Hello everyone and welcome back to the
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Simple English podcast. I'm Lisa, your
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host and today we have a very fun and
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useful topic talking about your daily
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Why daily routines? Because they shape
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our lives. The way you wake up, the way
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you eat, how you study or work, even how
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you relax at night. All of these small
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habits come together to create your
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lifestyle. And I think all of us, no
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matter where we are in the world, have
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some kind of daily routine. Some of us
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are morning people, others are night
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owls. Some love coffee. Others prefer
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tea. But at the end of the day, our
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routines tell a story about who we are.
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To make this episode extra interesting,
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I invited a guest to share his own daily
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routine and talk about how routines can
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affect our health, productivity, and
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happiness. As always, don't forget to
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check out the free PDF file in the
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comment section below to get the full
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transcript and vocabulary for this
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So, please welcome Tony.
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>> Hi, Lisa. Hi everyone. I'm really happy
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to be here today. Daily routines are
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such a relatable topic, right? Because
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everyone has one, even if it's not
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perfect. I can't wait to share mine and
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also hear about yours.
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>> Yes, that's exactly why I thought this
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episode would be great. Plus, I know a
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lot of our listeners are also learning
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English. So, talking about everyday
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activities like waking up, eating
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breakfast, working or exercising can be
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super useful vocabulary practice.
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>> Totally. And the best part is it's real
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life. Nothing fancy, nothing
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complicated, just the things we all do
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>> Exactly. So, let's dive in.
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All right, Tony, let's start with the
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basics. Can you walk us through your
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typical daily routine from morning to
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>> Sure. So, my alarm rings around 6:30
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a.m., but if I'm honest, I usually press
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snooze once or twice.
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So, I really get out of bed around 6:45
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>> I think many people can relate to that.
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The snooze button is everyone's best
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friend and worst enemy.
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Yes, exactly. After waking up, the very
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first thing I do is drink a glass of
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water. It helps me feel more awake. Then
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I wash my face, brush my teeth, and do a
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short 10-minute stretch.
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>> Oh, that sounds healthy. I love that you
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stretch in the morning. Do you feel a
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big difference when you do it compared
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to when you skip it?
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>> Definitely. When I stretch, I feel
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lighter and more energetic during the
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day. If I skip it, I sometimes feel
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stiff, especially if I spend a lot of
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time sitting at my desk later.
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>> That makes sense. I've heard many people
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say that just 5 to 10 minutes of
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movement in the morning can really wake
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>> Yes. And after stretching, I usually
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make myself a simple breakfast. My go-to
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is oatmeal with fruit or sometimes
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scrambled eggs with toast. If I'm in a
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rush, just a banana and coffee.
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>> Classic. I think coffee is a must for
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many people's morning routine.
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>> Oh, yes. I can't function without it.
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>> So, after breakfast, what's next?
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>> Then I start work. I work from home, so
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my commute is basically from my kitchen
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Around 8:30 or 9:00, I open my laptop
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I usually try to work on my most
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important tasks in the morning because
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that's when I feel most focused.
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>> That's smart. I read somewhere that our
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brain is usually sharpest in the first 2
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or 3 hours after waking up.
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>> Yes, exactly. That's why I try not to
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waste that time on social media.
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I keep my phone away until I finish my
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>> Nice. So, listeners, that's a great tip
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right there. Don't let your phone
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control your morning. Try to do
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something productive first.
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>> Then around 12:30,
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I take a lunch break.
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I usually cook something simple like
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rice with chicken and vegetables or
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sometimes just a sandwich.
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Do you ever eat outside?
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>> Yes, maybe once or twice a week, but
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most of the time I eat at home to save
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money and eat healthier.
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>> That's a good balance. What about
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>> In the afternoon, I continue working,
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but I usually feel a little sleepy
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around 2 or 300 p.m. So, sometimes I
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take a short walk outside or make myself
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That helps me recharge.
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>> I love that. A walk is such a simple but
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effective way to refresh the mind.
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>> Yes. And then I work until around 5:30
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or 6:00. After that, I go to the gym
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three times a week. On other days, I
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might cook dinner earlier or do some
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>> Nice. So, what's your evening routine
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In the evening, I try to relax a little.
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I cook dinner, watch a TV show, or read
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a book. Around 9:30 or 10:00, I put my
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phone aside and prepare for bed. I like
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to write down three things I'm grateful
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for. Then I brush my teeth, maybe do
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some light stretching again, and finally
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go to bed by 11:00.
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>> Wow, that's a pretty structured day. I
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like how you balance work, exercise, and
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But of course, not every day is perfect.
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Sometimes I stay up too late watching
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YouTube or skip the gym. I think it's
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normal to have to have those days.
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>> Oh, for sure. Nobody is perfect, but I
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think the key is consistency.
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Even if you don't follow your routine
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100% every single day, just having a
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structure helps you stay on track most
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>> Exactly. What about you, Lisa? What's
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your daily routine like?
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>> Well, mine is a bit different. I usually
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wake up later than you, around 7:30 or
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8:00. I also start with water, then
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coffee, but instead of stretching, I
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like to journal for 10 minutes.
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>> Oh, journaling. That's a nice way to
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>> Yes, it clears my mind. Then I usually
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eat breakfast. Sometimes toast with
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peanut butter and banana. After that, I
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head to work. Unlike you, I don't work
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from home, so I spend about 30 minutes
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Do you listen to music or podcasts
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during your commute?
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Yes, that's actually one of my favorite
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times to listen to podcasts. It makes
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the ride more enjoyable and I also learn
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>> That's a good use of time.
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>> Then during work, my day is similar to
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yours. Emails, meetings, writing tasks.
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After work, I usually go for a walk or
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do some light exercise at home. In the
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evening, I cook dinner, maybe call a
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friend or watch Netflix, and then go to
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>> Nice. So, our routines are different,
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but also similar in many ways.
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Yes. And I think that's a good point for
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our listeners. Everyone's daily routine
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will look a little different depending
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on your job, family, and lifestyle, but
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having some structure makes life
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And one more thing, daily routines are
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not just about productivity. They also
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help with mental health. When you have a
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routine, you feel more stable and less
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>> That's so true. Especially during
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difficult times like the pandemic,
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having a routine gave people a sense of
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>> Yes. Even small habits like making your
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bed or preparing a cup of tea can bring
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>> I couldn't agree more.
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All right, Tony, let's share some quick
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tips with our listeners. Maybe small
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things they can add to their daily
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routine to make life better.
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>> Sure. Tip number one, prepare the night
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before. For example, if you want to
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exercise in the morning, lay out your
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workout clothes before you go to bed.
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That way, it's easier to start.
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Yes, that really works. I also like to
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prepare my to-do list at night. It helps
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me sleep better because my mind is
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>> Good one. Tip number two, start small.
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If you want to build a new routine,
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don't try to change everything at once.
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For example, if you want to wake up
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earlier, try 15 minutes earlier instead
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>> That's excellent advice. Many people
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fail because they try to do too much at
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And tip number three, add something
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Routines don't have to be boring. Maybe
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listen to your favorite song while
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brushing your teeth or make a special
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coffee in the morning.
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>> Yes, I love that. Routines should give
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you joy, not just discipline.
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>> And here's a fun fact. Did you know that
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some of the most successful people in
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the world have very simple daily
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For example, Apple's CEO Tim Cook wakes
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up at 3:45 a.m. every day to check
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emails and exercise.
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But other successful people like author
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Herooqi Murakami follow a quiet,
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repetitive routine that helps them focus
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>> Wow, that's inspiring.
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It shows that success is not about doing
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something extraordinary once but about
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repeating simple habits every day.
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>> Well, I think this has been such a fun
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and useful conversation. We talked about
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our daily routines, shared tips, and
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even learned how routines can make life
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healthier and happier.
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>> Yes. And I hope our listeners also got
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some ideas for their own routines.
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Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect.
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Just find what works for you.
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>> Exactly. And if you're learning English,
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talking about your daily routine is a
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great way to practice.
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You can start by writing down your
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routine in simple sentences like, "I
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wake up at 7. I eat breakfast at 8:00. I
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go to work at 9:00." Then you can make
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That's a great exercise.
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>> All right. Thank you so much, Tony, for
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>> Thank you, Lisa. It was a pleasure.
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>> And thank you to our listeners. If you
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enjoyed this episode, don't forget to
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like, share, and subscribe to the Simple
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English podcast. We'll be back soon with
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more interesting topics. Until then,
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take care and maybe take a moment to
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reflect on your own daily routine.
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Okay everyone, it's time to learn some
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important vocabulary related to the
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topic. The first word of today is
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routine. It means a set of actions that
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you do regularly, often every day.
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Example, my morning routine includes
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brushing my teeth, drinking coffee, and
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reading the news. The next word is
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commute. It means the journey a person
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makes regularly between home and work or
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school. Example, Lisa's commute to work
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takes about 30 minutes by bus. The next
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word is productive. It means being able
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to get a lot of useful work done in a
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certain amount of time. Example, Tony
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feels more productive in the morning, so
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he does important tasks first.
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The next word is relax. It means to rest
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and become less worried, tired or tense.
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Example, in the evening, Lisa likes to
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relax by watching Netflix. The last word
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is consistent. It means doing something
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the same way over time without changing.
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Example, even if you exercise for just
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10 minutes, being consistent is more
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important than doing it once for an
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