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Hey Gwen, have you ever just been lying on the couch staring at the ceiling thinking about big dreams? Like building a whole empire?

OMG, did you put a hidden camera in my house or something?

No, I'm asking because I had an afternoon exactly like that.

Oh, please. I don't stop at building an empire. In my mind, I'm also standing on a stage winning an award, giving the most inspiring speech ever.

But in real life, we're just lying there scrolling Tik Tok until our thumb gets tired. Right.

True. It's like two different people fighting inside one body. One side is ambitious Gwen, who wants success so badly. The other is lazy Gwen who just wants to sleep in.

I know a lot of you feel the same way.

Guys, if you feel discouraged because you think you're lazy, I just want to say you are not alone. Maybe you have a lot of big questions in your head right now. Why can we imagine success in such clear detail, but we can't even do something simple like open a book? Today we're sharing simple strategies to outsmart your brain and see results fast. You can just listen, relax, and still change your mindset. Are you ready, Leo?

Ready. Let's start this journey to rewire your brain.

First, I want to clear everyone else's name a little. Leo, do you really think we are born lazy?

I'm pretty sure we are, Gwen. Sometimes I feel like I have a lazy gene that just waits for a chance to show up.

Come on, put that negative thought away. Science shows that our brain is actually very responsible and it's not lazy in a bad way.

Are you kidding me? It stops me from studying and tells me just go to sleep when I need to work. And you say it's responsible.

It sounds strange, but it makes sense. You have to go back to prehistoric times for a minute. The human brain was designed with one main goal: help us survive.

What does that have to do with lying on the couch and not studying English?

Well, in ancient times, food was rare and danger was everywhere. To survive, the brain always tried to save energy. It keeps energy in case you suddenly need to run away from a tiger.

Oh, so the brain sees energy as something very valuable and it doesn't want me to waste it on things that are not urgent for survival.

Exactly. When you make a big plan, like 1,000 hours of speaking practice, your brain doesn't see career growth. It sees a huge overload and turns on the alarm. Danger. Too much energy.

That explains a lot. Every time I open my study app, my eyes suddenly get sleepy, even if I just woke up.

Yes. And it pulls you back to your phone because scrolling Tik Tok uses much less energy.

Ah, and looking at a one-year goal feels like standing in front of a 42 km marathon.

Yes, you're not scared of running. You're scared of running 42 km on the first day.

That feeling is a real mental barrier. Just thinking about it makes me want to sleep to save energy. It's a great deal for my brain, but a disaster for my dreams. Right, Gwen?

Yeah. Besides saving energy, there's another hidden enemy that is just as strong. It's called perfectionism.

Oh, perfectionism. I'm the king of that. I always want everything to be perfect before I start.

How does your perfectionism delay your study time?

Well, I always tell myself I'll start when I feel fully ready. Sometimes I even wait for a perfect opportunity because I'm afraid to start.

After everything is finally perfect, what do you do next?

Then I feel too tired. So I tell myself I'll do it tomorrow with better energy.

That's the trap. In reality, perfectionism is just fear of failure wearing a nice mask.

What? I thought I was just someone with high standards. How is that fear of failure?

Because you're afraid that if you start and don't do well, you'll have to admit you're not that good. Perfectionism doesn't make you better, Leo. It only makes you start later than everyone else.

Oh. Oh, so my perfectionism was actually fear of failure pretending to be high standards.

Yeah. Instead of waiting to be perfect, accept mistakes as part of growth. No one is ...

Vol289.日常英语学习From Imagination to Action