Your Morning Habits Shape Your Day

Emily hit snooze four times last Monday, forgot her wallet, and missed her bus. After that, the whole day felt late. In this episode, Paul and Emily teach you six short phrases for the morning, tell two real morning stories, and show you how one small habit can make the first ten minutes easier.

This page helps you learn with the episode. This episode is for A1 and A2 learners.

Watch the episode: Your Morning Habits Shape Your Day on YouTube

Time: about 22 minutes to listen, and about 20 minutes for the practice.

Before you listen: think about your morning. What time do you wake up? What is the first thing you do? Say your answer out loud in English, even if it is only one short sentence. You will say it again at the end.

How to use this page: listen once, read the key idea and the useful language, then do the practice. If you want to read while you listen, the full transcript is at the bottom.

What You’ll Learn

• Six morning phrases: wake up, get up, hit snooze, make the bed, get ready, be in a rush
• How to tell a short story about a rough morning in the past
• How to answer “What does your morning look like?” with The first thing I do is…
• In the morning, but at night
• Four tips for building one morning habit, and what to do when you miss a day
• How the words wake up sound when you say them fast
• A quiz, a role-play, and five sentences about your own morning

Key Idea

Win the first ten minutes.

Emily does not understand the line at first. She says, “I don’t really get it yet.” Paul answers, “You will, before the end.” The line comes back three times in the episode, and it gets a new meaning each time.

Paul uses three pictures to explain why the start of the day matters:

Picture	What Paul says	What it means for you
The first button	If the first button of a shirt goes in the wrong hole, all the other buttons are wrong too.	A bad start makes the whole day feel a little wrong. A good first button makes the rest easier.
Rails for a train	A train does not stop and think, “left or right?” It follows the rails.	A simple order for your morning means you do not decide every little thing. You save energy.
The first domino	You push one small piece, and the other pieces start to fall.	One small win, like making the bed, can start more good things.

Emily gives the short version: “You don’t need a perfect morning. You just need a good first button.” Her last comment on the line: “No snooze, no phone, just ten good minutes.”

Six Phrases for the Morning

Paul teaches six phrases before Emily’s story. Listen at 00:54. Each one has a short example.

Phrase	Paul’s meaning	Example from the episode
wake up	Your eyes open, and your sleep ends.	I wake up at six thirty.
get up	You leave your bed.	I wake up, but I get up five minutes later.
hit snooze	Snooze is the button on your alarm. It gives you a few more minutes of sleep.	I hit snooze three times this morning.
make the bed	You put your sheet and pillow back in order.	I make the bed every morning. Well, almost every morning.
get ready	You wash, you get dressed, and you prepare to go out.	It takes me twenty minutes to get ready.
be in a rush	You are hurrying, and you have no time.	I’m always in a rush on Mondays.

Emily’s memory trick for the first two: Wake up is for your eyes, and get up is for your body. Paul adds: “Eyes first, body second.”

Emily’s Snooze Monday

Emily tells the story at 02:38. Paul asks questions and helps with the times. Here is the story in order:

Time	What happened
6:45	Her alarm rang. She hit snooze. Then she hit snooze again. And again. Four times in all.
7:25	She finally got up. Her bus leaves at 7:40, so she had fifteen minutes.
7:25 to 7:40	No breakfast, no tea, nothing. She got ready in a big rush and ran to the bus stop with wet hair.
At the bus stop	She put her hand in her bag. Her wallet was on the kitchen table, next to the fruit bowl.
After that	She went back home, missed the bus, and was twenty minutes late for work.

Paul asks how the rest of the day felt. Emily says, “The whole day felt late. I was in a rush at ten, at two, and even at six.” Paul notices: “The morning finished, but the rush didn’t finish.” Emily’s picture: the rush stayed with her all day, “like a heavy winter coat.”

She changed only one small thing. Every evening, she puts her bag next to the door, wallet inside. On Tuesday she did not run. She felt “a little bit calmer.” Paul’s comment: “It’s not a big plan. It’s one small move.”

Later, at 15:22, Emily uses all six phrases to tell the story again. Listen for them.

Paul’s Morning and Pepper the Cat

At 04:17 Emily asks, “What does your morning look like?” Paul says his morning is “a bit boring.” Emily answers, “Boring is good. Boring means nobody loses a wallet.”

Step	Paul’s morning
1	He wakes up at six thirty. The first thing he does is open the curtains.
2	He feeds his cat, Pepper. She sits next to her bowl and stares at him.
3	He drinks a cup of warm water.
4	Warm water first, then a shower, then breakfast. Coffee comes later.

Paul used to check his phone in bed every day. Now his phone sleeps in the kitchen. His small rule: “If my phone is far away, I can’t use it in bed.”

Emily’s morning is different. She wakes up at seven and makes a cup of green tea before everything. She holds the warm cup and looks out of the window for two minutes, with no phone. Then she plays one song and sings a little in the shower. Both mornings are fine. Paul says: “Nobody is right or wrong here. We’re only describing our mornings.”

Short answers you can copy

Paul and Emily both answer with the same frame. Listen at 06:45 and say it with them.

• The first thing I do is open the curtains. (Paul)
• The first thing I do is make tea. (Emily)
• The first thing I do is… (your turn)

In the Morning, but at Night

At 05:55 Emily says, “I always drink my tea at the morning, before anything else.” Paul asks, “Can I fix one small thing, Emily?”

Say this	Not this
in the morning	at the morning
in the afternoon	at the afternoon
in the evening	at the evening
at night	in the night

Editorial note (not from the podcast): Paul only fixes at the morning. The rows for afternoon, evening, and in the night are added here so you can check the whole group.

Emily’s question is the right one: “But we say at night, don’t we?” Paul says, “Yes, and that’s the tricky part. In the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening. But at night.” Emily’s corrected sentence: I always drink my tea in the morning. They repeat it: “In the morning. At night.”

Yellow Note, Ten Minutes Early, and Two or Three Habits

At 07:11 Paul shares his small planning habit.

• He writes three things on a small yellow note. This morning: buy milk, call my sister, and finish one report.
• He sets his alarm ten minutes earlier than he needs.
• He keeps the number of habits small. “Two or three habits are enough.” Emily says many people try ten new habits on day one and stop on day three.
• He chooses habits he enjoys. “If you hate a habit, you won’t keep it.”

Sentences to practice: I set my alarm ten minutes early. and I write three things for the day.

Why the Morning Matters

At 08:53 Emily asks a real question: “Why does the morning matter so much? It’s only one hour.” Paul answers with the train picture. A good routine is like rails for your morning. You do not decide every step, so you feel less stress, and the steps come in order.

Emily says, “I lose so much time just deciding.” Paul adds one warning: rails are good, but do not make them too hard. Some days you feel sick, or tired, or you travel. It is fine to change the plan. Emily: “I’m not a train, and some mornings I’m very slow.”

Sentences to practice: In the morning, I follow the same steps. and My morning has the same order every day.

Paul’s Moving-Day Bed

Listen at 10:34. Paul remembers the day after he moved into his flat. It was a Sunday in March, with boxes everywhere. He could not find anything, so he made the bed. It was the only thing he could finish quickly. It took one minute.

How did it feel? “Strange, but good. I looked at it and thought, okay, one thing is done.” Then he opened one box, then another. That morning he emptied three boxes before work.

Emily’s reply: the bed was like the first domino. Paul agrees, and tells her: “Try it this week. It’s a tiny win, but you can see it.”

Four Tips for a Morning Habit

At 12:25 Paul gives four tips. Emily says, “I can remember four.” After each tip she adds a thought of her own.

Tip	Paul’s words	Emily’s reaction
1	Start with one habit, not five.	Her one habit: the bag next to the door.
2	Wake up at the same time every day.	Even on Saturday? “Close to it. Maybe thirty minutes later, but not three hours later.”
3	Get ready the night before. Clothes on the chair, bag by the door.	”That’s my wallet lesson.”
4	Keep your phone away from your bed.	Her Monday started the night before: she watched videos until midnight.

Paul’s summary: “So tip three and tip four work together. Your evening helps your morning.” Say it with them: My evening helps my morning.

What to Do When You Miss a Day

Listen at 13:57. Emily asks, “What if I miss a day? I’m sure I will.” Paul has a kind rule and a small trick.

• The rule: “Miss one day, but not two days.”
• The trick: put a paper calendar on your wall. Every morning you do your habit, draw a big X on that day. After one week you have a chain of X’s, and you do not want to break the chain. Emily: “Like gold stars for children at school.” Paul: “Yes, but for grown-ups.”
• How long does a habit take? It is different for every person. Be patient, and keep it short. Ten minutes a day is enough to start.

Sentences to practice: I missed one day, but I started again. and I draw an X every morning.

Useful Language from the Episode

Phrase	Meaning or use	Where it comes from
Win the first ten minutes.	the line for the day	Paul says it first, and they repeat it three times
the first thing I do is…	start a list of steps	Paul’s and Emily’s mornings
I hit snooze four times.	say how many times	Emily’s Monday
I got ready in a big rush.	say you had no time	Emily’s Monday
the whole day felt late	say how the day felt	Emily, after the Monday story
I used to do that, but now…	say an old habit and a new one	Paul and his phone
It’s one small move.	a small step is enough	Paul, about Emily’s bag
Simple is the whole point.	do not make it hard	Paul, about the yellow note
Miss one day, but not two days.	what to do after a missed day	Paul’s rule
My evening helps my morning.	the night before changes the next day	Paul and Emily, after tips three and four

Fast Speech: Wake Up and Get Up

Listen at 15:55. After the phrase review, Paul says a sentence fast. Slowly it is I, wake, up, at, seven. When you speak fast, it sounds like one long word. Wake and up join together (wakeup). Up and at join too (upat).

• Say it slowly first: I wake up. At seven.
• Now a little faster: I wake up at seven.
• Then your turn. It is the same with get up: I get up at seven fifteen. (getup)

Mistake and Repair

Mistake	Better
I always drink my tea at the morning.	I always drink my tea in the morning.
I drink tea in the night.	I drink tea at night.

Practice with the Episode

1. Listen for details

Use the times below. Try to answer before you read the answers.

1. 00:54, six phrases. What is the difference between wake up and get up? What is snooze?
2. 02:38, Emily’s Monday. How many times did she hit snooze? What time did she get up? What did she forget?
3. 04:17, Paul’s morning. What is the first thing Paul does? What is the name of his cat? Where does his phone sleep?
4. 05:55, the fix. What does Paul fix in Emily’s sentence?
5. 07:11, the yellow note. How many things does Paul write? How many minutes early does he set his alarm?
6. 10:34, the bed. When did Paul move into his flat, and how many boxes did he empty that morning?
7. 12:25, four tips. What are the four tips?
8. 13:57, the calendar. What is the rule for a missed day? What do you draw on the calendar?

Answers

1. Wake up is for your eyes (you stop sleeping). Get up is for your body (you leave your bed). Snooze is the button on your alarm that gives you a few more minutes of sleep.
2. Four times. She got up at 7:25. She forgot her wallet. It was on the kitchen table, next to the fruit bowl.
3. He opens the curtains. His cat is called Pepper. His phone sleeps in the kitchen.
4. At the morning becomes in the morning. We say in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, but at night.
5. Three things (buy milk, call my sister, finish one report). He sets his alarm ten minutes early.
6. On a Sunday in March. He emptied three boxes before work.
7. Start with one habit. Wake up at the same time every day. Get ready the night before. Keep your phone away from your bed.
8. Miss one day, but not two days. You draw a big X on each day you do the habit.

2. Say it out loud

Press pause after each line and say it after Paul and Emily:

• Win the first ten minutes.
• I wake up at six thirty.
• I hit snooze three times.
• It takes me twenty minutes to get ready.
• I’m always in a rush on Mondays.
• I set my alarm ten minutes early.
• My evening helps my morning.
• I always drink my tea in the morning.

3. Say your morning in five sentences

Listen at 16:46. Paul gives a simple frame. Emily goes first. Pause the video if you need more time.

1. I wake up at…
2. The first thing I do is…
3. I usually…
4. I never…
5. In the morning, I feel…

Emily’s example: I wake up at seven. The first thing I do is make green tea. I usually play one song. I never eat a big breakfast. In the morning, I feel slow but happy. Paul says: “Simple and clear is correct.”

4. Quiz: good start or rushed start?

Listen at 17:43. After each story, Paul and Emily wait three seconds. Answer before they do.

1. Mai keeps her phone next to her pillow and looks at it for thirty minutes in bed.
2. Tom puts his clothes on a chair before bed. His bag is by the door.
3. Lan wakes up ten minutes early and drinks tea by the window.
4. Which is correct? I drink tea at the morning. or I drink tea in the morning.

Answers

1. A rushed start. A good first step for Mai: charge the phone in the kitchen.
2. A good start. He gets ready the night before.
3. A good start. She wins the first ten minutes.
4. In the morning.

5. Role-play: a new friend at work

Listen at 19:17. Paul plays a new friend at work and asks about your morning. The first time, Emily answers. The second time she waits, and you answer first:

1. What time do you usually get up?
2. What’s the first thing you do?
3. How do you feel in the morning?

Your answers can be different from Emily’s. Her examples: I usually get up at seven. The first thing I do is make a cup of tea. In the morning, I feel calm but a little sleepy.

6. Tonight’s challenge

This is the small task from the end of the episode:

1. Tonight, get one thing ready for tomorrow morning: your clothes, your bag, or your phone in the kitchen.
2. Say it out loud: Tomorrow I will…
3. Tomorrow morning, win the first ten minutes.

7. Write in the comments

Emily’s question for you: What time do you wake up, and what’s the first thing you do? Write your answer in the comments, for example: I wake up at seven. The first thing I do is drink water.

Keep Practicing

Want a guide you can use without the episode? Read How to Tell a Rough-Morning Story in English. It shows you how to tell what happened, how the day felt, and what you changed, with tables, mistakes and repairs, and practice with sample answers.

Chapters

• 00:00 Why Your Morning Matters
• 00:54 6 Easy Morning Phrases
• 02:36 Emily’s Snooze Disaster
• 04:17 Paul’s Morning (and Pepper the Cat)
• 05:55 In the Morning or At the Morning?
• 07:11 Yellow Note + The First Button
• 08:53 Morning Rails: Less Rush
• 10:34 Paul’s First Domino
• 12:25 4 Tips for Morning Habits
• 13:57 The X-Chain Calendar
• 15:22 Phrase Review + Fast Speech
• 16:46 Say Your Morning in 5 Sentences
• 17:43 Quiz: Good Start or Rushed Start?
• 19:17 Role-Play: Your Morning
• 20:35 Tonight’s Challenge

Full Transcript

Emily: Have you ever hit snooze three times, jumped out of bed, and then felt late all day?

Paul: Hmm, that sounds like a very specific question, Emily.

Emily: It’s specific because it happened to me. Last Monday, in fact.

Paul: Welcome to English Practice Daily. I’m Paul, and I’m glad you’re here with us.

Emily: And I’m Emily. This episode is for A1 and A2 learners who want simple, real English.

Paul: Today we talk about morning habits. They are the small things you do after you wake up.

Emily: And by the end, you will describe your own morning in five easy sentences.

Paul: Here is one short line to keep with you today. Win the first ten minutes.

Emily: Win the first ten minutes. I don’t really get it yet.

Paul: You will, before the end. If you want, repeat after us.

Paul: Before your Monday story, let’s learn six short phrases for the morning.

Paul: Phrase one is wake up. Your eyes open, and your sleep ends. I wake up at six thirty.

Emily: I wake up at six thirty. Hmm, for me, that’s a little early.

Paul: Phrase two is get up. It means you leave your bed. I wake up, but I get up five minutes later.

Emily: Oh, so wake up is for your eyes, and get up is for your body.

Paul: Yes, that’s a great way to remember it. Eyes first, body second.

Emily: Phrase three is my favorite and also my enemy. Hit snooze.

Paul: Snooze is the button on your alarm. It gives you a few more minutes of sleep.

Emily: I hit snooze three times this morning. Repeat after me. I hit snooze three times.

Paul: Phrase four is make the bed. You put your sheet and pillow back in order.

Emily: I make the bed every morning. Well, almost every morning.

Paul: Phrase five is get ready. You wash, you get dressed, and you prepare to go out.

Emily: It takes me twenty minutes to get ready. Say it with us. It takes me twenty minutes to get ready.

Paul: And phrase six is be in a rush. You are hurrying, and you have no time.

Emily: I’m always in a rush on Mondays. Honestly, that sentence is my whole life.

Paul: So we have wake up, get up, hit snooze, make the bed, get ready, and be in a rush.

Emily: And my Monday story uses almost all of them.

Paul: Okay, now I’m curious. Tell me about last Monday.

Emily: So my alarm rang at six forty-five. I hit snooze. Then I hit snooze again. And again.

Paul: Please tell me it wasn’t five times.

Emily: Four times. When I finally got up, it was already seven twenty-five.

Paul: Oh no. And your bus leaves at seven forty, right?

Emily: Right. So I had fifteen minutes. No breakfast, no tea, nothing. I got ready in a big rush.

Emily: I ran to the bus stop with wet hair. Then, at the bus stop, I put my hand in my bag.

Paul: Let me guess. Something was missing.

Emily: My wallet. It was on the kitchen table, next to the fruit bowl.

Paul: So you went back home for it.

Emily: I went back, and of course I missed the bus. I was twenty minutes late for work.

Paul: That’s a hard start. How did the rest of the day feel?

Emily: Honestly, the whole day felt late. I was in a rush at ten, at two, and even at six.

Paul: That’s interesting. The morning finished, but the rush didn’t finish.

Emily: Exactly. The rush stayed with me all day, like a heavy winter coat.

Paul: So what did you change after that Monday?

Emily: Just one small thing. Now, every evening, I put my bag next to the door. Wallet inside.

Paul: That’s it. Only the bag.

Emily: Only the bag. But on Tuesday, I didn’t run. I felt a little bit calmer.

Paul: I like that. It’s not a big plan. It’s one small move.

Emily: So, Paul, it’s your turn now. What does your morning look like?

Paul: Okay, but I warn you. My morning is a bit boring.

Emily: Boring is good. Boring means nobody loses a wallet.

Paul: True. I wake up at six thirty. The first thing I do is open the curtains.

Emily: And after that?

Paul: Then I feed my cat, Pepper. She sits next to her bowl and stares at me.

Emily: Ha, so Pepper is your real alarm clock.

Paul: Honestly, yes. After that, I drink a cup of warm water.

Emily: Warm water, not coffee. Interesting.

Paul: Coffee comes later. Warm water first, then a shower, and then breakfast.

Emily: And do you check your phone in bed?

Paul: I used to do that every day. But now my phone sleeps in the kitchen.

Emily: Your phone sleeps in the kitchen? That’s so funny.

Paul: It’s a small rule I have. If my phone is far away, I can’t use it in bed.

Emily: My morning is a little different. I wake up at seven, and I make a cup of green tea.

Paul: Before your shower?

Emily: Before everything. I hold the warm cup and look out the window. Two minutes, no phone.

Paul: That sounds really peaceful. And then?

Emily: Then I play one song. Only one. And I sing a little in the shower.

Paul: I’m sure your neighbors love that.

Emily: They never say anything, so I think the answer is yes. I always drink my tea at the morning, before anything else.

Paul: Can I fix one small thing, Emily? We say in the morning, not at the morning.

Emily: Oh, really? But we say at night, don’t we?

Paul: Yes, and that’s the tricky part. In the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening. But at night.

Emily: In the morning, but at night. Okay. I always drink my tea in the morning.

Paul: Perfect. Many learners make this mistake, so listen once more. In the morning. At night.

Emily: In the morning. At night. Thank you, teacher. Did you notice our short answers, listeners?

Paul: Like this one. The first thing I do is open the curtains.

Emily: And mine. The first thing I do is make tea. Now you try. The first thing I do is.

Paul: One… two… three…

Emily: Maybe you said, the first thing I do is check my phone. That’s okay. Many people do that.

Paul: Nobody is right or wrong here. We’re only describing our mornings.

Emily: But Paul, you didn’t say anything about planning. Do you plan your day?

Paul: I do, but it’s very short. I write three things on a small yellow note.

Emily: So what did you write this morning?

Paul: Buy milk, call my sister, and finish one report.

Emily: Wow, that’s really simple.

Paul: Simple is the whole point. And there’s one more thing. I set my alarm ten minutes earlier than I need.

Emily: Wait. Is this the meaning of win the first ten minutes?

Paul: It’s one part of it. Think about a shirt with lots of buttons.

Emily: Okay, I have a shirt in my head.

Paul: If the first button goes in the wrong hole, what happens to the other buttons?

Emily: They’re all wrong. You have to open them and start again from the top.

Paul: The morning is like that first button. When it goes wrong, the whole day feels a little wrong.

Emily: Like my Monday. My first button was the snooze button.

Paul: Right. And when the first button is right, the rest is much easier.

Emily: So you don’t need a perfect morning. You just need a good first button.

Paul: That’s a nice way to say it. And keep it short. Two or three habits are enough.

Emily: I think many people try ten new habits on day one, and then they stop on day three.

Paul: That happens a lot. So choose habits you enjoy. If you hate a habit, you won’t keep it.

Emily: Let’s practice two sentences from this part. I set my alarm ten minutes early.

Paul: I set my alarm ten minutes early. And the second one. I write three things for the day.

Emily: I write three things for the day. Short and easy to remember.

Emily: Paul, can I ask a real question now? Why does the morning matter so much? It’s only one hour.

Paul: Good question. Okay, picture a train in your head.

Emily: Sure. A long red train.

Paul: Does the train stop and think, should I go left or right?

Emily: No, of course not. It just follows the rails.

Paul: A good routine is like rails for your morning. You don’t decide every step. You just go.

Emily: Oh, so you save energy because you don’t have to think so much.

Paul: Yes. You don’t stand in the kitchen and ask, what now? Tea or coffee? Shower now or later?

Emily: That’s me every single day. I lose so much time just deciding.

Paul: And when you don’t decide every little thing, you feel less stress. The steps come in order.

Emily: So the order is the secret, not the habits.

Paul: Hmm, both, I think. Good habits in a good order.

Emily: That makes sense to me. Let me try a sentence. In the morning, I follow the same steps.

Paul: Nice. Here’s one more. My morning has the same order every day.

Emily: My morning has the same order every day. I really want that sentence to be true.

Paul: It can be true. But here’s one warning. Rails are good, but don’t make them too hard.

Emily: What do you mean by that?

Paul: Some days you feel sick, or very tired, or you’re traveling. It’s fine to change the plan.

Emily: Good. Because I’m not a train, and some mornings I’m very slow.

Paul: Can I tell you a small story about my bed?

Emily: Your bed? Sure, go ahead.

Paul: I remember the day I moved into my flat. It was a Sunday in March. Boxes everywhere.

Emily: Oh, moving day is the worst day.

Paul: The next morning, I couldn’t find anything. My room was a mess. But I made the bed.

Emily: Why only the bed?

Paul: It was the only thing I could finish quickly. It took one minute.

Emily: And how did that feel?

Paul: Strange, but good. I looked at it and thought, okay, one thing is done.

Emily: One thing is done. I really like that feeling.

Paul: Then I opened one box. Then another box. That morning, I emptied three boxes before work.

Emily: So the bed was like the first domino.

Paul: Yes, just like that. You push one small piece, and the other pieces start to fall.

Emily: Do I make my bed every day? Hmm, not really. I think I should start.

Paul: Try it this week. It’s a tiny win, but you can see it.

Emily: I also think our body likes small morning habits. A glass of water, some food, a short walk.

Paul: Yes, but we’re not doctors, so we keep it simple. These are just easy, everyday things.

Emily: Right. And for me, the biggest one is time for myself. Those two minutes with my tea.

Paul: Before your phone, before your emails, before other people need you.

Emily: Yes. Later, the day belongs to other people. But the first minutes belong to me.

Paul: That’s a beautiful line, Emily. The first minutes belong to me.

Emily: Thank you. I’m a morning poet now.

Paul: Okay, poet, let’s make this practical. I have four tips for building a morning habit.

Emily: Four tips. Good. I can remember four.

Paul: Tip one. Start with one habit, not five.

Emily: Okay. My one habit is my bag next to the door.

Paul: Good choice. Tip two. Wake up at the same time every day.

Emily: Even on Saturday?

Paul: Close to it. Maybe thirty minutes later, but not three hours later.

Emily: Three hours later is my Saturday. I need to work on that.

Paul: Tip three. Get ready the night before. Clothes on the chair, bag by the door.

Emily: That’s my wallet lesson. I learned that one the hard way.

Paul: And tip four. Keep your phone away from your bed.

Emily: True. You know, my Monday started with snooze, but my Sunday night ended with my phone.

Paul: Oh, so your story really started the night before.

Emily: It did. I went to bed very late because I watched videos until midnight.

Paul: So tip three and tip four work together. Your evening helps your morning.

Emily: Let’s say that one. My evening helps my morning.

Paul: My evening helps my morning. And remember our line. Win the first ten minutes.

Emily: Win the first ten minutes. Now I really get it. No snooze, no phone, just ten good minutes.

Emily: But Paul, what if I miss a day? I’m sure I will.

Paul: Everybody misses a day sometimes. The rule is simple. Miss one day, but not two days.

Emily: Miss one day, but not two. That’s a kind rule.

Paul: And here’s a little trick. Put a paper calendar on your wall.

Emily: Paper? Not an app on my phone?

Paul: Paper is better for this. Every morning you do your habit, draw a big X on that day.

Emily: And then what?

Paul: After one week, you have a chain of X’s. After two weeks, a longer chain.

Emily: And then I don’t want to break the chain.

Paul: Right. The chain is like a little prize that you can see every day.

Emily: Like gold stars for children at school.

Paul: Ha, yes, but for grown-ups.

Emily: And how long does it take? When does a habit start to feel normal?

Paul: It’s different for every person. For some people it’s a few weeks, for others it’s longer.

Emily: So we need to be patient.

Paul: Be patient, and keep it short. Ten minutes a day is enough to start.

Emily: Two more sentences, then. I missed one day, but I started again.

Paul: I missed one day, but I started again. And this one. I draw an X every morning.

Emily: I draw an X every morning. I’m buying a paper calendar this weekend.

Paul: Now let’s review our six phrases with your Monday, Emily.

Emily: Okay. On Monday, I hit snooze four times.

Paul: You woke up at six forty-five, but you didn’t get up.

Emily: I got up at seven twenty-five, and I got ready in fifteen minutes.

Paul: And you were in a rush all day long.

Emily: And the one thing I didn’t do was make the bed. There was no time.

Paul: Good. That’s all six phrases. Now listen to how we say one sentence fast.

Emily: Which sentence?

Paul: I wake up at seven. Slowly, it’s I, wake, up, at, seven.

Emily: But when we speak fast, it sounds like one long word.

Paul: Yes. Wake and up join together. Wakeup. And up and at join too. Upat.

Emily: I wake up at seven. Listen again. I wake up at seven.

Paul: Say it slowly first. I wake up. At seven.

Emily: Now a little faster. I wake up at seven.

Paul: Your turn. I wake up at seven.

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: Good. It’s the same with get up. I get up at seven fifteen. Getup.

Emily: I get up at seven fifteen. I get up at seven fifteen.

Paul: Now let’s build five sentences about your morning. Here’s a simple frame.

Emily: Sentence one. I wake up at, and then your time. Sentence two. The first thing I do is.

Paul: Sentence three. I usually. Sentence four. I never. And sentence five. In the morning, I feel.

Emily: I’ll go first. I wake up at seven. The first thing I do is make green tea. I usually play one song. I never eat a big breakfast. In the morning, I feel slow but happy.

Paul: Lovely. Now it’s your turn. Pause the video if you need more time.

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: Don’t worry if your sentences are very simple. Simple and clear is correct.

Emily: Paul, can we play a quick game now?

Paul: Sure, I love games.

Emily: I tell you about a person. You say, good start or rushed start.

Paul: And our listeners answer too. We wait three seconds before each answer.

Emily: Number one. Mai keeps her phone next to her pillow. She looks at it for thirty minutes in bed.

Paul: One… two… three…

Emily: It’s a rushed start. Thirty minutes on the phone, and then she’s in a rush.

Paul: And a good first step for Mai? Charge the phone in the kitchen, like me.

Emily: Number two. Tom puts his clothes on a chair before bed. His bag is by the door.

Paul: One… two… three…

Emily: Good start. Tom gets ready the night before, so his morning is easy.

Paul: Number three is mine. Lan wakes up ten minutes early and drinks tea by the window.

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: Good start. She wins the first ten minutes.

Emily: One more, and this one is about grammar. Which is correct? I drink tea at the morning. Or, I drink tea in the morning.

Paul: One… two… three…

Emily: In the morning. I made that mistake today, so I won’t forget it now.

Paul: Now let’s do a short role-play. I’m a new friend at work, and I ask about your morning.

Emily: Okay, I’m ready.

Paul: So, Emily, what time do you usually get up?

Emily: I usually get up at seven. How about you?

Paul: Around six thirty. What’s the first thing you do?

Emily: The first thing I do is make a cup of tea.

Paul: And do you check your phone in bed?

Emily: Not anymore. My phone sleeps in the kitchen now. I took that idea from a friend.

Paul: Ha, I wonder who that friend is. Now let’s do it again. This time, Emily waits a moment, and you answer first.

Emily: Mm-hm. You’re the star now.

Paul: What time do you usually get up?

Emily: One… two… three… For example, I usually get up at seven.

Paul: What’s the first thing you do?

Emily: One… two… three… For example, the first thing I do is make a cup of tea.

Paul: And how do you feel in the morning?

Emily: One… two… three… For example, in the morning, I feel calm but a little sleepy.

Paul: Great job. Of course, your answers can be different from Emily’s answers.

Emily: So, let’s finish. Three ideas from today, Paul.

Paul: One, the first button. A good start makes the whole day easier.

Emily: Two, the rails. A simple order means less thinking and less rush.

Paul: Three, one small habit. Like Emily’s bag by the door, or my bed.

Emily: And here’s one small thing to do. Tonight, get one thing ready for tomorrow morning.

Paul: Your clothes, your bag, or your phone in the kitchen. Then say it out loud. Tomorrow I will.

Emily: For example, tomorrow I will get up at the first alarm. No snooze. Wish me luck.

Paul: Good luck, Emily. Tomorrow I will wake up at six thirty and open the curtains.

Emily: And our line, one last time. Win the first ten minutes.

Paul: Win the first ten minutes.

Emily: Now, a question for you. What time do you wake up, and what’s the first thing you do? Write it in the comments.

Paul: We read the comments, and we want to see your five sentences too.

Emily: In the next episode, we will practice more simple English for everyday life.

Paul: If this lesson helped you, please subscribe so you don’t miss it.

Emily: Thanks for spending your morning, or maybe your evening, with us.

Paul: See you next time. And tonight, put your bag by the door.