B2 English Listening: Why Talking About Your Goals Can Stop You from Achieving Them

Inspired by Derek Sivers' speech “Keep Your Goal to Yourself” at TED Talk

PART 1: WHY ANNOUNCING YOUR GOALS CAN BE A PROBLEM

Vocabulary 1
A. Congratulate (verb) [French: féliciter]: To tell someone you are happy about their success. Example: I congratulated my sister on passing her driving test. (J’ai félicité ma sœur pour la réussite de son examen de conduite.)

B. Psychological research (noun phrase) [French: recherche en psychologie]: Studies about how people think, feel, and behave. Example: Psychological research helps us understand why children learn differently. (La recherche en psychologie nous aide à comprendre pourquoi les enfants apprennent différemment.)

C. False feeling of success (noun phrase) [French: faux sentiment de réussite]: A feeling of success without real progress or achievement. Example: Buying expensive sports equipment gave him a false feeling of success. (L’achat de matériel de sport coûteux lui a donné un faux sentiment de réussite.)

D. Praise (noun) [French: éloges]: Words that show approval or admiration for someone. Example: Example: The teacher gave her praise for her excellent presentation. (Le professeur lui a fait des éloges pour son excellente présentation.)

Guide Questions
1. What does the speaker say about announcing our goals?
2. What does the speaker say about psychological research?
3. Why are the benefits of sharing our goals?

TRANSCRIPT

Why Announcing Your Goals Can Be a Problem. Sharing a personal goal can make us feel good. When others congratulate us and show their support, we may feel more confident and believe we are already closer to success. However, this feeling can sometimes reduce our motivation to take action. Psychological research suggests that telling others about our goals can give us a false feeling of success. When people recognize our plans, we may feel as if we have already made progress, even when we have not done any real work. As a result, we may feel less motivated to make the effort needed to achieve our goals. However, sharing goals is not always a bad idea. It can help when we need practical advice, encouragement, or someone to check our progress. The key is to seek support that encourages action rather than praise that makes us feel successful too early. (150 words)

PART 2: PRACTICAL WAYS TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Vocabulary 2
A. Get fitter (verb phrase) [French: améliorer sa condition physique]: To become healthier and stronger through physical activity. Example: I want to get fitter before my hiking trip. (Je veux améliorer ma condition physique avant mon séjour de randonnée.)

B. Consistent effort (noun phrase) [French: efforts réguliers]: Regular work toward a goal over time. Example: Learning to play the piano requires consistent effort. (Apprendre à jouer du piano demande des efforts réguliers.)

Guide Questions
1. What should we do before sharing our goals with people?
2. Talk about specific ways.
3. When does real progress happen?

TRANSCRIPT

Before sharing a goal, decide what kind of support you need. For example, if you want to get fitter, ask a friend to exercise with you three times a week or help you follow your schedule. This makes sharing your goal a way to take action rather than simply talk about success. Write down three specific actions you can take this week. Add them to your calendar and record what you complete each day. If you miss a planned activity, find out why and choose another time to do it. You can also ask someone you trust to check your progress regularly. Focus your conversations on what you have actually done, not just what you intend to do. Finally, set weekly targets and review your results every Sunday. Adjust your plan when necessary and keep moving forward. Real progress comes from consistent effort, supported by the right people and practical actions. (151 words)

Discussion

1. Do you announce your goals to people or do you keep them a secret (expression: keep it to yourself)? Why?
2. Have you ever shared a goal with friends or colleagues, felt good about it, and then lost the motivation to achieve it?
3. What personal or professional goal would you like to achieve this year?
4. How can managers help employees achieve their professional goals?
5. Should employees share their career ambitions with their managers? Why or why not?
6. How can companies encourage employees to take action instead of simply discussing new ideas?