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This lesson is suitable for intermediate-level learners. After listening, test your knowledge with our quiz.
Learning notes:
Examples of phrases you can use when talking about small wins at work:
- I finally sent that email I’ve been putting off.
- Give yourself a pat on the back!
- I even treated myself to chocolate..
- Good on you!
- Nice work!
- Now use that small win to build some momentum.
- One step at a time.
- I’m slowly getting there.
- Keep the ball rolling with that win.
- I’m getting there, slowly but surely.
- I’m making steady progress.
Colloquial expressions:
To put something off means to delay doing something, often because it feels difficult or uncomfortable.
To give yourself a pat on the back means to praise yourself or feel proud of something you have done. It is often used when someone has achieved something good — even if it is small.
To treat yourself means to give yourself a small reward. It could be chocolate, a coffee, a break, or anything you enjoy.
To build momentum or keep the ball rolling means to use one small success to continue doing something or to keep moving forward with something, just like rolling a ball.
To do things one step at a time means to focus on one small part of something in order to keep going instead of trying to do everything at once.
Slowly getting there or making steady progress means improving gradually or achieving something step by step.
Vocabulary:
Momentum is energy in movement. Something that has momentum can keep going once it has started.
A boost is an increase in energy, confidence, or motivation that helps you continue.
A step is a small action toward a goal.
Progress is a movement forward or an improvement in something.
A to-do list is a list of tasks you need to complete.
An achievement is something you have completed successfully.
Learning focus:
In the dialogue Allan and Claire use some phrases that are often used to show approval or agreement between friends:
- Allan: "I know, right?"
Allan shows that he agrees with what Claire just said)
- Claire: "Good on you!"
This is a very common way of saying that you approve of what someone has just done.
Transcript:
(Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript)
SBS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands, and waterways throughout Australia.
My workdays can feel the same every day: emails, meetings, deadlines. And sometimes one task – even if it’s very small – can feel very hard. You put it off, think about it all day, and then it just stays on your to-do list. A to-do list is a list of jobs that you have to do. Do you make those for yourself to help you get through the things you have to do?
Often, it's not the task itself that is difficult. It’s just getting started on it
Hi, I’m Josipa and in this episode, we’re talking about small wins at work – those tiny achievements that help us feel good and stay motivated.
So, picture this: a short break at work, coffee in hand. Allan and Claire are chatting about a little win they had today.
Allan: I finally sent that email I’ve been putting off.
Claire: Give yourself a pat on the back! I know that was a tough one.
Allan: I know, right? I even treated myself to chocolate.
Claire: Good on you! Now use that small win to build some momentum.
Allan: One step at a time. I’m slowly getting there...
Small wins at work might not seem like a big deal, but for me, they can make a huge difference. How about you? Do you celebrate your small wins?
While you think about your last small win, let’s look more closely to the phrases we just heard. Allan first said,
I finally sent that email I’ve been putting off.
To put something off means to delay doing it, often because it feels difficult or uncomfortable. It’s a very common phrase in everyday English, especially when talking about work. For example, you could say,
- I’ve been putting off that report all week.
- I keep putting off calling the client.
- I keep putting off cleaning those shelves
Next, Claire said:
Give yourself a pat on the back!
To give yourself a pat on the back means to feel proud of something you’ve done. It is like you praise yourself.
It’s often used when someone has achieved something - even something small.
You might also hear:
- You should be proud of yourself.
- Nice work!
Then Allan said,
I even treated myself to chocolate.
To treat yourself means to give yourself a small reward. It could be chocolate, a coffee, a break or anything you enjoy. For example,
- I treated myself to a nice lunch.
- I’ll treat myself after I finish this task.
Next, Claire said,
Now use that small win to build some momentum.
Momentum is energy and movement so that things progress. When you build momentum, one small success helps you move on to the next task and so you keep going.
You could also say,
Keep the ball rolling with that win.
The phrase ‘keep the ball rolling’ comes from sport. When you roll a ball, it keeps moving. In English, we use it to mean ‘keep going’ or ‘don’t stop.’
For example:
- I finally got through my emails. Now I can keep the ball rolling and finish that report.
Finally, Allan said,
One step at the time. I’m slowly getting there...
‘One step at the time’ is a very common phrase in English. It means focusing on small actions instead of trying to do everything at once. It’s often used to talk about habits, work goals or personal progress. And, of course, you’re not really getting to any particular destination, but you are making progress in whatever you are doing.
You could also say,
- I’m getting there, slowly but surely.
- I’m making steady progress.
If you’re making a steady progress, you’re slowly improving or getting better, one step at the time.
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Paul Nicholson and Lily O'Sullivan voiced the characters of Allan and Claire, and Professor Lynda Yates was our educational consultant.
