Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Mr. English Channel, where learning English is easy and fun.
I'm Emily.
Hello, Emily.
It is so good to be here today.
The sun is shining, I have my favorite blue mug, and I am ready to talk.
I love that blue mug, Paul.
It always looks so cheerful.
How are you feeling today? i am feeling reflective do you know that word emily reflective oh that is a great word it means you're thinking deeply about things right yes exactly i was looking at the window this morning watching the birds and i started thinking about the future the future that is a big topic it is actually perfect because that's what we're talking about today really wow what a coincidence It is.
Today we're talking about dreams, goals, and our plans for the future.
Wow, I love this topic.
Everyone has a dream, right?
Even if it is a small one.
I think so.
Some people want to travel, some want a new job, and some just want to learn a new hobby.
Hmm.
Speaking of hobbies, I have a little secret to tell you, Emily.
A secret?
Oh, I love secrets.
Tell me.
Well, you know, I like to eat a lot.
Yes, Paul, I know you love your snacks.
Well, my dream is to become a really good cook, not just to make a sandwich cook, but a real chef.
Wow, Paul, that is a wonderful dream.
Can you cook now?
Honestly, no, not at all.
Yesterday I tried to make pasta, just simple pasta.
And what happened?
Did it taste good?
Well, here's the funny part.
I put the pasta in the water and then the phone rang.
It was my mother.
Oh, no.
Mothers love to talk.
She talked for 40 minutes.
I forgot about the pasta.
When I went back to the kitchen, the water was gone and the pasta was well.
It looked like a giant gray ball of glue.
Oh, Paul, a gray ball of glue?
That does not sound delicious.
It was terrible.
I had to throw the pot away.
My chef dream started with a disaster.
Don't worry, Paul.
That is just a small mistake.
Every great chef probably burned some pasta in the beginning.
I hope so, but it made me think.
A dream is great, but I need a plan.
I can't just be a chef tomorrow.
You are right.
That is the difference between a dream and a goal.
A dream is what you want, but a goal is the plan to get there.
Yes, exactly.
So, my first goal is simple.
Do not burn the pasta.
That is a very good short-term goal.
What about you, emily?
Do you have a big dream for the future?
I do.
My dream is to live in a small house by the sea.
I want to wake up, see the blue water and hear the waves every morning.
Oh, that sounds so peaceful.
I can see you there emily, drinking your coffee on a wooden porch.
Yes, that is the dream.
But right now, it is far away.
I live in the city and I work a lot.
So how do you turn that dream into a plan?
Well, I started a house fund.
Every month, I put a little bit of money into a special bank account.
Ah, like our episode about money.
You are saving for your dream.
Yes, it's a slow process, but every time I put money in that account, I feel like I'm walking closer to the beach.
That is amazing.
It's like a bridge.
You are building a bridge from the city to the sea.
I love that image, Paul.
A bridge to the sea.
You know, it's funny.
When we talk about dreams, sometimes I get confused with the dreams we have when we sleep.
Oh, that is a common misunderstanding.
In English, we use the same word for both.
Yes, yesterday I told my friend I had a dream about a giant cat and he said Oh, is that your goal for the future, to have a giant cat?
No, that is very different.
I had to explain.
No, no, I was sleeping.
It was just a dream in my head.
We laughed for a long time.
That is so funny.
Yes, dreams can be the stories in our sleep or the hopes for our life.
I think I prefer the hopes.
Giant cats are a bit scary.
I agree.
So we have dreams and we have goals.
But what about plans?
Plans are the steps, right?
Yes.
For example, if your goal is to be a chef, what is your plan for this week?
Hmm.
My plan for this week is to buy a cookbook, a very simple one, for beginners.
That is a perfect first step.
And maybe you can practice one meal?
Yes.
On Saturday, I am going to try again.
I am going to make tomato soup.
I think it is hard to burn soup.
Be careful, Paul.
Just don't answer the phone this time.
No phones in the kitchen.
That is my new rule.
Good rule.
You know, I have a friend named Sarah.
She had a very interesting dream last year.
Oh?
What was it?
She worked in a big office.
She was very busy and very stressed.
But her dream was to work with flowers.
Flowers?
Like a gardener?
Yes, she wanted to have a small flower shop, but she was afraid.
She thought, I have a good job now, why change?
That is a difficult choice.
Many people are afraid of change.
She was, but she started small.
She didn't quit her job.
Instead, on Saturdays, she went to a local flower shop and asked to help for free.
For free?
Just to learn?
Yes, she spent six months learning how to cut flowers, how to keep them fresh and how to make beautiful bouquets.
Wow, that is a real plan.
She was gaining experience.
Exactly.
And guess what?
Last month, she finally opened her own shop.
It's called Sarah's Sunflowers.
Oh, Emily, that is such a happy story.
Is she happy now?
She is so happy.
She says she is tired, but it is a good tired.
She loves the smell of the flowers every morning.
That is wonderful.
It shows that if you have a dream and you take small steps, it can happen.
Yes, it doesn't happen overnight.
It takes time and effort.
Overnight.
I like that expression.
It means very fast, right?
Yes, like i didn't become a teacher overnight, i had to study for years.
Hmm, i need to remember that from my tomato soup, i won't be a chef overnight, exactly.
Enjoy the process, paul.
You know emily, i am really enjoying this talk.
It makes me feel motivated.
I am happy to hear that, and i hope our listeners are feeling motivated too.
Oh yes, if you are enjoying this conversation about dreams and goals, don't forget to like the video, subscribe to our channel and share it with a friend who is learning English.
Yes, it really helps us grow.
And we have a little fun for you.
If you are still listening, comment the word dream below.
Yes, comment dream so we know you are part of our community.
So Paul, we talked about your chef dream and my beach house dream, but what about short-term goals, things for this year?
Oh, I have one.
This year, I want to run a 5K race.
A 5K?
Paul, I didn't know you like running.
I don't.
That is the problem.
I usually run only if I'm late for the bus.
So why do you want to run a 5K?
Well, I want to be healthy, and my friend invited me.
He said, Paul, let's do this together.
Having a friend to help is a great idea.
It makes the goal easier.
It does.
But Emily, I went running for the first time on Monday.
And how was it?
It was short.
I ran for two minutes and I thought I was dying.
My legs were shaking, my face was red, I looked like a tomato.
Oh no, two minutes?
Yes.
I had to sit on a bench and wait for my heart to stop jumping.
A little dog walked past me and I think he was laughing at me.
Paul, the dog was not laughing at you.
I'm not sure.
He had a very funny look in his eyes.
Don't give up.
The first day is always the hardest.
Your body needs to get used to it.
I know.
So my plan now is to run for three minutes tomorrow.
Just one more minute.
That is the perfect way to do it.
Just a little bit more every time.
In English, we call that baby steps.
Baby steps?
Like a small child learning to walk.
Yes small, easy steps.
Don't try to run the 5k today.
Just run for three minutes, okay.
Baby steps for running and baby steps for cooking.
I can do that.
I believe in you.
You know, thinking about the future can be scary sometimes, don't you think?
Yes, it can.
Sometimes i worry what if i fail?
What if i never become a chef?
That is a very natural feeling, Paul.
Everyone feels that way.
But I think the important thing is to try.
You're right.
If I don't try, I definitely won't become a chef.
Exactly.
A mistake is just a lesson.
Like your gray pasta.
Now you know, don't talk on the phone while cooking.
True.
That was a very important lesson.
Sometimes our goals change, and that is okay too.
What do you mean?
Well, five years ago, my dream was to live in a big city like new york.
I wanted the lights, the noise, the big buildings.
And now you want a quiet house by the sea.
Yes, i realized that i prefer peace and nature.
My goal changed because i changed.
That makes sense.
As we grow, our dreams grow with us, Exactly.
So it's okay to change your mind.
That makes me feel better.
Maybe if I hate running, I can try swimming instead.
Yes.
The goal is to be healthy.
The activity can change.
Emily, do you have any tips for people who have a big dream but don't know where to start?
Hmm.
I think the best way is to write it down.
Write it down?
Like in a notebook.
Yes, when you write something on paper, it becomes real.
It's not just an idea in your head anymore.
I like that.
I have a notebook right here.
I'm going to write paul's big chef adventure that is a great title.
And then, under the title, write three small things you can do this month.
Okay, One buy a cookbook.
Two, make tomato soup.
Three, watch a cooking video on YouTube.
Perfect.
See, now you have a plan.
You are not just dreaming, you are doing.
It feels good to see it on paper.
It feels possible.
It is possible.
I think many people stop because they look at the mountain, not the path.
The mountain and the path.
That's very poetic, Emily.
Thank you.
The mountain is the big dream.
It looks very high and very far away, but the path is just the next step in front of your feet.
I'm going to remember that.
Focus on the path.
Yes, and celebrate the small victories.
Small victories?
Like when my soup actually tastes like tomato, yes.
Or when you run for five minutes without stopping, give yourself a high five.
High five for me.
You know paul, talking about this makes me want to check on my house fund.
I want to see how much i saved this month.
Go for it, emily.
Every dollar is a brick for your beach house.
Thank you.
It's funny how talking to a friend can make your dreams feel closer.
I agree.
When we share our goals, we feel more responsible to finish them.
Yes.
Now I am going to ask you every week, Paul, how is the soup?
Oh, no.
Now I really have to practice.
Yes, you do.
Well, Emily, we have talked about so many things today.
Pasta disasters, running to Menino's, beach houses, and flower shops.
We really have.
It was a very busy conversation.
It was.
Let's see if I remember everything we talked about.
Okay, let's do a quick recap.
Well, we started with the difference between a dream and a goal.
A goal is a dream with a plan.
Yes, exactly.
And we talked about baby steps, not trying to do everything at once, but doing a little bit every day.
Right, like your running plan.
Yes.
And we learned that mistakes are okay.
They're just lessons.
Like my gray pasta glue.
I will never forget the gray pasta.
Me neither.
And we talked about writing things down to make them real.
And most importantly, that it is okay if your dreams change over time.
Yes, that was a very important point.
I feel much more confident about my future now.
I'm so glad, Paul.
Before we finish, do you have a bonus tip for our listeners?
Oh, I do.
Here's a small tip for everyone.
Tell one person about your goal today.
That is a great tip.
Why?
Because when you tell someone, it's like a promise and that person can encourage you when you feel tired.
I love that.
So listeners, tell a friend, a family member, or even tell us in the comments what is one goal you have for this month.
We would love to read them.
It is so inspiring to hear what other people are planning.
It really is.
Well, I think that is all for today's episode.
It is.
This was a very happy chat.
Thank you, Emily.
Thank you, Paul.
And thank you to everyone for listening.
Yes, thank you.
Before you go, don't forget to subscribe to Mr. English channel so you don't miss our next chat.
And give this video a big like if you found it helpful.
And remember, focus on the path, not just the mountain.
See you next time, everyone.
Goodbye.
Bye-bye.
Bye for now.
