep. Repeat after us.

Emily: I want to sleep earlier this year.

Paul: I want to sleep earlier this year.

Emily: I feel better after a good night’s sleep.

Paul: I feel better after a good night’s sleep. Now, moving your body.

Emily: I hope you don’t only mean the gym.

Paul: Not only the gym. I mean moving more, like walking or taking the stairs.

Paul: I remember I used to drive to the market. But it’s only fifteen minutes on foot.

Emily: And now you walk there.

Paul: Now I walk, two times a week, with a big bag.

Emily: So the sentence is, I want to move more every day.

Paul: I want to move more every day. And another one. I want to sit less.

Emily: I want to sit less. My chair at work will miss me.

Paul: Ha. And the last one is food. The word here is balanced.

Emily: Balanced. I think it means not too much and not too little.

Paul: Exactly. A balanced meal has some rice, some vegetables, some meat or fish.

Emily: Not three pieces of cake for dinner.

Paul: No. Not three pieces of cake. So a sentence for food.

Emily: I want to eat better dinners.

Paul: I want to eat better dinners. And one more.

Emily: I want to make dinner at home more often.

Paul: I want to make dinner at home more often. Good. Health is done.

Emily: Next part. Time. This one is hard for me.

Paul: I’m surprised. Tell me why it’s hard for you.

Emily: Some days, I’m busy from morning to night, but I finish nothing important.

Paul: I know that feeling. Let me give you a picture.

Paul: Imagine a small boat on the sea. Nobody is holding the wheel.

Emily: So the waves move it.

Paul: Yes. A message pushes it left. An email pushes it right.

Paul: A phone call pushes it back. At night, the boat is far away.

Emily: And you don’t know how you got there. That’s my Tuesday.

Paul: So we want to hold the wheel ourselves. We do things on purpose.

Emily: On purpose. That means you choose it. It’s not an accident.

Paul: Right. You choose before your phone chooses for you.

Emily: Okay, but I need something simple to start with.

Paul: In the morning, write down three important things. Only three things.

Emily: So not a list of twenty things.

Paul: No, just three. Do them first. Your messages can wait a little.

Emily: Okay. Sentences, please.

Paul: I want to use my time better.

Emily: I want to use my time better.

Paul: I plan my day on purpose.

Emily: I plan my day on purpose. I like the sound of that.

Paul: Next part is people. Friends and family.

Emily: Oh, this is my favorite part.

Paul: A good year is not only about doing more. It’s also about people.

Emily: True. You can be very busy and still feel lonely.

Paul: Here’s my picture for this. Think about the battery in your phone.

Emily: Mine is always at ten percent.

Paul: Ha. Some people charge your battery. You meet them, and you feel full of energy.

Emily: Like my sister. After one coffee with her, I feel great.

Paul: But some people and some things empty your battery.

Paul: We say they are draining. Draining means they take your energy.

Emily: Like busy Monday mornings at work. Busy Mondays are very draining for me.

Paul: Me too. So we need boundaries. Boundaries are limits.

Emily: So boundaries are like low battery mode on your phone.

Paul: That’s a good way to say it. You protect what you have left.

Paul: Sometimes a boundary is a kind no. No, I can’t tonight. Maybe Saturday.

Emily: That’s hard for me. I always say yes.

Paul: Many people do. Then they’re tired, and a little angry inside.

Emily: Okay, I’ll practice. I want healthier boundaries.

Paul: I want healthier boundaries. And here’s another useful phrase. Check in on.

Emily: Check in on someone. That means you ask if they’re okay.

Paul: Yes. Every Sunday night, I send a message to an old friend.

Paul: Just one line. Hey, how was your week?

Emily: That’s sweet. I guess it doesn’t take a long time.

Paul: Only two minutes. But my friends really like it.

Emily: So the sentence is, I want to check in on my friends more.

Paul: I want to check in on my friends more. Now, my favorite part. English.

Emily: Of course it’s your favorite.

Paul: Many people say, this year, I will finally speak English.

Emily: And then they study a lot in January, and nothing in March.

Paul: Right. So here’s a picture. English is like a dog.

Emily: A dog. Okay, now I’m really listening.

Paul: A dog needs a walk every day. A short walk is fine.

Paul: But you can’t keep a dog inside all week, and then walk for five hours on Sunday.

Emily: The dog will not be happy.

Paul: No. And your English is the same. It needs a little time every day.

Emily: So tell me what a short walk looks like for English.

Paul: You can listen to English when you wash the dishes.

Emily: You can say one sentence to yourself at the bus stop.

Paul: Or you can send a twenty second voice message in English.

Emily: Hmm. I think people ask the wrong question about English.

Paul: Tell me what you mean.

Emily: They ask how they can learn fast. But I think a better question is different.

Paul: Something like, how can I keep going every day.

Emily: Yes. That’s the question. Regular is better than fast.

Paul: So, a sentence. Repeat after us. I want English in my daily life.

Emily: I want English in my daily life.

Paul: I want English in my daily life. Good.

Emily: Paul, let’s talk about goals now. Real goals.

Paul: Yes. But first, there are two things. A goal and a system.

Emily: That sounds difficult. Explain it simply, please.

Paul: Okay. A goal is what you want at the end.

Paul: A system is what you do every day to get there.

Emily: I need a picture again.

Paul: Your grandmother knits, if I remember right.

Emily: Yes. Every winter, she makes a long scarf for someone.

Paul: Tell us how she does it.

Emily: Ten rows every evening. After dinner, in her chair, with the radio on.

Paul: So the scarf is the goal. And ten rows every evening is the system.

Emily: Oh, I see. She never looks at a photo of a scarf and waits.

Paul: Ha. No. The scarf grows from the rows. Every evening.

Emily: Now I understand. But I still don’t know how to write a good goal.

Paul: There’s an important word for that. Vague.

Emily: I think vague means not clear.

Paul: Yes. Not clear. I want better English. That’s vague.

Emily: Hmm, but it sounds okay to me.

Paul: Because you don’t know what to do tomorrow.

Emily: Ah, I see. So I need to make it clear.

Paul: Yes. Say what, when, and how long. For example, I listen to English for fifteen minutes after dinner.

Emily: Oh, that’s very clear. I know what to do tonight.

Paul: Remember my red planner? Twelve vague goals. Read more. Eat better.

Emily: And now you have the receipt in your phone case.

Paul: Three clear lines. I walk to the market on Tuesday and Friday.

Paul: I read ten minutes on the bus. I call my mother on Sunday.

Emily: Those are so clear. Okay, here are two sentences for you.

Paul: My goal is too vague.

Emily: My goal is too vague.

Paul: I want to make it clear.

Emily: I want to make it clear. Good. So now I want to know where to start.

Paul: Step one. Choose two or three parts of life. Not all of them.

Emily: Like sleep, English, and friends.

Paul: Good. Step two. Choose one small habit for each part.

Emily: One habit for sleep, one for English, one for friends.

Paul: Yes. And step three is important. Put the habit into your real day.

Emily: I’m not sure what you mean by your real day.

Paul: Not your dream day. Your real Monday. When you’re tired.

Emily: Ha. My real Monday is not pretty.

Paul: So ask yourself one question. Can I do this on a tired Monday?

Emily: For my sleep alarm, yes. For running at five, no.

Paul: Right. Then choose the alarm. Choose the habit that fits your real day.

Emily: And sometimes I can’t see my progress. That makes me sad.

Paul: Then you need the phrase small wins.

Emily: Small wins. Little good things that still matter.

Paul: Yes. And I know you have a way to see them.

Emily: Oh, the paper clips! Okay, I’ll tell this one.

Emily: On my desk, I have a box of paper clips.

Emily: Every day I keep my habit, I add one clip to a chain.

Paul: A chain of paper clips. I’ve seen it, and it’s long now.

Emily: Right now, it’s almost as long as my arm.

Paul: That’s great. So every clip is a small win.

Emily: Yes. And when I see the chain, I don’t want to stop.

Paul: And what happens if you miss one day?

Emily: Then I add a clip the next day. Better, not perfect.

Paul: Better, not perfect. There it is again. Say it with us.

Emily: Better, not perfect. And one more sentence. I celebrate my small wins.

Paul: I celebrate my small wins.

Emily: Paul, we used a lot of words today. Let’s look at them again.

Paul: Yes. Let’s go slowly. Remember our stories. Repeat after us.

Emily: First. A fresh start. Paul’s red planner on the first of January.

Paul: A new year is a fresh start.

Emily: A new year is a fresh start.

Paul: Next. Realistic. Remember the buffet plate?

Emily: A small plate you can finish. My plan is realistic.

Paul: My plan is realistic.

Emily: Next. Consistent. The tap that drips into the bucket all night.

Paul: Small and every day. I want to be consistent.

Emily: I want to be consistent.

Paul: Next. Stick to. Like Emily and her bed.

Emily: I make my bed every morning. I stick to it.

Paul: I stick to my habit.

Emily: I stick to my habit. Next. Balanced. Not three pieces of cake.

Paul: Some rice, some vegetables, some fish. I eat balanced meals.

Emily: I eat balanced meals.

Paul: Next. On purpose. The little boat on the sea.

Emily: Hold the wheel yourself. I plan my day on purpose.

Paul: I plan my day on purpose.

Emily: Next. Check in on. Paul’s message every Sunday night.

Paul: Hey, how was your week? I check in on my friends.

Emily: I check in on my friends.

Paul: Next. Draining. The phone battery, and Emily’s busy Mondays.

Emily: Busy Mondays are draining for me.

Paul: Busy Mondays are draining for me.

Emily: Next. Boundaries. Low battery mode.

Paul: A kind no. I want healthier boundaries.

Emily: I want healthier boundaries.

Paul: Next. Vague. My twelve goals in the red planner.

Emily: Read more. Eat better. That goal is vague.

Paul: That goal is vague.

Emily: And the last one. Small wins. My paper clip chain.

Paul: One clip every day. I celebrate small wins.

Emily: I celebrate small wins. That’s all eleven. Well done, everyone.

Paul: Now it’s your turn. Let’s play a quick game together.

Emily: I read a goal. You decide. Is it vague, or is it clear?

Paul: Think about it, and then we give you the answer. Are you ready?

Emily: Number one. I want to be healthy.

Paul: Vague or clear?

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: It’s vague. What should you do? When? How long? We don’t know.

Emily: Number two. I walk to work on Monday and Thursday.

Paul: Vague or clear?

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: It’s clear. We know what, and we know when.

Emily: Number three. I want more friends.

Paul: Vague or clear?

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: Vague again. A clear one is, I call one old friend every Saturday.

Emily: Last one. I call my mom every Sunday at seven.

Paul: Vague or clear?

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: Clear. Very clear. Your mom will be happy too.

Emily: I hope you got four out of four. Well done if you did.

Paul: Now a small role play. I ask, Emily answers. Listen first.

Paul: Emily, what’s your plan for 2026?

Emily: I want to sleep better. So I stop coffee at two.

Paul: That sounds good. And tell me about English.

Emily: I want English in my daily life. I listen when I cook.

Paul: Nice. And tell me about your friends.

Emily: I want to check in on them more. I call my sister every Sunday.

Paul: Great. Now it’s your turn. I ask you. You answer out loud.

Paul: What’s your plan for 2026?

Emily: One… two… three…

Emily: For example, you can say, I want to move more. So I walk after dinner.

Paul: Now tell me about your English.

Emily: One… two… three…

Emily: You can say, I want English in my daily life. I listen on the bus.

Paul: And tell me about your friends or your family.

Emily: One… two… three…

Emily: You can say, I want to check in on my parents. I call them on Sunday.

Paul: Good job. Your answers don’t need to be perfect.

Emily: Just better. Okay, Paul. Tell everyone what they can do today.

Paul: Today, try one small thing. Take a piece of paper. Or a receipt.

Emily: Ha. Like Paul.

Paul: Like me. Write one sentence. In 2026, I want to blank, so every day I blank. Put your own words in the blanks.

Emily: Please say yours, as an example for us.

Paul: Sure. In 2026, I want to move more, so every day I walk to the market.

Emily: Every day? But the market isn’t open every day.

Paul: Okay, okay. Every day, I walk for fifteen minutes. That’s better.

Emily: Much better. And clear.

Paul: Then put your paper where you can see it. And say your sentence out loud. Just once.

Emily: And remember our sentence for today. Say it slowly with us.

Paul: Better, not perfect.

Emily: Better, not perfect.

Paul: So, here is what we learned today, in three short ideas.

Emily: One. The best year is a better year, not a perfect year.

Paul: Two. Choose a few parts of life, and one small habit for each.

Emily: Three. Make your goals clear, not vague.

Paul: And now we have a question for you.

Emily: Write your sentence in the comments. In 2026, I want to blank, so every day I blank. Put your own words in the blanks.

Paul: Please write it in English. One sentence is enough. We read all the comments.

Emily: Paul, I want to go first this time.

Paul: Of course.

Emily: In 2026, I want to read more, so every day I read five pages before bed.

Paul: Five pages. That’s realistic. I like it.

Emily: Thank you. And yours is the walk to the market.

Paul: Yes. Fifteen minutes. Every day. Even when it rains.

Emily: Even when it rains. Hmm. We will see in February.

Paul: Ha. Better, not perfect, Emily.

Emily: You are right. Now it’s your turn. Write your sentence below. We want to read it.

Paul: In the next episode, we’ll practice more simple English for everyday life.

Emily: If this episode helped you, please subscribe. Then you can find us next time.

Paul: Thanks for staying with us until the end. That’s a small win too.

Emily: It really is. See you next time.

Paul: Bye, everyone.