Lily asks
Tell me about a decision you made lately. How did you decide?
How to build your answer
Tell a story: four moves, about a minute.
- 1Set the sceneWhen and where. “A few months ago, I…”
- 2What happenedTwo or three moments, in order.
- 3How it feltYour reaction. “I was mortified.”
- 4How it endedThe ending, or what you'd do now.
Lily's answer, three ways
The same story, from easy to advanced. Tap a highlighted phrase to learn it.
Easy
Lily's voice note
Recently I decided to stop reading work messages in the evening. For months I'd been checking them right up until bed, and I was tired all the time. I'd wake up already stressed. So I thought about it for a few days, and I made up my mind. After seven, my laptop goes in a drawer, and work notifications are off. The first week was really strange. I kept wanting to check, just in case. But nothing bad happened! Nobody even noticed. Now I sleep better, and my evenings feel like my own again. I cook, I read, I call my mum. It sounds like such a small thing, but I'm really glad I did it. I should've done it years ago.
Phrases to borrow
/ˈmeɪk ʌp jɔː ˈmaɪnd/
decide something
I can't make up my mind about which coat to buy.
just in case
/ˈdʒʌst ɪn ˈkeɪs/
to be ready if something happens
Take an umbrella, just in case.
feel like your own
/ˈfiːl ˈlaɪk jɔː ˈəʊn/
feel that something belongs to you again
Now the kids have left, the house feels like my own.
Natural
Lily's voice note
A few weeks ago I decided to stop checking work messages in the evening. I'd been reading them right up until bed, and I was always tired and stressed. I slept on it for a few days, because I wasn't ready to just switch off completely. What if I missed something important? But in the end I did it. Now, after seven, my laptop goes in a drawer and the notifications are off. The first week was harder than I expected. I kept wanting to check, but nothing bad happened, and nobody even noticed. I sleep so much better now. I think deep down I knew I needed it. I cook, I read, I call my mum. My evenings are mine again.
Phrases to borrow
not be ready to do something
/ˈnɒt bi ˈredi tə ˈduː ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
not feel prepared to do something yet
I'm not ready to say goodbye.
deep down
/ˈdiːp ˈdaʊn/
in your real feelings, which you may hide
Deep down, I knew he was right.
Advanced
Lily's voice note
I finally decided to stop reading work messages in the evening, which was harder than it sounds. For months I'd been checking them right up until bed, then lying awake replaying emails, and waking up already stressed. So I took a few days to think it through, and then I set a rule. After seven, the laptop goes in a drawer, and the notifications go off. That first week I was itching to check, just to see. But nothing bad happened. Nobody even noticed! It was tough to break the habit, but now I sleep better, I cook, I read, and I call my mum for a proper chat. Honestly, it's a weight off my shoulders. I only wish I'd done it years ago.
Phrases to borrow
be harder than it sounds
/biː ˈhɑːdə ðən ɪt ˈsaʊndz/
be more difficult than people think
Cooking rice is harder than it sounds.
be itching to do something
/biː ˈɪtʃɪŋ tə ˈduː ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
want to do something very much and find it hard to wait
The kids were itching to open their presents.
break the habit (of doing something)
/ˈbreɪk ðə ˈhæbɪt (əv ˈduːɪŋ ˈsʌmθɪŋ)/
stop doing something you have done for a long time
I'm trying to break the habit of eating in front of the telly.
a weight off your shoulders
/ə ˈweɪt ɒf jɔː ˈʃəʊldəz/
a feeling of relief when a worry or problem is gone
Finishing my exams was a real weight off my shoulders.
Your turn: answer Lily
Tell me about a decision you made lately. How did you decide?
Answer out loud, in your own words. Try one phrase you just borrowed.
Daily life
sleep on it
wait until tomorrow before deciding
“Don't decide now, sleep on it.”
heytardy