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BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

HABITS OF
SUCCESS
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1 Warm up

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. What habits do you have?

2. What have you been successful with in your job?
3. Which people do you admire for their success?

2 Skimming for gist

Read the following titles and match them to paragraphs A – D. There are more titles than paragraphs.

Headings Paragraph: A / B / C / D / not given

(1) How they might help

(2) Habits of the rich and famous

(3) What not to do

(4) The industry for personal success

(5) Statistics of success

(6) Why they are attractive

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HABITS OF SUCCESS

Can success be learned?

Habits for success

A. Visit the business section of any bookshop and you will find yourself presented with a sea of titles claiming
to give you the secret to success. With over 25 million copies sold, Stephen R Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly
Successful People is one of the most successful, but it is certainly not alone. For the majority of people, habits
are something that are usually thought of in a negative light, whether it’s overeating, or smoking, or the need for
coffee throughout the working day. Within the pages of these books though, habits are presented as a pathway
to achievement for the average Joe.

B. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the rich and famous adopt certain methods in their work which they believe to be helpful.
The famous writer, Charles Dickens, for example, ensured that he slept pointing North, believing this to be the
secret to his ability to produce timeless classics such as Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol. Another example is
Beethoven, who insisted that his coffee was made with precisely 60 beans, having great expectations for its ability
to power him through the process of composing over 700 pieces of music throughout his lifetime. In the modern-
day, Bill Gates, is said to move backwards and forwards in his chair while thinking which he says helps him focus.
Ariana Huffington has a ritual of removing all electronic devices from her bedroom each night to help her focus
on sleep – the key, she believes, to her creativity.

C. Why is it though that these habits are something that ordinary people wish to copy? One factor is that we have a
very high regard for people who we see as successful. We mistake what they do for the reason they are successful.
For instance, although movement might help Bill Gates think, he’s clearly very intelligent in whatever he does while
he considers his decisions. Copying what he does isn’t going to be the magic solution to earning his salary, as nice
as the idea may be.

D. This isn’t to say that learning useful habits is a waste of time. Rituals to motivate a team to win are well-known
in sport. The New Zealand All Blacks famously perform The Haka before each Rugby game, a war dance that they
have done for over 100 years to intimidate the other team. Rafa Nadal is known for wearing his socks at a height
of 15 cm and sitting in front of two water bottles, one cooled, one not, before each tennis match. Studies have
shown that, even though these habits don’t predict success, they put players in a positive frame of mind which
does increase the chance of success. So, any habits that you follow with a focus on doing a job well, if you believe
them to help, may well do so.

Sources: bbc.com, The Guardian

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HABITS OF SUCCESS

3 Finding vocabulary

Find vocabulary in the article on page two which has the same meaning as the following definitions.

1. a plan to work towards something (n, para. A)

2. start to use a particular way of doing something (v, para. B)

3. make certain something happens (v, para. B)

4. a series of actions to prepare for something (n, para. B)

5. the use of your imagination and ideas to produce something new (n, para. B)

6. the positive way you think of someone (n, para. C)

7. make someone feel scared or unsafe (v, para. D)

8. the way you are thinking and feeling (n, para. D)

4 Reading comprehension

Complete the following sentences with one, two or three words from the article on page two.

1. There are any number of books you can find that will claim that there is a magic .

2. Although we usually have view of habits, these books often give ideas for creating
productive habits.

3. While writing his , Charles Dickens would always make sure he faced North while
sleeping.

4. Bill Gates believes it’s easier for him to if he’s rocking back and forth in his chair
while he thinks.

5. Arianna Huffington improves her sleep by taking out of her room ahead of sleeping
each night.

6. We often confuse what successful people do with why they are successful.

7. You can’t based on people’s habits according to research.

8. If habits help you to that you will be successful, then you probably will be.

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HABITS OF SUCCESS

5 Focus on phrasal verbs

Part A: Complete the following phrasal verbs and definitions by writing in the correct word from the
box. Some words from the box will be used more than once.

around / on / back / off / for / by

1. thrive – to get energy from or be successful at a particular, often difficult, situation

2. egg – to encourage someone to keep going (not always positive)

3. get – to find a way of successfully dealing with a problem

4. bounce – to get successful or healthy again after a period of difficulty

5. go – to put energy into achieving a particular goal

6. go – to feel time passing

7. take – to begin to be successful or popular

8. pay – to see a plan or an action be successful

Part B: Now complete the following questions with the correct phrasal verb. You may have to change
the form of the verb.

1. When was the last time you had to a difficult situation? What did you do?

2. When was the last time you a promotion or new job? What happened? What did
you do to help you be successful?

3. Which part of the year most slowly for you? Why?

4. What do you do to colleagues or friends who are having a hard time?

5. What situations do you in your work?

6. What risks have you taken in your life that ?

7. When have you had a problem and then been able to ?

Now in pairs, answer the questions.

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6 Listening for details

Complete the table by completing the phrasal verbs and then ticking the box to show which speaker
uses them.

Phrasal verb Speaker 1 Speaker 2

a. bounce ________

b. egg _________

c. get _________

d. go _________

e. go _________

f. pay ________

g. take ________

h. thrive ________

7 Listening comprehension

Read the following statements and decide if they are true (T) or false (F).

1. Speaker 1 works well in a busy place with people around.

2. Speaker 1 always gets out of bed before 6 am.

3. Speaker 1 sleeps longer on the weekend.

4. Speaker 1 focuses on possible problems ahead of them.

5. Speaker 2 plans for the next day the night before.

6. Speaker 2 has always been quite content with their life.

7. Speaker 2 thinks their success is a result of having a plan.

8. Speaker 2 wants to be more successful than other people they work with.

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HABITS OF SUCCESS

8 Talking point

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. What do you think about Speaker 1’s advice? Do you think you could do what they do to be
successful? Why/why not?
2. What do you think about Speaker 2’s advice? Have you tried doing what they do? Why/why not?
3. What useful habits would you advise people to develop in order to be successful?
4. What is your idea of ‘success’? What will you be doing when you are ‘successful’ in your opinion?

9 Extended activity/Homework

Write an email to your younger self giving them advice about what they should do to be successful
and avoid the problems you have had in your career.

Consider the following questions:

• What did you want to do when you first started working?

• What mistakes did you make?
• What could you have done to make life easier for yourself when you were younger?
• What have you learned about working that you didn’t know then?

You should:

• Write at least 200 words.

• Check your grammar, spelling and punctuation.

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HABITS OF SUCCESS

Transcripts

6. Listening for details

Speaker 1: I thrive on the energy I have first thing in the morning. When it’s quiet and no one else
is around is when I’m at my best. If I need to, I will wake up at 4 am to start work, but I
never get up later than 5. What I achieve early in the morning is what eggs me on for the
rest of the day. On the weekend, I will use that time for exercise instead of work. I can
always sleep later if I need to, but those early hours are a gift each day which are not to
be missed. When I’m presented with problems, I focus on how I get around them. I try
not to look at the obstacle too much. If you’re skiing through a forest and you look at the
trees, you’ll hit the trees. If you focus on the path through them, you’ll find your way past
them. It’s the same idea. Of course, I have my failures from time to time, but I always
look at what I can learn from that, whether it’s about myself, my job or the industry I
work in. There’s always a lesson and by learning it, you can quickly bounce back from
any upsets.

Speaker 2: I always ensure that I have a goal I’m going for. Each evening, I write down what I’ve done
that day to get closer to it, and what I’m going to do the next day. There was a period
of time in my twenties when I was just watching life go by and I realized I was really
unhappy. I didn’t feel as though I had any control. I started to ask myself what it was that
I wanted to achieve and wrote down a plan. That plan is what motivates me and it was
when I started to be more mindful about my life is when my career really started to take
off. I was quite surprised with how quickly I started to get things done once I thought
about it and my approach really started to pay off. After a few successes, I started to
wonder what else I could do if I really wanted to. Not everything I do works, but I make
sure I’m always trying new things and don’t get complacent about the success I have. I’m
competitive, but my competition is me. I have a version of me in my head that is doing
the best I can do. I’m always challenging that person to do better.

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HABITS OF SUCCESS

Key

1. Warm up

5 mins.
This introduces the topic with questions about habits and success for the students to think about their own ideas.

2. Skimming for gist

5 mins.
You may want to set a time limit on this task to encourage students to skim rather than read in detail.
Answers to the table:
1 → Paragraph D;
2 → Paragraph B;
3 → Not used;
4 → Paragraph A;
5 → Not used;
6 → Paragraph C
Sources:
www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220708-superstitious-learning-can-lucky-rituals-bring-success
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/aug/04/five-ways-form-a-good-habit-that-sticks

3. Finding vocabulary

5 mins.
This provides support with some of the more difficult vocabulary in the article and encourages students to scan
for vocabulary.

1. pathway 2. adopt 3. ensure 4. ritual

5. creativity 6. regard 7. intimidate 8. frame of mind

4. Reading comprehension

10 mins.
Ask the students to read more carefully and complete the sentences with one, two, or three consecutive words
from the article.
Note: You may need to elicit from, or tell, students the following vocabulary.
bean (n) – a seed that a coffee plant comes from

1. secret to success 2. a negative 3. (timeless) classics 4. focus

5. all electronic devices 6. the reason 7. predict success 8. believe

5. Focus on phrasal verbs

15 mins.

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Part A
This introduces phrasal verbs used in the listening task. Students may need a dictionary to complete this task.
When they have done that, ask them to put the phrasal verbs in context in the questions, then practice using
them by discussing the questions with their partner.

1. on 2. on 3. around 4. back 5. for 6. by 7. off 8. off

Part B

1. get around 2. went for 3. goes by

4. egg on 5. thrive on 6. paid off
7. bounce back

6. Listening for details

5 mins.
This allows students to hear the audio for the first time and hear the phrasal verbs being used in context.
Answers to the table:
a → back, Speaker 1;
b → on, Speaker 1;
c → around, Speaker 1;
d → for/by, Speaker 2;
e → by/for, Speaker 2;
f → off, Speaker 2;
g → off, Speaker 2;
h → on, Speaker 1

7. Listening comprehension

1. False. ‘When it’s quiet and no one else is around is when I’m at my best.’
2. True. ‘I will wake up at 4 am to start work, but I never get up later than 5.’
3. False. ‘On the weekend, I will use that time for exercise instead of work. I can always sleep later if I need to...’
4. False. ‘I try not to look at the obstacle too much.’
5. True. ‘Each evening, I write down what I’ve done that day to get closer to it, and what I’m going to do the next
day.’
6. False. ‘There was a period of time in my twenties where I was just watching life go by and I realized I was really
unhappy.’
7. True. ‘That plan is what motivates me and it was when I started to be more mindful about my life is when my
career really started to take off.’
8. False. ‘I’m competitive, but my competition is me.’

8. Talking point

10 mins.
Ask students to discuss the questions in pairs or small groups. Circulate and help as needed.

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HABITS OF SUCCESS

9. Extended activity/Homework

30 mins+.
Ask students to plan, write and edit their emails. Encourage them to be creative and think of how different choices
could have affected their lives. Be sure to give them feedback on their work.

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