Hi, everybody! I’m Georgiana, founder of speakenglishpodcast.com. My mission is to help you to speak English fluently. Speaking English is way easier when you use the right material and techniques.

In this episode, let's take a look at the most common New Year's resolutions. Then you will practice your English fluency with a mini-story.

Alright! Let’s start!

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Well, first of all... Happy New Year!

How time flies! A new year has just begun.

It’s curious how the passage of time is perceived according to age. Young people don't think much about it. Middle-aged people think about the things they still want to achieve and realize that they have less and less time. Older people, on the other hand, remember the old days.

Don't worry; I won't get too philosophical in this lesson. :) I’ll go ahead and talk about New Year's resolutions.

As you know, when a new year comes, we all feel like doing a lot of things. Also, we feel a bit guilty for having celebrated a little too much at Christmas.

Therefore, in this episode, we will take a look at the most popular New Year's resolutions and practice new vocabulary.

And what’s a resolution?

A resolution is a firm decision to do something.

My new’s year resolution is to use highly proven techniques, based on the natural learning of a second language, to help my students to speak English automatically.

Losing weight or going on a diet.

This resolution is a classic. After all the meals and alcoholic beverages, we decide to lose weight. Usually, this decision is made after a very generous meal. We are on a full stomach and solemnly decide that we are going to lose weight and that we are going on a diet.

Going to the gym

Another classic! It's funny how many people are paying their gym fee every month but never go. Sounds familiar? Then now it's the perfect excuse to start exercising. A friend of mine told me in October that he wasn't going to the gym, but that he would certainly start going in January. :)

If you ever go to the gym at the beginning of the year, you'll see a lot of people working out — everyone with a lot of determination. The problem is that in February there are half as many people exercising.

Sometimes the New Year's resolution for exercising includes an ambitious goal, such as running a marathon. The important thing is to finish the race so don’t obsess about timing.

For some time, I was aiming to run a marathon. About four years ago, I ran a half-marathon and noticed that running a marathon was a reasonable goal. Then I changed my mind because the training I needed was too intense for my knees. Now I'm taking it slower and alternating between different sports.

Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking is a hard thing to do. Many people try to quit smoking and start a healthier life at the beginning of a new year. Luckily I’m not a smoker, but I always wish them all the best.

So, we have the health trio: dieting, going to the gym and quitting smoking. Many try, very few succeed.

Read more books

It’s always a great idea to read. You can learn many things. I know people who haven't read an entire book since high school. I also know others who read a lot. A good New Year's resolution is to read more. I suppose, to be successful, you need to start with a book you like.

Learn a new language

I particularly like this resolution. As you already know, it’s extremely important to have the right materials and use the right techniques. Just going to a language school isn’t enough.

I firmly believe that if you are an adult, you can learn by yourself from home. Since we are very busy and don't have much time, we need a system that fits our lifestyle, not the other way around. With a little consistency, you can get amazing results!

Saving money

During the Christmas holidays, it’s very common to spend more money than usual, perhaps too much.

With the festive spirit, it’s normal to spend and spend and shortly after, at the beginning of the new year, to want to save money.

Travel

Also, a classic. I remember two years ago that I traveled to five different countries. However, the following year I got tired and didn't travel anywhere. Maybe too much of something can become tiring.

Traveling is a good goal, but first, you have to meet the previous goal: to save some money.

I read once that a very high percentage of New Year's resolutions are not met in the first three weeks of January. Those same resolutions are reformulated a year later, after the Christmas holidays, in January. It's a kind of deja vu :)

My experience in these cases tells me that:

- It’s better to focus on objectives per quarter than per year. So, we can be much more realistic because we know we only have three months to accomplish them.

- Writing objectives is also important. There is a technique that consists of writing your goals on a piece of paper and putting them in the bathroom mirror or on the fridge. Like this, you can see them every day.

- It's also important to be precise about your goals or purposes.

This year I’d like to read more books, exercise more than last year and to travel more.

How about you? Let me know what your new year’s resolutions are.

Read the transcript on my website: https://speakenglishpodcast.com/podcast/