HSK 3-4 - Finding Methods vs. Finding Excuses. 聊聊“找方法还是找理由” - Chinese Daily Podcast

Hello everyone, welcome to the new episode of "Daily Chinese." I'm Li Ming. Hello everyone, I'm Wang Yu. Li Ming, I don't know why, but I always feel that a day passes by so quickly—it's as if it's over in the blink of an eye. Yes, I feel the same. It seems like there are always so many plans every day, but very few actually get completed. And you, Wang Yu, your voice sounds very energetic. Really? Maybe it's because I just had a cup of coffee. To be honest, although I'm full of energy, I've been feeling inefficient lately—kind of lazy, really. There are so many things I wanted to do, but I haven't gotten around to them. Oh, really? We've all been there at some point. Coincidentally, I just thought of a topic we could discuss today. What topic? Before diving into today's topic, let's first introduce our podcast to our new listeners. Everyday Chinese is a podcast that helps people learn Chinese easily. We hope you can naturally improve your Chinese listening skills, just as you would when listening to a friend chatting. Yes, the topics we discuss are all about life, culture, and learning. We know that listening to Chinese podcasts might be a bit difficult for beginners just starting out. Sometimes you might feel, wow, they're speaking too fast, I can't understand. Actually, it's completely fine, really. You don't need to understand every single word; try to grasp the general meaning and guess what we're talking about. If you'd like to see the complete transcript of today's conversation, check out our podcast—the link is in the description below. Don't worry, take your time. Wang Yu is absolutely right; the most important thing in learning a language is to listen a lot and immerse yourself in it. Alright, let's return to our previous topic. Wang Yu, did you just say that your efficiency has been low lately, kind of terrible, right? Yeah, I originally planned to go to the gym three times this week, but I didn't go once. I also planned to read a book, but I only managed to read two pages. I fully understand. This reminds me of a saying: "Those who want to do something always find a way; those who don't want to do something always find an excuse." Wow, that statement is so well said—those who want to do something always find a way, while those who don't always find an excuse. It means that if a person truly wants to do something, he will think of various ways to accomplish it. But if he doesn't actually want to do it in his heart, he'll come up with all sorts of excuses. You're right, so today let's talk about this topic. Why do we sometimes keep finding excuses, and how can we become the one who finds solutions? I'd like to hear your story, Wang Yu, about going to the gym—what kinds of excuses have you come up with? Oh, don't laugh at me—I have plenty of reasons. For example, on Mondays, I say I'm too exhausted from work today, so I'll go tomorrow. On Wednesday, I said it seemed like it might rain outside, the weather was bad, and it wasn't convenient to go out. By Friday, I thought again, tomorrow is the weekend, so I should rest well tonight. These reasons sound very valid, and I believe many friends might have had similar thoughts. Yeah, so today let's have a good chat about this interesting topic. Alright, let's take a clearer look now: what exactly is the difference between seeking methods and seeking reasons? I think two very simple everyday examples can illustrate this. Wang Yu, you just gave the example of going to the gym—that's a perfect example of making up an excuse. Yes, my thoughts, like being too tired or the bad weather, were just excuses. Because I know that if I really want to, even if I'm tired from work, I can still choose to do a simple exercise instead of doing nothing at all. The weather isn't good, but I can drive or take the subway—it's not a big issue. That's exactly it—making excuses. We exaggerate minor difficulties, making them seem huge, so we can justify not doing something. Now, let me give you an example of a method. I want to learn how to cook. Oh, can you cook? I used to be completely unable to cook, even couldn't fry an egg properly. When I first started working, I ate out every day or ordered takeout. After a long time, I felt it was very unhealthy and also cost a lot of money, so I made up my mind to learn how to cook for myself. That goal is great; have you encountered any difficulties? Of course, my biggest problem is that I can't do anything—I don't know how to buy vegetables, I don't know whether to put oil in first or the vegetables, and I have no idea how much salt to use. If I were someone who made excuses, I might say I'm too busy with work to find time to learn, I don't have a natural talent for cooking, it's too troublesome to cook, and it's more convenient to eat out. Well, those are all great excuses. How about you? How do you find your way? The first thing I did was to make my goal smaller. I didn't think about becoming a great chef; my goal was simply to learn how to cook one dish this week. I chose the simplest one: stir-fried tomatoes with eggs. This is China's national dish, loved by everyone. Yeah, then I started looking for ways to do it. I searched online for videos of tomato and egg stir-fry, watching how others prepared it. I also called my mom to ask what details I should pay attention to. The first time I tried it, I put in too much salt—it was too salty, a failure. Have you given up? No, I didn't think I'm definitely no good; I was thinking that salt should be used a little less. This is just part of the learning process; I've identified the problem, and I'll address it next time. Gradually, I learned my first dish, then my second, and now I can prepare a decent dinner for myself. This process is about finding ways; I didn't stop because I couldn't do it, but instead thought about how I could learn to do it. Your example is excellent. Those who look for excuses stop when they see a problem; those who look for solutions turn the problem into a learning opportunity. One focuses on the difficulty, the other on the solution. That's exactly right. Whether we're learning a new language, such as Chinese, acquiring a new skill, or developing a good habit, we always face these two choices. Yiming, after hearing your story, I've been wondering: why do we tend to prefer finding excuses? We all know deep down that completing that task would benefit us, yet we still make excuses. Why is that? This is a very good question; I think there are many reasons. Wang Yu, from your experience, how did you feel in your heart when you were making up excuses? Well, I think it's mainly fear of failure. For example, I want to learn drawing, but I'm afraid I won't be good at it and others will laugh at me, so I just don't start at all. Then I tell myself I don't have time to learn, so I don't have to face the possibility of failing. I completely understand—fearing failure, fearing that you won't do well enough, is a very common emotion. In fact, this is essentially a way of protecting yourself, because if you never start, you'll never fail. Yeah, there's another reason—I feel the goal is too big, creating a lot of pressure. For example, when learning Chinese, if my goal is to speak as well as a native Chinese person within one year, just thinking about that makes me feel it's too difficult, almost impossible to achieve. Then I might think, "My memory isn't good, I can't learn," or "I don't have a language environment," and all these excuses would come up. Yes, I deeply relate to this. When a goal appears as an extremely high mountain, standing at its base, we feel we'll never be able to climb it, and this sense can rob us of the courage to even begin. Li Ming, just like many of our podcast listeners who are learning Chinese, you might find Chinese characters too difficult to write, tones too hard to pronounce, and after studying for a few months, feel that progress is slow. You still can't understand conversations with friends, and at this point, it's easy to want to give up, make excuses for yourself, and say that maybe Chinese just isn't for me. This point you mentioned is extremely important—it's precisely the issue we aim to address through our podcast. To friends who feel this way, we want to say: we fully understand your feelings. It's completely normal to find learning difficult at times and to feel like giving up. At this point, a good strategy for finding a way is exactly what I just mentioned: breaking the big goal into many, many small goals. How do you divide it? For example, your ultimate goal is to speak fluent Chinese—a distant goal. We can break it down: this month, I want to learn how to introduce myself in Chinese. Then further divide it: this week, I will memorize ten Chinese words related to work. Then break it down even more: today, I will listen to a level-one Chinese podcast and try to understand the general meaning. When your goal for today is simply to listen to a level-one podcast, doesn't it feel much easier? It's much easier now. It's like climbing a mountain—I don't need to keep staring at the summit. I just need to focus on taking the first step, then the second. That way, the pressure is greatly reduced. Yes, every time you complete a small goal, you experience a sense of success, and this feeling gives you the motivation to keep going. In fact, often we make excuses because we lack motivation—we don’t see the immediate benefits. You're right—going to the gym is exhausting, but a good physique doesn't come overnight. Memorizing vocabulary is boring, yet becoming fluent in conversation takes a long time. Because the benefits are too far away, we're more inclined to choose immediate comfort, like lying on the sofa watching TV. In China, is there a specific term for this phenomenon called procrastination? Yes, the term "procrastination" is now very popular; it means the habit of putting off important tasks until the last minute. This is actually a form of making excuses—we always think, "I'll do it tomorrow; there's still plenty of time." There are indeed many reasons for making excuses, such as fear of failure, overly ambitious goals, lack of motivation, and the bad habit of procrastination. Alright, we've analyzed why we make excuses. Now let's discuss the most important part: how can we change? How can we train our brains to shift from habitually making excuses to habitually seeking solutions? I really need this; tell me the method quickly. Don't rush, I think we can make progress in several ways. First, as we just discussed, clearly define your goal. A clear, achievable small goal is the first step to getting started. Okay, I've noted that. For example, my goal isn't just "I want to read," but rather "I will read ten pages before going to bed today." That's excellent. Regarding the second point, I believe it's about finding your true inner motivation. Ask yourself why you're doing this. This "why" is extremely important. If your answer is simply that everyone else is doing it, so you should too, then your motivation might not be strong enough. What kind of motivation should it be then? Motivation should be closely related to yourself. For example, your motivation to learn Chinese might be that you really love Chinese movies and want to understand them without subtitles, or you want to travel to China and chat with local people, or learning Chinese could help you find a better job. When you clearly understand the real benefits that doing this task can bring you, you'll be more willing to overcome difficulties. I understand—by making this goal personally meaningful and relevant to me, so that when I feel like giving up, I can recall the wonderful outcome and regain the strength to continue. Yes, I'd like to share a simple analogy here: forming a new habit or accomplishing a big goal is like building a house. Building a house—this metaphor is quite interesting. You can't build an entire house in a single day, can you? You must first lay the first brick, then the second, one brick at a time. Every small effort of ours is like a brick. Today, listening to Chinese for 15 minutes is laying one brick; tomorrow, memorizing five Chinese characters is laying another brick. Then, what about making up an excuse? Looking for excuses is like staring at a pile of bricks and saying, "These bricks are too heavy today—I can't move them." "The weather is bad; it's not suitable for building a house." You're always focusing on the obstacles that prevent you from laying bricks. But someone who looks for solutions thinks, "Even though these bricks are heavy, I can carry half of one." "Even though the weather is bad, I can prepare the windows indoors." They always think, "What can I do today for my house, even if it's just something very, very small." I love this metaphor so much. Therefore, the key isn't how much I've done today, but whether I've added a single brick to my house. Even just one small brick is better than doing nothing at all. Absolutely correct. This reminds me of Chinese students preparing for the Gaokao. The Gaokao is the most important exam in China, determining which university a student can attend. Every student has a very clear goal: to achieve a high score. Their motivation is also very strong, for their own future. Therefore, during that period, you rarely see students making excuses for not studying; instead, they only think of various ways to learn more and improve their efficiency. Yes, everyone in that environment was looking for ways to cope, encouraging one another and working together. It also reminded me that there's another excellent approach: finding a friend to join you in your efforts. Oh, do tell me about it. For example, if I want to go健身 (work out), I might just stay home if I'm alone. But if I've made plans with a friend, I'm much more likely to go because I don't want to let them down. The same principle applies to learning Chinese. If you can find a study partner or join a study group, you can help and motivate each other. When you see others putting in effort, you'll also feel more motivated to keep going. This suggestion is highly practical—asking others for help is also a smart approach. In China, we often say, "Persistence leads to victory." Sometimes, the method is simple: just do a little bit every day without giving up. Over time, you'll see a completely different version of yourself. Don't quit halfway. Well, persistence leads to victory. Break down big goals into smaller ones, find your true motivation, and add one brick to the house every day, just like building a house. Also, find a friend to join you. These methods don't sound difficult at all—I think I can give them a try. Alright, today we talked a lot, and in our conversation we used some words that might be a bit new for everyone. Now let's review them. Mao Yu, could you help everyone explain these words in simple terms? No problem, leave it to me. The first word is "excuse." What does "excuse" mean? An excuse is a reason you give for not doing something or for doing something wrong, which is not actually true. For example, if I don't want to attend my friend's party, I might say I'm sick, but in reality, I'm not sick—I just want to stay home and rest. Saying I'm sick in this case is an excuse. That was well explained. The second word, "dynamics." Motivation is the force or reason that drives you to do something. For example, money is a motivation for many people to work hard, or the desire to travel to China is a motivation for many to learn Chinese—it gives you a sense of "I want to do it." Very clear. The third word is a very interesting one we just mentioned—procrastination. The term "procrastination" is quite interesting. The character "症" means "disease," so this word literally refers to a kind of illness characterized by a tendency to delay. If you suffer from procrastination, you always tend to put off tasks until the very last moment. For example, if you have an exam tomorrow, but you only start studying tonight, that is a clear manifestation of procrastination. Many people have this condition. Okay, the last one is an idiom: giving up halfway. Giving up halfway—this idiom means stopping halfway through a task without completing it. For example, if you decide to run every day, stick to it for a week, and then stop running altogether, we could say you've given up halfway. Here, "tu" means "journey" or "path," and "fei" means "to abandon." It literally means abandoning something midway along the path. That was an excellent explanation. I hope everyone can remember these four words: excuse, motivation, procrastination, and giving up halfway. Well, our discussion today on finding methods versus finding excuses is about to come to a close. Let's briefly summarize. Each of us, when doing something, faces two choices: to find a way, or to find an excuse. Yes, finding excuses is usually easier, but it keeps us stuck in place. Seeking solutions, although it may require more effort and thought, truly helps us grow and progress. You're right. So if you truly want to accomplish something, try breaking your big goal into smaller parts, find your inner motivation, and then, just like building a house, add one brick every day. Remember, persistence leads to victory. If you feel today's program has been helpful to you and would like to review our entire conversation, we welcome you to visit our blog, where the complete transcript is available. If you like our blog, please subscribe to our channel, give us a like, or share our program with your friends. This would be a great help to us and enable us to create more high-quality content. Finally, we'd like to leave our audience this question: please tell us in the comments below—what is the one thing you've most wanted to do recently? And what is the very first small step you can take toward accomplishing it? We greatly look forward to your sharing, thank you all for listening, see you next time. Goodbye.