B2 English Listening Practice | Are Your Just Busy or Really Productive |Improve Your English Skills

Hello and welcome back to Code Your English, the channel where we explore powerful life topics while improving your English. I'm really glad you're

your English. I'm really glad you're here today. Whether you're walking,

here today. Whether you're walking, driving, studying, or just relaxing with your headphones on. Thank you for spending this time with me. Today's

topic is something we all experience in our daily lives, but we don't always stop to think about it clearly. And

that's exactly what we're going to do together. Let me ask you something. Have

together. Let me ask you something. Have

you ever had one of those days where you were doing things all day? Maybe

answering emails, checking your phone, running around, but at the end of the day, you felt like you didn't actually finish anything important. You were

constantly busy, but strangely, nothing truly meaningful got done. It's like you were spinning in circles. If that sounds

familiar, don't worry. You're not alone.

Many of us live this way for weeks, months, even years. It can feel like we're always rushing, always tired,

always overwhelmed. But deep down, we

always overwhelmed. But deep down, we sometimes wonder, is all this activity really helping me move forward? That's

what today's episode is all about. We're

going to explore the difference between being busy and being productive. And the

big question I want you to think about is this. Are you really busy or are you

is this. Are you really busy or are you productive? You see, busy people are

productive? You see, busy people are always doing something, but productive people are doing the right things. Busy

people fill their time. Productive

people move forward. It's not about doing more. It's

forward. It's not about doing more. It's

about doing what matters. We'll look at why we sometimes prefer to stay busy instead of focusing on what's truly important. We'll also talk about the

important. We'll also talk about the emotional side of it, like how fear of failure, perfectionism, or self-doubt can push us to fill our time with

distractions instead of real progress.

And by the end of this episode, you'll have a clearer picture of where your time is going and how you can start being more intentional with it. Now, as

you listen, I encourage you to think about your own routines.

What fills up your schedule? What tasks

make you feel satisfied at the end of the day? And which ones leave you

the day? And which ones leave you feeling empty or even frustrated? Sometimes asking the right

frustrated? Sometimes asking the right questions is the first step toward positive change. This episode isn't just

positive change. This episode isn't just about learning English. It's about

understanding yourself better. And

remember, every word you hear is helping you grow your vocabulary, your confidence, and your mindset. So before we dive into today's

mindset. So before we dive into today's topic, I just want to let you know that this episode is created especially for B2 level English learners, also known as

upper intermediate level. That means the vocabulary, grammar, and expressions you'll hear are a little more advanced than beginner or intermediate content.

Don't worry if you don't understand every single word. Just try to follow the meaning and enjoy the rhythm and flow of natural English. This is a great

way to improve your listening and speaking skills while exploring real meaningful topics. So, let's get

meaningful topics. So, let's get started. Being busy versus being

started. Being busy versus being productive. Are you really getting

productive. Are you really getting things done?

So, now that we've asked the big question, are you really busy or productive? Let's take a deeper look at

productive? Let's take a deeper look at what those two words actually mean in real life. On the surface, being busy

real life. On the surface, being busy and being productive can look very similar. In both cases, you're doing

similar. In both cases, you're doing things, using your time, and maybe even feeling tired at the end of the day. But

if we take a closer look, there's a big difference between the two. Being busy

means your time is full. You're always

doing something. Replying to messages, going to meetings, running errands, crossing tasks off your to-do list. But

here's the catch. Many of those tasks might not actually be important. They

just keep you active. Being busy often gives us the feeling that we're working hard, but we might not be moving forward. Imagine you're running on a

forward. Imagine you're running on a treadmill. You're sweating, your heart

treadmill. You're sweating, your heart is beating fast, and you're using a lot of energy, but at the end of it, you're still in the same place. You didn't

actually go anywhere. You just stayed busy. Now, let's look at what it means

busy. Now, let's look at what it means to be productive. When you're

productive, you're not just doing things. You're doing the right things.

things. You're doing the right things.

You have a clear goal and your actions are helping you get closer to it. Being

productive is like walking a real path.

Even if you're moving slowly, every step takes you further. It's not about how many hours you work. It's about what results you create. A productive person

might do fewer tasks, but those tasks matter more. They focus on what really

matter more. They focus on what really moves their life, work, or goals forward. Let's say you want to learn

forward. Let's say you want to learn English. That's your goal. A busy person

English. That's your goal. A busy person might watch random videos, scroll through Instagram for English quotes, or spend hours highlighting vocabulary in a

textbook.

But a productive person would choose one lesson, focus on listening, practice speaking, and maybe record themselves to check their

pronunciation. They would do less, but

pronunciation. They would do less, but with purpose. That's the key. Purpose.

with purpose. That's the key. Purpose.

One thing that often stops us from being productive is that we don't always know our priorities. A priority is something

our priorities. A priority is something that's more important than other things.

If everything feels important, we can't choose what to focus on. So, we end up doing a little bit of everything and we don't finish anything. That's how we

become busy, not productive. To be

productive, we have to ask ourselves what really matters right now. What will

make the biggest difference? When we can answer that, we're on the right path.

Another thing that gets in the way is perfectionism.

Maybe you felt this before. The feeling

that everything has to be perfect before you start. So you keep preparing,

you start. So you keep preparing, planning, organizing, but never really doing the thing that matters. Or maybe you keep

changing your mind because nothing feels good enough. Perfectionism can make us

good enough. Perfectionism can make us feel like we're working hard, but it's actually a form of fear. It keeps us busy so we don't have to face the

possibility of making mistakes. But

remember, progress is always better than perfection. You can fix things, improve

perfection. You can fix things, improve them, and learn, but only if you start.

Of course, life brings setbacks, too. A

setback is when something unexpected happens and pushes you off track. You

get sick, you lose motivation, your schedule changes, or something doesn't go the way you planned. When that

happens, it's easy to fall into busy habits. Because busy work feels easier

habits. Because busy work feels easier than doing the hard focused things that actually move us forward. But being

productive doesn't mean being perfect all the time. It means coming back again and again to what really matters even

after a setback. It means choosing focus over activity. So let's take a moment to

over activity. So let's take a moment to think in your daily life. How often do you stop and ask yourself, is this really necessary? Is this helping me

really necessary? Is this helping me grow? Most of us don't ask those

grow? Most of us don't ask those questions often enough. We just keep going. But if we want to be productive,

going. But if we want to be productive, not just busy, we have to get comfortable with reflection. We have to become more honest about how we use our

time and why we do the things we do. And

here's something important to remember.

Being productive doesn't always mean working more. Sometimes it means working

working more. Sometimes it means working less, but with more intention. It means

creating space to breathe, to think, to focus. That's why productive people

focus. That's why productive people often seem calm, not rushed, because they know where they're going and they're not afraid to say no to the

things that don't take them there. To

sum it up, being busy is about doing a lot. Being productive is about doing

lot. Being productive is about doing what matters. One fills your calendar,

what matters. One fills your calendar, the other fills your life with meaning.

And when you learn to make that difference in your mind, your habits begin to change. You stop wasting energy on the wrong things and start building a

life that's more focused, more peaceful, and more successful in your own way. So,

as we move into the next part of the episode, ask yourself honestly, am I just moving or am I actually going somewhere? That question

can open the door to a whole new way of living. Why we love being

living. Why we love being busy. Let's be honest. Even though being

busy. Let's be honest. Even though being busy can feel stressful, we often choose to stay that way. Sometimes we even feel

proud of being busy. But why? Why do so many of us stay so busy day after day when we know it doesn't always help us grow or move forward? One reason is

cultural. In many modern societies and

cultural. In many modern societies and especially in big cities, being busy is seen as a sign of success. It's like we wear our busy schedules like a medal or

a trophy. This is often called the busy

a trophy. This is often called the busy badge of honor. Imagine someone asks you how you've been and you say, "Oh, I've

been so busy." You might not realize it, but deep down you're telling them, "I'm important. I'm needed. My time is full

important. I'm needed. My time is full because my life is meaningful. This idea is everywhere in

meaningful. This idea is everywhere in movies, social media, workplaces, and even in school. People often respect

those who are always doing something. It

becomes part of our identity. We believe

that if we're not busy, we're lazy or even worse, unimportant. But that's not true. Being constantly busy doesn't

true. Being constantly busy doesn't always mean you're doing well. It just

means your time is full. In fact, it's possible to be extremely busy and still feel empty inside. I know because I felt

that way myself. Let me share a personal story. A few years ago, I was working on

story. A few years ago, I was working on several projects at once. I had a full-time job. I was trying to build a

full-time job. I was trying to build a side business. I was taking evening

side business. I was taking evening classes. And I was even helping organize

classes. And I was even helping organize a community event on weekends. My

calendar was packed. Every hour had something written in it. I didn't have time for long lunches, for breaks, or even for real conversations with my

family. I told myself, "I'm doing so

family. I told myself, "I'm doing so much. I must be making progress." But

much. I must be making progress." But

the truth was, I wasn't. I was busy, yes, always moving, always checking tasks off a list. But I wasn't growing.

I was just surviving. One evening, I sat down after a long day and realized something strange. I couldn't even

something strange. I couldn't even remember what I had done that day. I had

spent the entire day in motion, but nothing important had actually moved forward. No big goals had gotten closer.

forward. No big goals had gotten closer.

I had just been reacting to the things around me, emails, calls, requests, tasks, instead of choosing what mattered

most. That moment changed me. It made me

most. That moment changed me. It made me ask the question we talked about earlier. Am I just moving or am I

earlier. Am I just moving or am I actually going somewhere? That's when I started learning the difference between being busy and being productive. So why

do we keep doing this? Why do we keep filling our time even when it drains our energy and steals our focus? Part of it is

emotional. Staying busy helps us avoid

emotional. Staying busy helps us avoid things we don't want to face. If you're

always running around, you don't have time to stop and ask hard questions like, "Am I happy? Am I doing what I

really want? What am I afraid of?" These

really want? What am I afraid of?" These

are not easy questions. So instead, we stay busy. It's a kind of protection. We

stay busy. It's a kind of protection. We

stay active so we don't have to feel uncomfortable emotions like doubt, fear, or sadness. But real growth only happens

or sadness. But real growth only happens when we're honest with ourselves.

There's also the fear of missing out, sometimes called FOM O. In today's

world, we see everyone online doing so many things, traveling, starting new businesses, learning new skills, posting

success stories. This creates pressure.

success stories. This creates pressure.

We feel like we need to do more, try more, be more, so we say yes to everything. We take on more than we can

everything. We take on more than we can handle. We stay busy because we're

handle. We stay busy because we're afraid to fall behind. But the truth is, nobody can do everything. And real

success doesn't come from saying yes to everything. It comes from saying yes to

everything. It comes from saying yes to the right things. Another reason we love being busy is that it gives us a clear structure. When we don't know what to do

structure. When we don't know what to do or when we're unsure about a big decision, we often choose to do smaller, easier tasks just to feel like we're

doing something. That way we can feel

doing something. That way we can feel useful even if the task isn't important.

But this is often just an illusion. It's

motion, not progress. And if we're not careful, days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months and we're still stuck

in the same place. Let me ask you this.

Have you ever avoided a big scary goal by focusing on little things that didn't really matter? Maybe you cleaned your

really matter? Maybe you cleaned your room instead of studying or checked your email instead of practicing English. We

all do this sometimes. It's human. But

once we become aware of this pattern, we can begin to change it. In the end, we stay busy because it feels safe, familiar, and socially accepted. But if

we're not careful, busyiness can become a habit. A habit that hides our fear,

a habit. A habit that hides our fear, our confusion, or our lack of clarity.

The good news is that habits can be changed. And it all starts with

changed. And it all starts with awareness. So today I invite you to

awareness. So today I invite you to think about your own life. Do you wear the busy badge with pride? Do you

sometimes stay busy to avoid fear or discomfort? Do you fill your days with

discomfort? Do you fill your days with tasks that keep you active but not aligned with your real goals? These are

deep questions, but asking them can change your life. And as you reflect on your answers, you're not just improving your English, you're improving your

mindset. Let's keep going and see how we

mindset. Let's keep going and see how we can start moving from busy to truly productive. The hidden costs of being

productive. The hidden costs of being busy. Being busy all the time might

busy. Being busy all the time might sound like a good thing. It can even feel exciting. You always have something

feel exciting. You always have something to do, people to talk to, and tasks to complete. But over time, staying busy

complete. But over time, staying busy without direction or purpose can lead to something deeper, something more dangerous. And that's what we're talking

dangerous. And that's what we're talking about now. The hidden costs of being

about now. The hidden costs of being busy. Let's start with one of the

busy. Let's start with one of the biggest ones, burnout. Maybe you've

heard this word before.

Burnout happens when your body and mind feel completely tired. Not just

physically, but emotionally and mentally. It's not the kind of tiredness

mentally. It's not the kind of tiredness that goes away after one good night's sleep. It's the kind of exhaustion that

sleep. It's the kind of exhaustion that builds up slowly over weeks or even months. You start to feel like you have

months. You start to feel like you have no energy left. You might lose interest in things you used to enjoy. Even small

tasks feel heavy and difficult. Many

people who experience burnout say things like, "I just don't feel like myself anymore." And what causes burnout?

anymore." And what causes burnout?

Often, it's not because you're doing something meaningful and challenging.

It's because you're doing too much of the wrong things without rest, without clarity, and without balance. You spend

your days rushing, reacting, and completing task after task, but none of them bring you real satisfaction or

progress. You're always on, but never

progress. You're always on, but never really present. You're busy, but not

really present. You're busy, but not fulfilled. Now, let me ask you a

fulfilled. Now, let me ask you a question. Are you tired because you

question. Are you tired because you worked hard on something important or because you spent the whole day wasting your energy on distractions?

That's a powerful question and sometimes the truth is difficult to face. But

facing it is the first step to change.

Another hidden cost of being busy is stress. The constant pressure to do

stress. The constant pressure to do more, be more, and handle everything.

When you're always running from one thing to the next, your brain never really gets a break. Your mind becomes full of open tabs just like a computer

with too many windows open at the same time. You start to forget things. You

time. You start to forget things. You

lose focus. You feel like there's never enough time. And instead of being calm

enough time. And instead of being calm and clear, you feel tense, worried, and sometimes even panicked. This kind of

stress can make us feel overwhelmed. A

word that means completely full. like

your brain is carrying more than it can hold. Think of your brain like a

hold. Think of your brain like a backpack. If you keep putting things

backpack. If you keep putting things into it, tasks, worries, responsibilities without taking anything out, eventually it gets too heavy to

carry. You might still be walking, still

carry. You might still be walking, still showing up, still smiling, but inside you're struggling. Now, let's talk about

you're struggling. Now, let's talk about something more quiet, but just as harmful, and that's self-doubt. When

you're always busy, but not seeing real results, you start to question yourself.

You might think, "Why am I working so hard, but nothing's changing, or maybe I'm not good enough." This is when the

voice of doubt becomes louder. You might

feel like you're failing even though you're doing so much. And that's one of the most painful parts of being busy without direction. It doesn't just drain

without direction. It doesn't just drain your time. It starts to damage your

your time. It starts to damage your confidence. Let me tell you something

confidence. Let me tell you something important. You are not the problem. The

important. You are not the problem. The

problem is the system you're in. the

habits, the pressures, the mindset that tells you to keep going without stopping to think. When you feel tired, it's not

to think. When you feel tired, it's not always because you're weak. It's often

because you've been strong for too long without taking a real break. There's

another danger in being too busy. We

start to live on autopilot. This means we move through

autopilot. This means we move through our days without thinking. We wake up, check our phone, rush through breakfast, go to work or school, answer messages,

attend meetings, check notifications, scroll social media, reply to emails, make dinner, and suddenly the day is

over. We were alive, but not really

over. We were alive, but not really awake. We were present, but not mindful.

awake. We were present, but not mindful.

That's autopilot. It's when you're doing things automatically without real awareness. And if we live like this for

awareness. And if we live like this for too long, we forget to ask the important questions. Why am I doing this? Is this

questions. Why am I doing this? Is this

helping me grow? Is this what I want for my life? Let me share a small example. A

my life? Let me share a small example. A

few weeks ago, I found myself feeling exhausted after a long day. But when I looked back, I realized I hadn't done anything truly meaningful. I had

answered emails, replied to messages, organized files, checked off tasks, but I hadn't created anything, learned anything, or connected deeply with

anyone. That night, I sat on the edge of

anyone. That night, I sat on the edge of my bed and asked myself, "Am I really tired or just empty?" It was a hard question, but it helped me notice

something. I wasn't tired because I did

something. I wasn't tired because I did too much. I was tired because I spent my

too much. I was tired because I spent my energy on the wrong things. Maybe you

felt that, too. Maybe you've come home at night completely drained, but with nothing to show for it. That's one of the biggest costs of being busy without

being productive. You lose your energy,

being productive. You lose your energy, your focus, and sometimes even your passion. But the good news is awareness

passion. But the good news is awareness brings power. When you start to notice

brings power. When you start to notice how you're spending your time and energy, you can start to make better choices. So ask yourself now, am I

choices. So ask yourself now, am I living my life with intention or am I just reacting to everything around me?

Do I feel overwhelmed because I'm doing too much or because I'm not doing what really matters? These are not easy

really matters? These are not easy questions.

but they're necessary if you want to move from a life of busyiness to a life of clarity, growth, and true productivity. And remember, it's okay to

productivity. And remember, it's okay to slow down. It's okay to pause. You don't

slow down. It's okay to pause. You don't

have to earn your worth by being busy every moment of the day. Your value

isn't based on how many tasks you complete. It's based on who you are and

complete. It's based on who you are and how you choose to live.

what real productivity looks like. So far, we've talked a lot about

like. So far, we've talked a lot about what it means to be busy and why being busy doesn't always help you move forward in life. But now, let's take a

moment to imagine the opposite. What

does it really look like to be productive? What are the habits, the

productive? What are the habits, the actions, and even the feelings of someone who is truly productive, not just busy? One of the first and most

busy? One of the first and most important things we notice about productive people is focus. When someone

is productive, they don't try to do everything at once. They choose one important thing and they give it their full attention. This is not easy. We live in

attention. This is not easy. We live in a world full of distractions, messages, notifications, phone calls, and endless information. But productive people learn

information. But productive people learn to protect their focus like it's something precious because it is. You

can think of focus like sunlight. If

sunlight spreads in all directions, it feels warm, but it doesn't do much. But

if you focus that sunlight through a magnifying glass, it becomes powerful.

It can even start a fire. That's what

focus does in your life. It takes your energy, your time, your thoughts, and it brings them together. That's how real

results are made. Another key trait of truly productive people is consistency.

This word means doing something again and again. Not just when you feel like

and again. Not just when you feel like it, but even when you don't. It's not

about big action. It's about steady action. A person who goes to the gym

action. A person who goes to the gym once a month for 3 hours is not likely to see much progress. But someone who goes for 30 minutes, three times a week,

is building a real habit. The same is true in every part of life. learning a

language, starting a business, improving your health, or developing a skill.

Consistency always wins over perfection. This brings us to another

perfection. This brings us to another important idea, mindset. Your mindset is the way you think about challenges, mistakes, effort, and success. People

with a productive mindset don't wait for motivation to appear. They create

structure and they show up even when things aren't perfect. They don't give up easily. They know that setbacks are

up easily. They know that setbacks are part of the journey, not the end of it.

And most importantly, they focus on progress not perfection. That mindset helps them grow

perfection. That mindset helps them grow even when things feel difficult. Let me tell you a short

difficult. Let me tell you a short story, a true one about a woman I used to work with. Her name was Lara. When I

first met her, she was always busy. Her

calendar was full. Her desk was a mess of papers and sticky notes. And she

always looked tired. She often said there's just not enough time in the day.

But when you looked at what she actually finished each week, it wasn't much.

meetings, emails, phone calls, but no deep work, no long-term projects completed. One day, Lara decided to

completed. One day, Lara decided to change something. She read a book on

change something. She read a book on productivity, and she started making small changes. The first thing she did

small changes. The first thing she did was start her day with intentional planning. She asked herself each

planning. She asked herself each morning, "What are the three most important things I need to do today?"

And she wrote them down. She stopped

checking email first thing in the morning. She turned off her

morning. She turned off her notifications for a few hours each day and she gave herself real breaks, not just scrolling on her phone. At first,

the changes felt strange. Slowing down

felt wrong because she was so used to rushing. But after a few weeks,

rushing. But after a few weeks, something amazing happened. She started

finishing projects. She had more energy.

She smiled more. She even said one day, "I finally feel like I'm moving forward." That's what real productivity

forward." That's what real productivity can feel like. Not stress, not chaos, not exhaustion, but calm, clear, focused

effort, repeated again and again. When

you're truly productive, you're not just checking boxes. You're building

checking boxes. You're building something step by step, day by day. and

you can see the difference. Of course,

that doesn't mean productive people never make mistakes. They do. It doesn't

mean they never feel tired or unmotivated. They do. But they have

unmotivated. They do. But they have tools habits systems and self-awareness that help them keep going. They don't depend only on

going. They don't depend only on motivation. They build discipline. They

motivation. They build discipline. They

create routines that support their goals. and they learn from failure

goals. and they learn from failure instead of running away from it. Now, let me ask you, what would it

it. Now, let me ask you, what would it look like for you to be truly productive? What would happen if you

productive? What would happen if you focused on just a few important things each day instead of trying to do everything? How would your life change

everything? How would your life change if you worked with intention instead of rushing in every direction? It's easy to think productivity is only about doing

more, but real productivity is often about doing less and doing it better.

It's about choosing what matters and giving it your energy. It's about

quality over quantity. And most of all, it's about progress over perfection. So,

if you're someone who always feels busy but rarely feels proud of what you've done, maybe it's time to shift your focus. Start small. Start simple. Start

focus. Start small. Start simple. Start

today. Choose one thing that matters.

Give it your time, your focus, and your consistency. And trust that over time,

consistency. And trust that over time, these small actions will lead to big change. Common productivity

change. Common productivity myths. Now that we've talked about what

myths. Now that we've talked about what real productivity looks like, let's slow down for a moment and look at something many people don't talk about. The myths.

Yes, myths. These are the ideas that many of us believe are true about being productive, but they're actually not.

They sound helpful, but in real life, they often do more harm than good. And

the worst part, these myths can keep us stuck. Working hard but getting

stuck. Working hard but getting nowhere. So, let's explore a few of them

nowhere. So, let's explore a few of them together. One of the biggest myths is

together. One of the biggest myths is the idea that multitasking makes you more productive. You've probably heard

more productive. You've probably heard people say things like, "I'm great at multitasking." Or, "I can do five things

multitasking." Or, "I can do five things at once." But the truth is our brains

at once." But the truth is our brains are not made to focus on many things at the same time. What we call multitasking is usually just switching quickly from

one thing to another. And each time we switch, we lose focus. We waste time. We

make more mistakes. It's like trying to write an email while watching TV and talking on the phone. You're doing a lot, but are you doing any of it well?

There's a good idiom for this. Spinning

your wheels. Imagine a car stuck in the mud. The wheels are turning fast, but

mud. The wheels are turning fast, but the car is not moving forward. That's

what multitasking can feel like. You're

working, you're tired, you're busy, but in the end, you're not really going anywhere. Another myth is that being

anywhere. Another myth is that being busy means you're important or successful. In today's culture, being

successful. In today's culture, being busy almost feels like a status symbol.

People say, "I'm so busy." Like it's something to be proud of. It becomes a kind of busy badge of honor. But think

about it. If you're always busy but not happy, not healthy, or not achieving your goals, is that really success?

Being busy is easy. being productive,

being thoughtful and focused is much harder. There's also the myth that if

harder. There's also the myth that if you're not tired at the end of the day, you didn't work hard enough. This idea

is very common, especially in competitive work environments. Some people believe that

environments. Some people believe that unless you're exhausted, you haven't done enough. But being tired all the

done enough. But being tired all the time is not a sign of productivity. It's

often a sign of burnout. And burnout is serious. It's your body and mind telling

serious. It's your body and mind telling you to stop. There's another idiom here.

Burning the candle at both ends. It

means you're using all your energy in the morning and again at night without giving yourself time to rest.

Eventually, the candle like your energy runs out. Many people also believe they

runs out. Many people also believe they need to wait for the perfect time to start something important. They wait for the right moment, the perfect day, the

ideal conditions. But this idea of

ideal conditions. But this idea of perfect timing is a myth too. The truth

is most of the time there is no perfect time. There is only now. Productive

time. There is only now. Productive

people don't wait. They start even if things are messy or uncertain. Because

starting is what leads to progress. Not

waiting, not planning forever. Here's

another myth that productive people never get distracted or never feel lazy.

That's not true at all. Everyone gets

distracted. Everyone has lazy days. The

difference is productive people learn to manage those feelings. They build habits that support them. They don't let a bad day turn into a bad week. They get back

on track. They keep showing up. So now

on track. They keep showing up. So now

let me ask you, have you ever believed in any of these myths? Have you ever thought that being busy meant you were doing a good job or that multitasking

helped you get more done? It's okay if you have. We all learn these ideas from

you have. We all learn these ideas from school, work, and even social media. But

once you see them clearly, you can choose differently. Being truly

choose differently. Being truly productive doesn't mean doing more. It

means doing the right things at the right time in a way that works for you.

It means using your energy wisely, not just to look busy, but to build something meaningful. It means learning

something meaningful. It means learning to say no to the things that don't matter, so you can say yes to the things that do. Let's stop spinning our wheels.

that do. Let's stop spinning our wheels.

Let's stop burning the candle at both ends. Let's take off the busy badge and

ends. Let's take off the busy badge and choose real focused action. You don't

need to do everything. You just need to do what matters and do it well. In the

next part of this episode, we'll explore how to put all this into action with practical tips you can start using today to be less busy and more truly

productive. Turning busy into

productive. Turning busy into productive.

Now that we've broken the myths and looked at what real productivity means, the next important question is how do we actually move from being just busy to

being truly productive? Because it's one thing to

productive? Because it's one thing to understand the difference, but it's another thing to live that difference in your daily routine. And the truth is

most of us don't need to work harder. We

need to work smarter. We need small shifts that help us focus our time and energy where it really matters. Let's

begin with something very simple but very powerful. Setting

very powerful. Setting priorities. It's easy to make a long

priorities. It's easy to make a long to-do list with 20 or 30 small tasks.

And yes, it feels good to check things off. But are those tasks moving you

off. But are those tasks moving you closer to your goals? Or are they just keeping you busy? Real productivity

begins with asking yourself what truly matters today. Not what's urgent, not

matters today. Not what's urgent, not what's noisy, but what is important. If you had only 2 hours today

important. If you had only 2 hours today to do your most meaningful work, what would you choose? Learning to prioritize helps you stop reacting and start

directing your energy with purpose.

Another major shift comes from learning to say no, especially to things that do not support your goals or values. This can be hard. Many of us

values. This can be hard. Many of us want to be helpful, liked, or seen as reliable. So, we say yes to everything,

reliable. So, we say yes to everything, meetings favors events emails messages, even when we're already tired or

overwhelmed. But every yes is also a no

overwhelmed. But every yes is also a no to something else. When you say yes to every small request, you may be saying

no to rest, no to focus time, no to your own dreams. What would happen if you said no to something small today in order to say yes to something bigger?

And that brings us to another key habit, planning deep work. Deep work means focused, highquality effort on one

important task without distractions.

It's the kind of work that helps you make real progress. Not just answering emails or attending meetings, but writing thinking solving creating

reflecting. Deep work doesn't happen by

reflecting. Deep work doesn't happen by accident. You have to protect that time,

accident. You have to protect that time, even if it's just 30 minutes a day. That

means turning off your phone, closing your social media tabs, and giving your full attention to one task. Think about

it. When was the last time you worked for one full hour without checking your phone? For many of us, that's rare. But

phone? For many of us, that's rare. But

that's where the real growth happens in silence, in focus, in presence. Now,

let's talk about something deeper. The

role of perfectionism and fear of failure. These are two major reasons we

failure. These are two major reasons we stay busy instead of productive.

Perfectionism tells us we need to do everything perfectly. So we spend too

everything perfectly. So we spend too much time planning, editing, adjusting, trying to control every little detail.

But productivity is not about perfection. It's about progress. It's

perfection. It's about progress. It's

about doing your best with what you have, learning as you go. Ask yourself,

what stops you from focusing? Is it

fear? Is it the pressure to get it exactly right? Sometimes we hide in

exactly right? Sometimes we hide in busyiness because we're afraid to start.

We're scared we might fail. But doing

something badly is better than doing nothing at all. That's how we grow.

Another good habit is to review your day or week. Take five minutes in the

or week. Take five minutes in the evening to reflect. What did you spend your time on? What gave you energy and

what drained you? Were you busy or were you productive? This small habit helps

you productive? This small habit helps you learn from your experience and make better choices in the future. You become

more aware. You start seeing patterns.

You begin to ask better questions over time. This creates a productive mindset,

time. This creates a productive mindset, one that helps you stay calm, clear, and focused even when life gets busy. And

remember, all of these changes take time.

You don't need to become perfectly productive overnight. Start small.

productive overnight. Start small.

Choose one tip that feels right for you.

Maybe setting priorities or planning deep work. And try it this week. Reflect

deep work. And try it this week. Reflect

on it. Adjust it. Build it into your routine. Step by step. You'll move from

routine. Step by step. You'll move from just doing things to doing the right things with purpose, with clarity, and

with confidence. Let's be honest, being

with confidence. Let's be honest, being busy can feel easier. It keeps us moving. It keeps us distracted. But

moving. It keeps us distracted. But

being productive means facing ourselves. It means choosing focus over

ourselves. It means choosing focus over noise. It means letting go of perfection

noise. It means letting go of perfection and choosing progress. And that's not just about getting more done. It's about

creating a life that feels meaningful and aligned with who you are. In our

final section, we'll wrap up everything we've learned and give you a few final questions to think about to help you reflect, reset, and take action. Because

at the end of the day, you have the power to code your life just like you code your English with purpose, practice, and personal

growth. So, let's take a deep breath

growth. So, let's take a deep breath together and look back on everything we've talked about today. It's been a full conversation, but a meaningful one.

Because the difference between being busy and being productive is more than just a detail. It's actually a reflection of how we live, how we think,

and how we grow. We started with a simple but powerful question. Are you

really busy or are you productive? We

explored how being busy can often feel like we're achieving something when in fact we might just be moving in circles.

We talked about how busy means doing many things, sometimes without direction, while productive means doing the right things, things that move us forward with purpose. It's like the

difference between running on a treadmill and walking toward a destination. One keeps you in place, the

destination. One keeps you in place, the other takes you somewhere. We also

looked at why we stay so busy. There's a

kind of comfort in being busy. It helps

us avoid difficult thoughts or decisions. It gives us a sense of

decisions. It gives us a sense of importance. But we also saw the hidden

importance. But we also saw the hidden costs, the burnout, the stress, the feeling of being overwhelmed or stuck on

autopilot. We asked the hard questions.

autopilot. We asked the hard questions.

Are you tired because you worked hard or because you spent your energy on things that don't matter? And then we turned toward real productivity, what it

actually looks like. We discovered that productive people focus on fewer tasks but with more clarity, consistency, and

intention. We shared ideas like setting

intention. We shared ideas like setting priorities, protecting deep work time, and even learning to say no. We faced

the truth that perfectionism and fear of failure can block us from real progress, and that sometimes being busy is just

another way to hide from our potential.

So now before we end this episode, I want to invite you to pause for a moment and ask yourself, what will you do differently this week? Not next year,

not when your schedule is perfect, but this week. Is there one small change you

this week. Is there one small change you can make to move from busy to productive? Maybe it's turning off your

productive? Maybe it's turning off your notifications for one hour. Maybe it's

writing down your top three priorities for the day.

Maybe it's saying no to one task that's not serving you anymore. And if you're not sure where to start, try something

simple. Journal about your habits. Take

simple. Journal about your habits. Take

10 minutes tonight or tomorrow morning.

Ask yourself, where does my time really go? What activities give me energy? What

go? What activities give me energy? What

things make me feel stuck or distracted? This kind of reflection

distracted? This kind of reflection doesn't just help your productivity. It

helps you learn about yourself. And

that's what real growth looks like.

Remember, you don't have to change everything all at once. Progress is

built on small, consistent steps. And

the more you practice being productive, not just busy, the more you'll feel in control of your time, your energy, and

your life. Thank you for spending this

your life. Thank you for spending this time with me here on Code Your English.

I hope today's episode gave you not only some helpful English listening practice, but also a new way to think about your habits, your goals, and your focus. You

have the ability to shape your days. And

when you shape your days, you shape your future. So, what's your next step? Take

future. So, what's your next step? Take

it with courage. Take it with clarity.

And always keep learning.

Until next time, take care and remember, it's not about doing more. It's about

doing what matters.