Lesson 6. Make it Easy
🚀 Lesson 6: Make It Easy — The Psychology of Habit Design
📚 1. Advanced Vocabulary (with explanations + examples)
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| friction ⚙️ | resistance that makes action harder | There was too much friction in his morning routine. |
| barrier 🚧 | mental or physical obstacle | Fear is the biggest barrier to change. |
| cue 🔔 | trigger that starts a habit | The alarm clock became his cue to wake up. |
| trigger 🎯 | something that causes action | Stress is a trigger for overeating. |
| routine 🔁 | repeated sequence of actions | She changed her evening routine completely. |
| habit loop 🔄 | cue → action → reward cycle | The habit loop was broken by small changes. |
| effortless 🌿 | requiring no effort | The system made exercise feel effortless. |
| consistency 📊 | doing something regularly | Consistency matters more than motivation. |
| procrastination ⏳ | delaying tasks | He was fighting procrastination every evening. |
| motivation 🔥 | desire to act | Motivation was not enough to change behavior. |
| environment 🌍 | surroundings influencing behavior | He redesigned his environment for success. |
| constraint 🧱 | limitation or restriction | Time constraints affected his training. |
| reinforce 🧠 | strengthen a habit | Rewards reinforce positive behaviour. |
| disrupt ⚡ | interrupt or break a pattern | He disrupted his old habits completely. |
| automate 🤖 | make something automatic | He automated his morning decisions. |
📖 2. Reading Task (Past Simple + Past Continuous — advanced narrative)
📘 Title: “The Habit Experiment”
In 2023, Daniel was working as a software engineer in Berlin while he was struggling with productivity. Every morning he was waking up late, rushing through breakfast, and starting his day already stressed.
He realized that the problem wasn’t motivation — it was friction. While he was reading a psychology article, he discovered the concept of habit design and decided to run a personal experiment.
First, he removed all unnecessary decisions from his morning routine. While he was preparing for the next day, he was laying out clothes, pre-cooking breakfast, and moving his phone away from the bed. He also changed his environment so that distractions were harder to access.
At first, it was feeling strange. While he was trying to adapt, he noticed how often he was reaching for his phone without thinking. That behavior had become automatic.
After a few days, something shifted. He woke up earlier without effort. His actions became smoother, almost mechanical, as if the system was doing the work for him.
By the end of the month, he had transformed his routine completely. What used to be a chaotic morning became a structured, calm process. He realized that success was not about willpower, but about reducing friction and designing behaviour.
🧠 3. Grammar Focus — Modals for Advice (B2 level)
| Modal | Strength | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| should | advice | recommendation | You should simplify your environment. |
| can | neutral suggestion | possibility | You can remove distractions first. |
| must | strong advice | necessity | You must eliminate friction points. |
| have to | obligation | external necessity | You have to change your routine design. |
✏️ Grammar Practice (advanced)
Complete with should / can / must / have to:
You ___ redesign your environment if habits keep failing.
People ___ often struggle because they ignore friction.
You ___ start by making one action easier, not ten.
If you want change, you ___ reduce decision-making fatigue.
You ___ understand your habit loop before changing behaviour.
💬 4. Speaking Part (DETAILED — discussion-based, B2+)
Answer in full sentences. Be ready to justify opinions.
🧠 Understanding habits
Why do you think most people fail to maintain new habits after 1–2 weeks?
What is more important: motivation or system design? Why?
Can bad habits exist without environmental triggers? Give examples.
Do you think people underestimate “friction” in daily life?
⚙️ Personal experience
Describe a habit you tried to build but failed. What was the friction?
What habit in your life currently feels “effortless”? Why?
Have you ever unconsciously repeated a negative habit loop? What was it?
What was happening in your life when you realized a habit was damaging you?
🔥 Critical thinking
Should schools teach habit design and psychology?
Is modern technology reducing or increasing friction in our lives?
Can too much “ease” make people less disciplined?
Are successful people more disciplined or better at designing systems?
Is laziness really the problem, or is it bad environment design?
🌍 Abstract discussion
How does environment shape human behaviour more than willpower?
Can society design systems that automatically improve human habits?
What would a “perfect habit system” for humans look like?
Do you think free will plays a role in habit formation, or is it mostly automatic behaviour?
🏠 Homework (advanced task)
🧩 Habit Design Report
Write a structured paragraph:
Describe a habit you want to change
Use past simple + past continuous (what you were doing / what happened before)
Identify friction points
Give at least 5 solutions using should / must / can / have to
Explain how environment influences this habit
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